When people talk about going to Europe for the first time, they typically go to Prague in their early 20s. It was never on the top of my list of places to go; I did not think it would be much different from the rest of Eastern Europe that I had already seen. However, during my many months abroad this past year, I visited to see the hype. I spent five days in Prague during the Christmas season. I get it. It is stunning. It is your typical European vibe. Easily in my top 10 favorite cities in Europe.
I would highly recommend going to Prague during the holiday season; it is one of their peak seasons, but for a good reason. Unfortunately, I went in the winter of 2021, so there were no full Christmas markets due to covid; however, I do not think we missed them as it was a little less crowded in the center, and there were plenty of shops that made local items in the city center.
I was worried about the weather since it is in northern Europe and December. The weather was milder than I had imagined it would be; it was cold; ranging from 20-30degrees. Primarily overcast and light snowfall. However, nothing was unmanageable.
Here are my top things to see and do in Prague:
The most famous bridge in Prague is, without doubt, the Charles Bridge. Named after King Charles IV, for hundreds of years it was the only structure connecting the two banks of the Vltava River.
The bridge was never super crowded for us like I had seen in pictures of pre-covid and/or in the summer. The bridge connects you to two different parts of the city—both equally appealing sides. Highly recommend taking your time walking across and embracing all of the histories attached to this bridge.
Gingerbread Shop (Pernickuv Sen)
The Gingerbread shop is very close once you exit the Charles Bridge on the old town side, the opposite side of the city center. From a few hundred yards away, you can instantly smell the gingerbread. I adore the taste; some do, some don’t. You don’t need to enjoy the flavor to appreciate the craft of gingerbread making. There are tons of hand-designed cookies to take home for the holidays and as gifts. If you like the taste, take one of the freshly made cookies and sip it with hot wine that you can find all over the city.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world. The castle is very medieval and a site to see. One section of the castle is what looks to be the town market/town village homes. Known as the Golden Lane, they are painted in beautiful bright colors. Additionally, the viewpoint from the castle gives an overview of the city below.
The Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj is a medieval astronomical clock attached to the Old Town Hall in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest clock still in operation.
There is a little show the clock puts on during the start of the whole hour, and there will be tour groups crowing the area at the beginning of each hour. So if you care to see, the show arrive ten til the next hour. However, I don’t think there was much to see, so I would do 30mins past the hour, so there are fewer crowds.
Resturant: Restaurace Mlejnice was very good! Best Goulash in town; also, they had a fabulous white bean soup; much like Grah I Varivah from Croatia I make often.
Trdelnik is a famous cone-wrapped pastry eaten alone or filled with ice cream. You can find them almost on every corner, and they are all good. I had these for the first time in the mountains of Romania many years ago, then again in Budapest. It is a central/eastern European dessert. They have a top-rated store even in my hometown of Temecula, CA, yet I have never seen one in NYC. You may get lucky and have a shop in your local town if there are Eastern Europeans in your city!
Additionally, there are plenty of beer and brandy tastings around the city!! Some of the most famous beers and brandy come from this region; if you drink, this is a must! Fun Fact: Budweiser originally started in the Czech Republic!
Overall, I would love to experience Prague next in the summer and see more of the countryside in Czechia.
The Life of Sarah 