PRAGUE Travel Diary

Dobry den! 
Hello everybody, I'm really excited to write this post. I got back from a little city break yesterday, and I just couldn't wait to write it!
I took my boyfriend Ben to Prague in the Czech Republic for his 21st birthday and we both absolutely loved it there. Prague is one of those cities that has really boomed in recent years, especially for tourism. It is considered as the number 1 destination in the world for Stag Dos, but in all honesty, Prague is a city for anyone! We saw one group of 'lads' there and that was it (there were just being a pain in an Irish bar somewhere). There were a lot of couples, mothers and daughters, friends on shopping breaks and everyone in between!

Monday

Hotel Lobby

We landed late Monday afternoon and checked into the hotel straight away, and went out to a traditional Czech restaurant after about an hour. La Republica was such a warm and welcoming restaurant, we were instantly convinced that the Czechs have a shot before their evening meals, so, when in Prague ... Czech food is SO GOOD! But not good for you, it's a cardiologists nightmare, all meat and dumplings but it makes good comfort food.

Tuesday

Old Town Square and Astronomical Clock

Old Town Square and Tyn Church

Trdelik? It's soooo good!

View of the castle from the top of the tower

Close up of the castle from the tower

Christmas Markets from above

Rooftops of Prague are picturesque

The Astronomical Clock

The colours of the buildings are amazing

The Dancing House

A view of the Castle from the River

Prague's answer to Paris' Love Locks Bridge

Hard Rock Cafe

How beautiful is the square at night?!

After a few too many drinks and a lie in, we set out to explore the city. This started with a walk to the wonderful Old Town Square. This sight is actually breathtaking, as soon as you weave your way from the tight alleyways into the grand open space, you feel like you've been transported into a fairytale. We spent the afternoon mooching around the square, admiring Tyn Church and the Astronomical Clock, browsing the Christmas markets and we even went up the Clock Tower to admire the glorious skyline of the city. We then went for a walk down the river to look at the Dancing House (one of Prague's more famous recent structures), the National Theatre and look at the Castle from this side of the river. We headed to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner as it was Ben's birthday, and I don't think Hard Rock tends to disappoint. Beware though, the Local Legendary Burger is SPICY in Prague! Cocktails and Hard Rock shop ended the night.

Wednesday

Charles Bridge

Conquering the walk up to the castle

On top of the world

Starbucks with a view

Castle gates

St Vitus' Cathedral inside the Castle grounds!

Palladium Shopping centre

Wednesday started with a walk across the Charles Bridge to go and wander around the streets of the Lesser Town. We headed up the hill to Prague Castle and roamed around the grounds and in St Vitus Cathedral. I can't believe Prague Castle is one of the oldest in the world! It's incredible to think that parts of it are over 1000 years old! We had a late lunch in an underground cafe in Lesser Town (which I forgot to take pictures of). We then headed to the Palladium shopping centre right next to our hotel, which is FIVE floors by the way and has over 200 shops! Wednesday night was very chilled as I wasn't well so we went across the street for Asian food and then stayed in watching youtube videos.

Thursday

Statue in the Jewish Quarter

Bed Bar

What we lacked on Wednesday, we certainly made up for on Thursday! We started the day by taking a tour around the Jewish Museum, the Old Jewish Cemetery and some of the synagogues, this was so interesting, I knew of Prague's Jewish history but not to this extent, definitely worth a visit! We then walked all the way across the city to Wensceslas  Square to get a view of the Good King himself and the National Museum, and also to see the busier side of Prague. We then had a few too many drinks at lunchtime and took a few spontaneous visits on our way back to the hotel. This included Prague's Sex Toy Museum, which is a much better experience when you're under the influence, we also did a bit too much souvenir shopping and ended up spending a fortune! Dinner that night was at one of Old Town Square's overpriced but scenic outdoor restaurants (there were heaters and blankets, don't worry!) Later we headed to a few of Prague's best bars including Caffrey's Irish Pub (which had sky sports AND live music - what more could you ask for?) and Bed bar. This bar is absolutely incredible and a must-do when in Prague. It's basically like stepping into a dream, it's a bar full of beds and pillows instead of bar stools and provides such a dreamy atmosphere for cocktails.

And then we got on a plane and came home on Friday afternoon! After having one of the best airport experiences ever. Prague was such an amazing experience and definitely worth a visit if you fancy being transported into an Eastern European Fairy Tale. Actually, Sleeping Beauty's castle was based on Tyn Church in Prague so it really is the setting for a fairy tale! We used Lonely Planet's 2014 guide to Prague to help us plan our trip and it definitely gave us some helpful tips and insight. The localers were lovely too!
I hope you enjoyed all 50 of my photos from Prague! Let me know if you've been or would like to go! Prague, you were incredible.
CJ x