5 reasons to visit Prague

If you’re planning your next European holiday, Prague must feature on your To- Visit list. Here’s why:

1. It’s cheap – You can have the best of Czech culture, history and shopping without burning a hole in your pocket. It’s a beautiful city offering the very best of Romanesque & Gothic architecture, Czech beer & delicious food, lively nightlife and lovely cruises down the Vltava River. According to current rates, one US$ amounts to 22 Czech Koruna and one Indian Rupee amounts to 0.35 CZK. So, if you’re looking for a budgeted holiday to Europe, this is probably your best bet.

Palace  Cathedral

2. Gothic Architecture – Prague’s myriad of architectural styles wow you from the moment you set foot in the glorious city and completely blow your mind. The Gothic style architecture of the Palace Cathedral caught my attention, in particular. I remember standing in the middle of the Old Town Square for at least 10 minutes, taking a 360 degree view of all the beautiful, period buildings around me. The oldest working Astronomical Clock in the world, is a medieval delight, with 12 apostles passing by the window above the astronomical dial and with symbolic sculptures moving alongside.

View of the city from Petrin Gardens

3. Bohemian crystal – You can find gorgeous pieces of intricate, handmade Bohemian crystal decoration pieces in shops all over the city. The sheer variety and low prices will definitely give you a bang for your buck and memories galore. I picked up a pair of reasonably priced beautiful, hand painted, pink wine glasses and a couple of decoration pieces from a market on the outskirts of Prague. I absolutely treasure my pink wine glasses and wish I could’ve picked up more.

Prague at night

4. Nightlife – Prague offers something for everybody and is known for its vibrant nightlife. You can find everything from pub crawls to Mozart concerts to some of the best nightclubs here. Pubs and clubs are open till late, perfect for all the party animals out there. If you just want to have a relaxed evening with some good food, wine and music, there are a lot of jazz clubs to choose from. While I was there, I was lucky enough to encounter a live cultural show featuring the very best of Bohemian music, dance, Czech beer and street food. There are numerous events that are organized by Czech Tourism the year round, most of which are free to attend, so check the Events calendar and plan your trip accordingly.

5. Jewish Quarter – or Josefov, is a town quarter and a former Jewish ghetto in the middle of Prague. Steeped in history, going all the way back to the 12th century, you can learn a lot about the Jewish community and their strife. Six synagogues remain from this old settlement which includes the Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery - the most remarkable in Europe. If history is what you are after, a day trip to Terezin is well worth it, as can be seen in my previous post.

Don't listen to what they say. Go see. 

                                                Chinese Proverb