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Prague: a romantic visit or a stag party’s dream?
A weekend away in Prague sounded like a very romantic European city to visit. However boarding the plane, I began to realise this was not everyone’s romantic dream. Perhaps a handful of couples could be found dotted around the plane, among several large stag parties. These groups certainly intended having lots of fun. One of the grooms-to-be was dressed in a white wedding dress with a blonde wig, and was sat next to his father! Passport control had obviously seen this many times before, as nobody so much as raised an eyebrow. |  |
Prague is a beautiful city with the majority of the building in Gothic style. Each building is ornately designed, although many show their age with dirty stone work, which would look splendid given a good clean. The city is divided into two parts with the old section being just a walk across an old stone bridge. It attracts many tourists so the street vendors are out in full force, selling many crystal glass ornaments or wooden dolls, which live inside each other as a family. Other vendors are selling drinks or opportunities to have your portrait taken.
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| As you enter the old town, you soon discover that it is perched up the side of a very steep hill. The streets are cobbled and occasionally you will see a local tram or coach taking tourists to see the spectacular views of Prague. There are many cafes to stop at on the steep incline upwards. There is no need to worry about not speaking the local language as everything is translated into English. Whilst most things on the menu are not exceptionally cheap, the one item which attracts the beer drinker is the staggering price. |
Beer is a quarter of the price we pay back home in England. So this is what brings the stag and hen parties in their droves. But when you are among the whole group of tourists, these parties no longer stand out like a sore thumb. They mellow into the background, or perhaps they are spending most of the day in bed recovering from their hangovers!
Among the cafes are quaint little tourist type shops, selling the usual types of knick-knacks, postcards and sweets. But what you will see most of is the local made crystal, which is absolutely beautiful. There are many types of vases, fruit bowls and ornaments to choose from, and they are all so reasonably priced compared to what we would expect to pay in England.
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As you reach the top of the hill you can look at the most spectacular view of Prague. The warm sunlight shines through the trees. Photographs can not capture the panoramic view of the city, which is divided into old and new parts by the river. Returning through the cobbled streets and back across the bridge leads you into the other section of the city. There are many high street shops, with a few familiar names like Marks & Spencers, C & A and Tescos. The major shopping is confined to one market square area although several more shops can be found down side streets, which are a bit more off the beaten track.
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Stumbling on an open-air market showed the true craftsmanship that can be found among the Czech people. There were all sorts of wooden toys and ornaments carefully carved out with exact precision. You could find a whole selection of hand made products for the home, and for gifts to relatives waiting back home.
There were many eating places to choose from, ranging from small street side cafes with chairs and tables to enjoy the beautiful surrounds, to expensive restaurants where only the finest foods were served. The choices were vast and most international cuisine could be found among the local food which consisted of meals like goulash.
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| The river plays an active part in the tourist trade. Many pleasure boats go up and down the river all day long, providing entertainment and commentaries about the sights. You could also chose to paddle yourself in a two or four man paddle boat, but beware if you are not too fit as you will certainly know about it the next day! A romantic dinner can be enjoyed when cruising along the river but be careful to check out the menu first as we ended up with chicken and chips! This was certainly not what we thought we had paid for.
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So to those of you who thought Prague was just for one type of tourist, then you were wrong. The city is large enough to cater for everyone, with all their different needs and tastes.
There are many interesting sights to see that I have never seen in other countries. Just look at the colour of the cows! | |
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