So many people I know RAVE about Prague; for many, it's their favorite city in Europe. For that reason — combined with the knowledge that I already love quite a few cities in Central/Eastern Europe — I was really excited to finally see Prague for myself while traveling around for a month with Busabout. I was finally going to fall in love with Prague, too.
Did I fall in love? Well… not quite, to be honest.
I LIKED Prague a lot. I admired its beautiful buildings, strolled over its pretty bridges, and appreciated the vibe of the old city. It was also my first taste of the Czech Republic, which I was really excited about.
But while I liked Prague, I don't think I can go so far as to say that I loved it. In this case, “love” might be too strong a word.
I cannot deny that Prague is an attractive city, though. It is a VERY attractive city no matter how you look at it.
And so, because I don't have much else to say about this European capital, I figured I would just share some pretty photos from Prague with you instead. Perhaps you can make up your own mind about it.
And one more. Not “pretty,” per se, but this castle guard is still pretty cool:
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What's YOUR opinion of Prague? Which photo is your favorite?
*Note: I visited Prague as part of my Busabout trip around Europe. They provided me with transport on all 3 of their Europe loops, but all opinions of the destinations I visit are entirely my own!
Yes, one of the most visited statues on the Charles bridge is the Statue of.St. John of Nepomuk, the base of the statue has a brass depiction of a dog, that people touch for good luck(don’t put your fingers in your mouth after you do so, because a lot of other people touch it)
The statue is there as a part of the counter-reformation in the 1650, when the Catholics managed to subdue the budding Protestant movement. St, John was invented or brought into fashion as a pious and faithful saint whose morality and growing legend could rival the personality of the Good Prince Wenceslaus-St. Wenceslaus, who we know from the Christmas carroll.
Under his statue on the Charles bridge is is a plaque depicting his deeds, by legend he was the private confession priest of the daughter in law of Charles IV, one day she confessed something to the St. John and her husband Wenceslaus IV, the son of Charles IV, was jealous and wanted to find out what she has confessed, so he summoned St. John who wouldn’t tell him what his wife had confessed to hims, so he had his tongue cut out , and thrown off the Charles bridge- people touch the dog for good luck, that they will return to Prague, because a dog symbolizes loyalty , like St. John who was loyal to his priestly promise of confidentiality not to reveal what was being confessed to him.
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Hey Amanda,
This is a great piece of content you have here about Prague. We will go to Prague by September, and maybe you have some cool secret recommendations for us e.g. a restaurant, fun bar, or tour?
Keep up your great work,
Matt
Hey Matt! I’m afraid I’m not much of a foodie, so I’m the last person to ask about food recommendations! Haha. As for tours, there are some free walking tours in Prague that are pretty good.
Glad I wasn’t the only one who didn’t fall head over heels in love with Prague. I thought it was just me for a second, or that my expectations were just too high, but naahh. Although I found the city beautiful, my heart didn’t soar when I finally reached the city center. It didn’t feel anything either when I left.
YES! That’s exactly how I felt about it, too!
I think Prague is probably one of the prettiest cities I’ve ever visited. I was there for the spring music festival and classical music was literally wafting from every window. It was magical, like I’d stepped into a fairy tale! That being said, I found Budapest to be a more vibrant, livable city and where I’d move if given a choice between the two.
That sounds like a lovely visit to Prague! I think I agree with you, though – Budapest would be my choice as far as places to live go!
Well.. our views on Prague might be skewed by the fact that we got engaged there. Haha.. but we also went during the holidays and I think it’s a great time to enjoy the city. Christmas markets and mule wine definitely works for Prague.. 😀
Awww yes, I remember your adorable engagement there! That certainly would give you warm fuzzy feelings about Prague. 🙂
Yeah, we didn’t love Prague either. I think part of the reason is that so many people tell you how great it is that you have high expectations before you get there. Plus we got ripped off at a scam at a restaurant so that made us love it even less!
But we loved Budapest! Now that is a beautiful city that doesn’t get half as much hype as it deserves.
Maybe it is partly all the hype that slightly ruined Prague for me. I don’t know. I’d definitely be willing to visit again, though!
Wow, the detail in the architecture is really beautiful.
Prague is on my list to visit. I’m planning on visiting Budapest after, so I wonder how I’ll feel after getting acquainted with them in that order!
I’ll be curious too, Beth! You’ll have to know which city you like better after visiting them in that order.
I’ll let you know which I like better! (Although I’m still putting my money on Budapest!)