Czeching Out Prague

This week is Spring break, so I've had some time to do some more travelling. Over Easter weekend I was in Prague with a flatmate and her sister. I've always wanted to see the city, so a couple of weeks ago, we decided to grab a last minute flight to the Czech capital.

The picturesque old town district of Prague.

The city itself is very interesting, and so was the experience we had whilst we were there. We caught the flight without having a place to stay in the city, hoping that we'd find a cheap hostel somewhere despite the fact that it was Easter weekend and that we'd have to beat through hordes of tourists. Luckily we found a hostel, thanks to some friends who were already there. Not the best hostel I've ever stayed in, especially considering being rudely awaken at 7am by a non-English speaking manager accusing us of having not paid for the second night.

This was technically true... however our friends left earlier than they expected and had paid for, and so it was agreed that we could use their paid reservation. It seems the staff hadn't told the manager, resulting in me having to communicate our agreement in German from the comfort of my bed, immediately after having been awoken...

The capital of the Czech Republic, a very interesting place indeed.

Prague is an extremely pretty city – in parts – and there's definitely enough to keep you occupied with. The popularity of the city is clear, just by looking at the vast number of other tourists in the city. A pity that Prague has allowed itself to succumb to mass tourism, there's a souvenir shop every few paces for example and most restaurants seem to be focussed on making the most of the heaps of tourists by churning out simple, bland food quickly. Of course, one can still find real gems of authentic Bohemian restaurants, it just takes a sharper eye to find them.

Agharta, a small world-class Jazz venue hidden away in an old wine cellar.

We spent a total of two nights in Prague, and both nights featured live jazz music and good Czech beer (including green beer especially for Easter). And of course in the Czech Republic, beer and eating out in general is relatively cheap. A welcome respite for cashed strapped students living here in Zurich!