Day 3 (Tuesday January 5th)
This was one of the days I was looking forward to the most, because it was the day we headed to the zoo! My boyfriend and I spend a lot of time at the zoo in Washington D.C. because it’s fun to get out of the house (i.e. student digs) and see all kinds of different animals - and it’s free! Zoos in England are generally very expensive (as in, £20-30 a head), and Prague was an absolute bargain for 140Kč/£4/$6! We’d had several recommendations and it’s regularly on lists of the top ten “best zoos in the world”. Even though it snowed pretty steadily all day, this only added to the atmosphere. Obviously it wasn’t packed, and it was nice being able to wander around without getting in people’s way or coming across too many others. It was an easy ride tram-then-bus ride from the city centre, and both modes of transport had extremely clear electronic signs to show you which stop you were at/which direction you were going in/etc.
I know zoos can be problematic and cause very conflicting opinions between people. I personally struggle with the knowledge that these animals are being kept from their natural environment and habitat, and being put on display for the general public’s pleasure. But on the other hand, zoos make some amazing work and research possible, and without them some of these species would be facing extinction. I’m not nearly informed enough to make a definitive statement, but I thought I should put that out there! Most of the animals at Zoo Praha looked happy and healthy - with the exception of the elephants who, due to the weather, were inside and appeared somewhat distressed. They were being washed and one kept bobbing its head up and down, which is apparently a sign of depression and boredom. Hopefully they have a more enjoyable time outside of the winter months, when they’re allowed to roam in the fresh air.
We’d taken our own food but there was actually some very well-priced catering options there, and even the coffee we got was of decent quality! I also got a cute little stuffed toy giraffe (my favourite animal!) in the gift shop for around £3/$5. She’s been christened Ginny because I like alliteration in my names; every year my family call our Christmas turkey Terrence.
We’d walked past a nice-looking restaurant on the main street near our apartment several times, so after the zoo we headed there for dinner. Again, my boyfriend insisted on a starter, so we got duck liver (basically pâté but the Czechs don’t seem to call it this; maybe because it’s a French word?!) to “share” and then I had the ribs with a coleslaw salad, and he ordered the duck breast with dumplings. Coleslaw salad apparently means simply watered-down coleslaw, so I ordered a side of French fries too and we tucked into everything. My ribs were lovely, with a sweet BBQ sauce, and my boyfriend’s duck was very nice - but I decided I’m not a fan of dumplings! With tank beer for him and prosecco for me, the bill came to around 900Kč/£25/$36 with tip.
One of the first things I’d done when we decided we’d go to Prague was Google “best cocktails in Prague”. I am an absolute sucker for a cocktail, and love making going out to drink them an occasion. My search led me to the Hemingway Bar, a gorgeous cocktail bar dedicated to/inspired by the late author. As Hemingway is also my boyfriend’s favourite author, it seemed very fitting that we go! The reviews I’d read strongly suggested a reservation, and I’m really glad we listened to them because we saw several parties get turned away whilst we were there. The cocktails ranged from 165-265Kč/£4.50-7.50/$6-10, which is definitely on the expensive side for Prague (and even the States) but pretty reasonable for England! They were also the most exquisite cocktails I’ve ever had. I don’t want to give too much away, but each one had a little something to it; for example, there was an “Eau de Cocktail” that came in a cologne bottle for you to pour yourself! We ended up spending about what we’d spent on dinner that night but it was definitely worth it, and I’d really recommend visiting. They also had a “sister” bar named Cash Only, which I think is a little more casual. I was gutted we didn't get time to go there as well, but it can be on the list for next time!
Day 4 (Wednesday January 6th)
As this was our last full day, we ended up back at our favourite café (Pekařstvi Karmelitské) and restaurant (Restaurace Mincovna), that I mentioned in my previous post. First, however, we headed to Prague Castle, as it had come highly recommended. Although it is extremely beautiful, and I’m glad that we saw it, I was pretty disappointed with many parts of the day. For one thing, we had to trek up a huge hill to get to it! I think there are buses that take you closer, but as Google Maps showed that we could get pretty close just by one tram, we took that option - which turned out to be somewhat treacherous in all the snow! There was absolutely no gritting on the path to the castle, and in the sub-freezing temperatures and after being trampled by many people’s feet, the steps and pavement had effectively become an ice rink. Add onto that the fact that only one side of the stairs had a handrail and you’ve got a pretty dangerous journey!
Anyway, the castle itself was spectacular to look at, but none of the components of it that you pay to visit - such as the cathedrals - were particularly interesting. There was an exhibit about the history that was somewhat engaging (probably a lot more so if you have a keen interest in history), but the St. Vitus Cathedral had little information to read and was over with quickly. Even the Golden Lane - which is an area within the castle walls designed to illustrate the lives of the various people that would have lived there over the years - was underwhelming. It wasn’t much more expensive than any of the other places we paid to visit (175Kč/£5/$7) so it wasn’t the end of the world, but I feel like we could’ve spent the day doing something else and just been satisfied with looking at the architecture of it.
