About me
I鈥檓 a Czech girl from the Eastern part of the country. I moved to Prague to attend University and, after a few years spent abroad, have made it my official base. It鈥檚 been more than a decade now since I鈥檝e called Prague home.
When I want to get out of the city鈥 I can do so easily by just visiting the suburban parts of Prague. The large nature reserves there, such as the Prokopsk茅 煤dol铆 or Divok谩 艩谩rka provide enough respite from the city and always recharge my batteries.
A typical weekend involves鈥 a good late brunch in one of my favourite places such as SmetanaQ Bistro by the Vltava River, or maybe a small neighbourhood caf茅 called Mezi srnky where table-sharing is encouraged, or a taste of Vietnam at 颁补蹿茅蹿颈苍. Then it鈥檚 on to an event or two, because there鈥檚 always something happening in Prague. I like the hangout spot , revived from former military barracks. I also like a stroll through the park, usually with its artificial grottoes, followed by a relaxing evening, perhaps with a movie at one of the smaller cinemas such as the in Vr拧ovice. It has a good bar which is ideal for when the movie you鈥檝e just watched brings out the need for a hearty discussion.
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When I need to relax鈥 I go to a Prague quarter, an area I don鈥檛 pass through on a day-to-day basis and stroll in random directions, often ending up in parks and caf茅s. The Karl铆n district is great for this. The small park, Kaizlovy sady is lined on one side with pastel-colored houses and is usually quite empty apart from a few dog walkers. I like to conclude my walk in the nearby M暖j 拧谩lek k谩vy caf茅 or at Bistro Proti Proudu.
When I鈥檓 looking for a cheap eat鈥 I often head to Loving Hut, a chain of vegan buffet-style restaurants, where you can help yourself to a healthy plate of food and pay by its weight. Otherwise, the key to a cheap bite in Prague is to make use of daily lunch menus. That way, you can get a good meal for only 100-150 CZK.
My go-to foodie spots鈥 are mostly in the Vinohrady district, since it鈥檚 so rich in diverse cuisine. The recent addition of ramen joints proves that even further. The new Bon Ramen off the N谩m臎st铆 m铆ru Square is one of my favorites. For Indonesian cuisine, I love Jav谩nka Bistro just around the corner from my apartment. Bruxx on N谩m臎st铆 m铆ru brings the flavours of Belgium to Prague and is an excellent fit for special occasions. When I feel like having real Czech cuisine, there are many great restaurants to choose from 鈥 e.g. Krav铆n, Vinohradsk媒 Parlament or M谩chova never disappoint.
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When I have friends in town鈥 I show them the top sights first, taking tram no. 22 to the Prague Castle, crossing the Charles Bridge and strolling all the way to the Old Town Square to admire the Astronomical Clock. I like to show them also the lesser-known areas of Prague such as the New World Quarter just off the Prague Castle and the hilltop Vy拧ehrad Citadel.
My favorite place to see the sunset鈥 is the Letn谩 Park, because you get to see the sun setting above the city, which looks absolutely magical.
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When I鈥檓 looking for something sweet鈥 I always know where to look. For a bit of a traditional sweet treat from my childhood, I swear by the indi谩nek, a local dessert made out of mousse covered in chocolate and resting on a small sponge cake. But the trick is 鈥 the mousse has to be pink! At least that鈥檚 how I remember it from my childhood. Nowadays, most indianek鈥檚 are white inside. For the real old school one, I go to by the tram stop Vodi膷kova in the New Town. They even have them in two sizes.
For a modern and even more decadent sweet tooth, I go for the Czech version of Cronut 鈥 the Crobliha (Croissant + Kobliha). Oh Deer Bakery is the only place to get it. Its owner, who developed the recipe himself, has recently opened a new shop near the N谩rodn铆 t艡铆da tram stop, making it a little too easy to succumb to sweet cravings.
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One of the best things about Prague鈥 is how easy it is to get around. The city centre is quite compact, so you can even walk everywhere. The public transport network is dense and works well. I especially love riding on trams since you can just zone out as you ride along and stare out of the window without a care in the world. It鈥檚 somewhat therapeutic.
The best time to be in Prague is鈥 anytime outside the summer peak season, pre-Christmas time and Easter. Truth to be told, Prague is magical at any time of the year, in the peak months you just need to get more creative if you want to avoid crowds. I like late September, early October 鈥 it鈥檚 time when the Indian summer often makes an appearance, the afternoons can still get balmy warm, yet the crowds have mostly left.
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