My return to Prague: the legend is true!
I visited Prague with my friend Amanda at the end of our study abroad trip. There is a statue on the Charles Bridge that supposedly brings good luck and ensures your return to Prague if you touch it! 8 years later and I made it back!
We arrived in Prague Tuesday afternoon and set out to explore the city. Our hostel (private room, shared bathroom, $29/night) was across the river from Old Town Prague, but not a bad walk. After walking around a bit and having some hot wine, Blake was in search of some good Czech Pilsner's, we found a place for Craft Czech Beers (goze's, sours, and ipa's) but no Pilsners. We grabbed a quick bite for dinner and headed back to the hotel.
Day two: One of the main attractions is Prague Castle. It took us a few hours to explore the grounds, the castle, and a few churches. This was my second time visiting the Castle so it was great to be back! Thanks to Kara Curuso's suggestion, we trekked up the hill to the Strahov Monastery for an incredible lunch with a view and some Strahov Brewery beers! Even though the high was 45 degrees today, we opted to sit outside under the heaters. Blake tried the light beer. I had the blueberry beer, and we shared a meat/cheese plate and some goulash soup. After lunch, We took the scenic route back down the hill and made our way across the famous Charles Bridge. I sampled the famous Trdelnik dessert, and it was amazing! They roll out some dough, wrap it around a stick, coat it in sugar, and let it cook over open flames. When they take it off the stick, it forms a sort of cup. I had mine served with chocolate spread on the inside with ice cream, whipped cream, a pastry stick and strawberry. Delicious! We took some time to walk through the Jewish quarter and then headed to find some warmth!
Day three: We had planned to go to Vysehrad Castle (thanks to a suggestion from Sam!) but decided we didn't have quite enough time before our bus left. Blake wanted to walk through the main part of town again to make sure we took it all in. Prague is so gorgeous, quaint, and fun to explore. I would recommend it to anyone. :)
Packing Tips: It's quite chilly here, which we weren't expecting since it's early October. For the most part, what we packed was sufficient but I do wish we had both thrown in a hat. Blake brought a hoodie so he's been wearing that to keep his head warm. I am wearing leggings, with my grey trekking pants over them, tennis shoes, a tank top, long sleeve shirt, long sleeve zip up , and north face shell jacket. My scarf is also coming in handy for warmth. It's also been raining off and on so we were happy to have an umbrella. Unfortunately, we lost our umbrella somewhere last night and will probably have to buy a new one at some point.
Budget hacks: Don't stay in Old Town. Prague is super walkable in my opinion and you can find a place a bit outside the main tourist areas for much cheaper. Beer is super cheap here and super good! We are enjoying it while we can.