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| One of the views from the castle |
Finally, I would suggest you take your own food! We were badly prepared that day and didn’t have any drinks, lunch, or snacks with us, so we were at the mercy of the catering outlets there. They know this (you’re not exactly going to walk down the hill and back again after just to get lunch) and possibly take advantage. After vetoing one cramped, busy café, we found a quieter “bistro”, but it was effectively serving exactly the same thing: a few cakes; pre-packaged, plastic-looking paninis; and machine coffee. By this time we were hungry enough not to go looking elsewhere; afterwards, we spied a few places that looked like they may be more promising. So we had two hot dogs (as in, Frankfurter, 7/11-type hot dogs), two coffees, a bottle of water and a Diet Coke, and it came to 500Kč - or about £14/$20. So for more than three times the price of our scrummy, handmade sandwich/pancakes/pastries/coffee feast on our second day, we each got…a hot dog, a coffee, and a hot drink. Being ripped off this badly - and knowing it was our own fault - kind of put a downer on the entire castle experience, so we cleared off back to Pekařstvi Karmelitské again, to sit and read (and order more sandwiches, pancakes, pastries, and coffees). So yeah, it may be worth packing yourself some snacks, and/or consider eating just before you visit.
As it was our last night, we returned to the restaurant of our first night as we knew we’d have a good meal there - and we did! I treated myself to two glasses of prosecco (I know, steady on) and we had some “friend strong cheese” to start, followed by the pork tenderloin for me and my boyfriend had venison. Both were lovely, although my boyfriend wasn’t as impressed as he had been by the pork he’d had previously. Having purchased a ridiculously cheap bottle of champagne (by which I of course mean sparkling wine) and various Milka products at Tesco earlier, we then retired to the tub in our apartment!
We were able to leave our bags at the apartment, to pick up on our way to the airport, but we still had a slow start on our last morning. We’d decided to stay local due to having to return for the bags, and picked two museums to hit: one on the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha; the second (slightly less cultural) a LEGO museum!
Although Czech, Mucha is most well known for his work in Paris with the French actress Sarah Bernhardt; he created posters for the plays she starred in. His Art Nouveau style is very distinctive - so much so that even I recognised it! The museum was a really great way to learn more about his very interesting life and the stories behind his various work. He was extremely patriotic and a firm believer in Czechoslovakia’s need for independence. Once it was won, he created a lot of nationalistic work - including stamps and bank notes for the new state.
It was the most expensive museum we went to (160Kč/£5/$6.50) and the smallest (two rooms and a video), so it only took us about ninety minutes. I think if I hadn’t discovered I really enjoyed his work, I would’ve been disappointed in the experience, so perhaps bare that in mind before you commit to going.
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| There was also a HUGE recreation of Prague's Charles Bridge in LEGO! |
We had lunch at Cake Cafe, which had been highly recommended on Yelp - and was very nice - but turned out to be quite Westernised. We were both pretty tired after a full-on week so it was good to reset before the journey home. Similarly, the LEGO museum was a great idea as it was low-key and relaxed. I think anyone looking for something really professional and impressive will be rather put-out; it’s effectively a shop with an extensive collection of LEGO products below. It’s a bit of a maze, with no real structure, and there is the bare minimum of information on LEGO’s history, so you do end up just kind of wandering around and occasionally going “oooh, look that!” But this suited us fine, because there were lots of sets that are being sold at the moment that we could see out of the box and built without having to shell out the money to purchase! My favourite part was probably the Harry Potter collection, and the top floor was entirely given over to Star Wars, so I had an extremely excited twenty-two year old man child to deal with! After all that, the shop was pretty disappointing - very small and only really stocked with expensive collectors items. We managed to make the experience last over an hour, but it’s worth pointing out that it cost us just slightly more than the zoo - which lasted an entire day. Also, like lots of museums in Prague, you had to pay a small extra fee in order to take photographs.
By this point it was time to head to the airport, and we actually ended up exactly where we started - in McDonald’s! Always a solid choice when you want a guaranteed good meal. I’d been warned by a friend who went to Prague late last year on business that the airport is an absolute nightmare, and he really wasn’t kidding! I would strongly advise arriving at least two hours before your flight - earlier if (like me) you have anyone non-EU in your party. It took us ages to get my boyfriend’s “VISA check” done because Ryanair had one desk open, and then security was right before you get on the plane - at each individual gate and all very busy.
It’s annoying to have to end on that slightly sour note, but overall I think it’s clear that we had an amazing time in Prague! It’s genuinely my new favourite city in Europe, and very near the top of my favourite cities ever. I hope I’ve given you some ideas of things to do and places to see if you ever visit; I’ve enjoyed writing this post as much as I thought I would!
My boyfriend and I have actually just booked plane tickets to visit Orlando, Florida, when I visit him in March. One of his friends booked a villa in Disney World with some air miles she’d collected, and kindly invited us to stay with her! I haven’t been to Disney in Florida since I was eight, so I’m really excited. Until then, it’ll be back to my uncontrollable shopping addiction I’m afraid!
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