Tuesday, April 12, 2022.
Ahoj!
I am writing this blog after having spent the past four days in Prague. I went with my friend, Carly, and the trip was amazing! We had a blast. There’s so much I could get into. I mean, there’s the history, the architecture, the culture, the food, the people, the nightlife… It’s hard to know where to begin.
So in no particular order, here is a random assortment of my thoughts and impressions of Prague, Czech Republic (with a few tidbits of information sprinkled in as well). Enjoy!
- Prague is the fifth most visited city in Europe, after London, Paris, Istanbul, and Rome. With that being said, Prague’s population in comparison to the other cities on the list is significantly smaller.
- The architecture is beautiful! Prague is like a colorful Paris. There’s a river running through the city, baroque-style buildings, and even their version of the Eiffel Tower. (Google Petrin Tower, and tell me it doesn’t look like something you’ve seen before.)
- Prague was surprisingly quiet. Albeit, there are a lot fewer tourists in the city due to the pandemic, walking around the city on Thursday and Friday was peaceful. It was partly cloudy and drizzling on and off, but when the sun broke it was serene– especially from vantage points with views of the landscape.
- Fun fact: Prague was pretty much untouched during WWII. Therefore, most of the buildings are what you would have seen in centuries past.
- There were smiles! Compared to Scandinavia, people were soooo friendly. In Copenhagen, when Danish folks go out, they go with their mates from grade school and don’t interact with anyone else. The only Danish friend I’ve made at a bar was a guy who, get this, went to graduate school in America. It was so fun socializing and meeting new people in Prague. For me, that’s the fun of going out.
- There were still stares though. Prague has a population of 1.3 million people and I counted less than 20 Black people on my trip.
- I was even out at a restaurant and a photographer came up to me, asking if I’d pose for some photos. My guess… they wanted some more diversity on their socials.
- Aside from the rain, there was no drip in Prague. Copenhagen is like New York City, people go to the shop around the corner Prom ready. The Czechs were overwhelmingly frumpy.
- On the other hand, the trendy brunch spots, cafes, bars, etc. weren’t bumpin’ like they’d be in most major cities. It’s like people aren’t hankering for Instagrammble content or something. I’m sensing that Czech people aren’t nearly as materialistic. It was refreshing.
- Everything is CHEAP. Food, drinks, you name it. Then you talk to a Czech person and they say, Oh, you went out in the city center… you can find even cheaper places a little further out.
- Live music galore! That’s one thing I’ve been really missing in Copenhagen– live music. I swear, in Prague, there is an abundance of places with musicians who can play. I went to a free Jazz club and was seriously blown away.
- Last, but not least— the history! Europe has such a long history compared to the U.S., and Prague is certainly no exception. It has been a capital of the Holy Roman Empire and played major roles in the Protestant Reformation, Thirty Years War, WWI, WWII, and the post-war Communist era.
- I wasn’t able to hit up any museums, but I saw all the major attractions through free, guided walking tours: the Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, the Jewish Quarter, the John Lennon Wall, the Astronomical Clock. Though, my fav attraction was the Mirror Maze up Petrin Hill. It’s this maze of glass mirrors followed by a room full of mirrors with illusions. Super trippy and cool!
Before I go, I’ll leave y’all with a little story. On Saturday night, after a long day of walking and exploring, Carly told me she didn’t have the energy to go out. (Homegirl went pretty hard the night before.) I was bummed. It was my last opportunity to go out in Prague and I really wanted to make the most of my time. So I thought through my options: I could try to pressure Carly into going, stay in with her, or go out by myself.
F it, I said. I’m going out by myself.
I got ready, googled some places, and then set off. I wound up at a bustling spot with live music and loads of people. I took a shot and then headed to the dance floor. I made my first friend during a cover of F**k You by Cee-Lo Green, while singing and dancing and ad-libbing every, “Ain’t that some sh*t” with a fellow American. She introduced me to the big group of people she came with from her hostel. We drank, danced, laughed, conversed, and I even rolled out with them to another venue. It turned out to be a tremendously fun night. I met some really cool people from all over the world (and was even able to get my flirt on, hehe).
I say all this to say… Do it.
Reader, do that thing you’ve been wanting to do. Go on that trip. Experience life. And no, you don’t need a man, or woman, or companion. Don’t let life pass you by waiting.
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P.S. If you’re ever planning a trip to Prague, please don’t hesitate to hit me up! As you can imagine, I have a host of recommendations!
