Travellers: 2 Adults Travel time: February 2019
As you may have read in the report about Amsterdam, Martin and I both gave each other city trips for our first Christmas without knowing. My gift to him was a weekend in Prague. I got relay cheap flights with Eurowings and booked the right hotel bargain on booking.com. For the transfer from the airport we used the super convenient and uncomplicated public transports. Incidentally, Prague in general is very favorable, especially when it comes to beer and food. We stayed at the Michelangelo Grand Hotel Prague. The price was really unbeatable. Upon entering the hotel, an impressively pompous lobby awaits you. The service was impeccable, clean rooms, comfortable beds, good breakfast. Our room was on the twelfth floor and had a really great view. Since - unlike in Amsterdam - I didn't have to crawl into the room on top of any outside parapets along railings, this time it was really a great surprise to stay so high up. There is also a small wellness area on the roof, which we happily used. The hotel itself is located in a quiet area. There is a supermarket directly opposite. With the subway right in front of the door you get to the center quick and easy. What we somehow also remembered is the elevator music. Why? No idea! But we were so enthusiastic about the whole hotel that shortly afterwards my parents booked the same trip to the same hotel with friends.
Prague with its old edifics is really beautiful. You stroll through the old streets from brewery to brewery, past puppet manufacturers, small shops and great restaurants. The Astronomical Clock from 1410 at the oldtown circus (don't miss the spectacle on the hour!), the romantic Karluv most Bridge, the poetic, ever-changing John Lennon Wall, the Dancing House on the banks of the Moldova River and the Strahov Monastery Library of course are must-sees on every Prague tour.
The library inside the old monastery walls is really impressive. However, as a visitor, you are asked to pay a lot here. Every photo you take with your cell phone without even entering the library is settled up. We have therefore dispensed with photos and saved the memory of the sight of thousands of old books in our heads - just the old-school way. But it is definitely worth the visit. Just the way there, through the many old streets, up the Petrin hill is an experience. You will not only be rewarded with a visit to the monastery with a museum and the wonderful library, but also with a breathtaking view over the city.
The path also leads you past the world-famous Prague Castle, which is widely advertised in all travel guides and is currently the second largest closed castle area in the world. To be honest, it didn't really impress us. Therefore, we were not tempted to look at the castle from the inside and we skipped this attraction. Much nicer seemed to us the so-called golden alley on the inside of the castle wall. Alchemists are said to have tried to produce artificial gold and the philosopher's stone here on behalf of the emperor. The eleven small houses have been extensively renovated and are really beautiful to look at. Franz Kafka lived and worked in one of the houses for a while. Today you will find exhibitions, souvenir shops and cafes here.
Before heading back we took a little break with beer and hot chocolate - yes, a crazy combo, but at MINUS 14°C (!!!!) and bright sunshine I needed something to warm and Martin definitely didn't want to miss the monastery beer - in the monastery tavern at the Strahov Garden View Point with a stunning view. Then we walked back into town.
Another great vantage point with a view of the course of the Moldova river instead of the city is located in the little-visited Vysehrad Park.We used public transport to get here. In the complex there is also a baroque fortress with the small basilica of St. Peter and Paul, which also is well worth seeing.
A sight that also impressed us a lot and is rarely mentioned is the Jerusalem Synagogue. You can find it at Jerusalem Street No 7 in Newtown. Between many old residential buildings, it suddenly shines up brightly. The sight is almost unreal. Unfortunately, since we were there on a Saturday, we were not able to visit the synagogue from the inside. On all other days of the week this is possible for a small entrance fee. But the outside view already blew our minds.
After all the sights and great views, let's get to the yummie part. We really stuffed our stomachs this weekend in Prague. Of course, Martin had done extensive research again and thus led us to the U Supa Brewery. An absolutely rustic brewery, comparable in atmosphere to the Munich Hofbrauhaus, only slightly smaller. The noble copper-colored brew kettles greet you right at the entrance. On the way to the table, one rummages past accordion players and waiters balancing wooden trays with beers in various shades of brown for tasting. Mood and flair were right. At our table in the middle of the turmoil we enjoyed home-brewed beer, roasted nut bread with Prague ham, sour cream and date sauce, shoulder of venison with bread dumplings, cream sauce and cranberries, and spicy boar goulash with mushroom dumplings. Precious!!!
For the best beer in town, we had received an insider tip from my work colleague, who had studied in Prague. He swore by the Vinohradský pivovar. Since said brewery is a bit outside of the tourist center, we used the uncomplicated public transport to get there. Stupidly, we caught the wrong direction when changing trains and therefore made a small extra lap. This allowed our feet to rest a few minutes longer. But again, it was worth it. The brewery's restaurant looks like a simple, narrow vaulted passageway. The highlight: the left side of the room is almost completely opened with glass panes to the actual brewery, so that you have a clear view of the entire brewing process from almost every table.T ruly a unique experience. The beer, which was available in many different varieties, was very good, as announced, and the food was again a real treat. So if you want to see something special, you should definitely take the short drive.
Another culinary highlight that we would like to recommend to you is Trdelník. We were actually so stuffed every day that we couldn't fit a bite in. But the delicious scent and curiosity about this special sweet finally drew us to one of the many small Trdelnik shops. It is a sweet breaded dough that is then wrapped in strips around a stick and grilled over an open fire. Then you can have the whole thing filled with cream, fruit and sauce of your choice. We shared one, couldn't do more. But it's very tasty!
f you have enough time, take a look at the "Havelske Frzisfe" in the old town. The Havelmarket has been around since 1232. During the week you can find all sorts of fresh fruit and vegetables here, and at the weekend great traditional handicrafts. We bought beautiful animal marionettes made of wood and felt for our children at home.
Since this was our kids-free-weekend, we also threw ourselves into Czech nightlife for a few hours. Here, too, we had received a great insider tip. At first glance, the Vinarna U Sudu is just a normal little bar. At the back end of the room, however, a staircase leads down into a veritable labyrinth of narrow vaulted corridors and dark basement rooms with loud music and an endless number of hidden bars. In the meantime we have actually lost track of where we came from and where to find the way out. Whenever we thought we had come to the end, there came up another corridor with another room hidden in a corner. Really really cool!
Finally, something we really want to advise you against: When we were in Prague, there was a real hype about bars that serve cocktails in stylish vessels or with accessories that match the theme or name of the cocktail. We also wanted to join in this trend and went to one of the famous bars. Conclusion: Hui on the outside, fie on the inside. The cocktails were nicely arranged, but tasted awful. The service also left a lot to be desired and the prices were completely exorbitant .For us, that didn't fit the beautiful Prague at all.
Next stop: Korfu & Albanien
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