PROVIDENCE, RI – When you are planning a vacation, you might think about Myrtle Beach, the Appalachian Mountains, or perhaps a Caribbean cruise. When you think of international travel, images of the Eiffel Tower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa may come to mind. What you might not picture, however, is the Vltava River, Prague Castle, or the Letná Beer Garden. In this spirit, I would like to introduce some place new—Prague, Czech Republic.
Prague is a capital city in a small, landlocked central European country. While most Americans have certainly heard of it, seldom have any of us actually traveled there.
I first went to Prague in 2013 in the middle of February to study at Charles University for three months. When I arrived, fresh snow was falling in the medieval city, and I imagined that I had wandered into a fairytale world, similar to young Clara in The Nutcracker. Over the next several weeks, I came to love and admire Prague. Now, I’d like to share with you my top reasons to visit this magical city.
1. Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Not only is it over one thousand years old, it has been mostly spared from wars and political upheaval. Even through countless takeovers and regime changes, Prague has maintained its original beauty and charm, giving it a romantic ambiance as you meander through the winding streets to gaze at the castle on the hill.
2. It is inexpensive. As a student, I can remember paying less than $10 for a full meal that made me feel like a swollen tick, in the best possible sense. Even taking the train from one Czech city to another often costs as little as $3. The most shocking example of Prague’s low prices is the beer. For a half liter, I often paid $2 or less.
3. The food is good; the beer is better. Czech food is, in a word, hearty. Meats, potatoes, bread, cabbage, and dumplings are all staples of Czech cuisine. I personally recommend goulash or tartare, then fruit dumplings for dessert. If you are a beer-drinker and interested in learning more about Czech culture, there is a variety of choices. I don’t want to paint a picture of a bunch of college students running amok while gulping liters of cheap beer in Europe. I want to stress that the quality of what you consume is vastly more important to the Czechs than the quantity.
4. It’s a walkable city. Prague is smaller than most European capitals and therefore easier to get around. Due to its labyrinth-like streets, it’s convenient to have a map or download the city map from Google to use offline. As for the cobble-stoned streets, I do recommend comfortable shoes. It’s also good to remember that in the city center, most streets lead to Old Town Square, which you can easily find after spotting the sky-scraping towers of the Church of Our Lady before Týn. Walking also allows you to save money on taxis while taking in the spectacular views.
5. Most people speak English. While it’s always a good idea to first ask people if they speak English rather than assuming that they do, English is widely spoken in Prague, along with Russian and German.
6. It has a long and rich history. If you’re a history buff, Prague is particularly intriguing. Over the past thousand years or so, the Czech people have encountered many invading tribes, countries, and regimes. Czechs have always been a small group, and their borders have been changed numerous times, yet they have endured. These take-overs are particularly visible in the architecture, most notably from the time of communism in the mid-20th century.
Praguers typically welcome visitors of all backgrounds to their city and celebrate the diversity of its inhabitants. However, it is crucial to remember two things. First, they are from Czech Republic, not from pre-1993 Czechoslovakia or from recently dubbed Czechia. It’s just Czech Republic. Second, it is helpful to learn a few basic phrases anywhere you go. Czech is not a well-known language, so Praguers would be pleased that you are trying. In any case, prosím (please) goes a long way in any language. So consider Prague to be your next get-away and “Czech” out the wonders it has in store.
