1. NigeTheHat

    NigeTheHat Contributor Contributor

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    Prague

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by NigeTheHat, Sep 20, 2016.

    Anyone been?

    I'm off there on Friday for a few days. Any recommendations on what I should see?
     
  2. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    I don't remember if I have been or not, seeing as it would have been back in 91-92, so I was kinda on the younger end.

    You could always go and see the castle maybe? :)

    IDK, my dad use to take my sister and I all over the place when my mother was stationed in Karlsruhe.
     
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  3. KaTrian

    KaTrian A foolish little beast. Contributor

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    Psst, @Mckk , can you help the hatman? ;)
     
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  4. Brindy

    Brindy Senior Member

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    It's a number of years since I was there and we stayed in the Savoy at the top of the hill, near the palace. There was a couple of nice restaurants up there and the steps all the way up had artists and crafts being sold all the way up, which was worth the trek. I think you can get a tram up there and walk down them. Not sure if everyday or just certain days, like Saturdays. Also, we took a boat trip on the river which didn't go far because we were stuck at the weir, but the guide was fascinating and told us lots of stories of when Prague was occupied and after it was freed. There is (if it's still there) a Russian tank painted either pink or yellow as a sign of rebellion after the Russians moved out. And there is the historic bridge over the river which is worth a look. A very eclectic collection of buildings, eg A supermarket next to a really old church. Enjoy your visit.

    ETA for SPAG
     
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  5. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    I went in 1990 - when the tradition was to cross the Charles Bridge from East to West, then from West to East, and then from East to West, and back West to East, East to West until you witness the most incredible sunset above the palm trees.

    They eat fried cheese.

    Lexicon

    Pivo
    Dobre
    Angliksky/Anglicano
    Ano/No [possibly Slovak]

    The Czech for vegetarian is 'Nie maso.'
     
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  6. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    We should totally meet up!!!! :cheerleader:

    I live in Prague :D

    Fried cheese is overrated - pretty flavourless and one of the cheapest dishes you'll find (generally under 100kc). I wouldn't pay more than 120kc for fried cheese (smazeny syr).

    What to see? Erm. Prague Castle - there's something called the Golden Lane there and Franz Kafka lived in house number 22 :D All the houses are tiny. There's some history associated with it that I've forgotten - the myth is that alchemists lived there I think? There's the astronomical clock, of course in Old Town Square (Staromestska). It's a little boring though in my opinion lol. If you like cinnamon, you can try the Czech's trdelnik: https://www.facebook.com/goodfoodkarlova

    I gave you the specific link above because the ones there are especially good, and one of few stalls around that actually does different fillings. Normally it's just the cinnamon cone. It's a bit of a tourist trap because it's rather expensive, but it was tasty! That particular shop is right by Old Town Square.

    Petrin Hill might be fun - they have a miniature Eiffel Tower - it's supposed to be the "same" height as the one in Paris because the Czech one is situated on a hill :D You can go up the tower and have an excellent view of Prague. Speaking of towers, there's also the weird TV tower that has baby aliens crawling up its sides - there's a restaurant up there.

    If you're gonna go to Petrin Hill, then you might as well stop by Angelato, which simply does amazing ice-cream. It's right at the foot of the hill opposite the tram stop... think the stop's called Ujezd. (the rival to Angelato might be Svetozor, which you can find literally everywhere, including in Mustek, which the Czechs claim makes the best ice-cream ever. I prefer Angelato, but Svetozor ice cream is pretty good too, but their flavours are less adventurous than Angelato)

    I'm more of a foodie than a tourist. There's a blueberry beer my husband loves in U Slepe Kocicka, or "The Blind Kitten" - a cafe decorated with all cat decor and is best known for their variety of savoury and sweet crepes. We go there from time to time since we live a few stops from there.

    If you end up at the Cat cafe, then you might as well take a stroll through Letna Park - nothing special, but it has a beer garden that's pretty popular with the locals. But basically at Letna Park was where they used to have the gigantic statue of Starlin that has now been replaced by this pendulum thingy that's supposed to indicate when the world's supposed to end? Not much to see but it is a historical location - and it also has a fantastic view of Prague. The beer garden is actually pretty special for that reason - if you stay in the centre, to get a view of Prague whilst enjoying a beer would cost you an arm and a leg. At Letna, that's a park for locals, so you get local prices, plus the view ;)

    In terms of foods to try, medovnik is pretty delicious - honey cake. You should be able to find that pretty much anywhere in Prague.

    Traditional dishes:
    • Gulas (beef in a tomato-y sauce with dumplings),
    • Svickova (beef in a cream sauce with dumplings),
    • Krkvice (pork neck, usually served with herbs and bread),
    • Koleno (pork... knuckle? I've forgotten. Served with herbs and bread)
    • a duck dish that comes with cabbage and dumplings - don't think this one has any special name. Kachna = duck.
    • Medovnik ;) (honey cake)
    • Ovocne knedlicky (fruit dumplings - essentially cooked fruits inside dumplings, slathered in sugar and butter, served hot)
    • Kofola - a drink that tastes a bit like ginger coke. I don't like ginger but worth a try :)
    I'm not honestly sure what there is to see, per se, since I've never been interested in seeing much lol - I'm more of a foodie really. Prague's just comfortable to live in :)

    If you're after a bit of nature, take the metro to Roztyly (red line, C) and the woods are literally right there once you get out. There're many footpaths and little playgrounds and outdoor pubs along the way, as it's popular with the locals and with families. I have no idea if the outdoor-sy things are still opened now in mid Sep because it's got a lot colder this past week! It's just the woods - again, nothing grand or special - but it's very peaceful and lovely if you wanna get a break from the city :)

    The Belgium drinking chocolate at Cafe Alchymista (again near Letna - it's right next to the Sparta football stadium) is rather nice.

    If you're around during the weekday, make sure you look for the tydny menu, or denni menu - I've honestly forgotten how these names are spelt - essentially these are "Lunch menus" - they are usually dishes that are not on the main menu and at a discounted price (most dishes between 80-100kc, with some of the pricier lunch options at 120kc or so). Typically lunch menus are all written in Czech, however, and not every restaurant would alert you to the fact that they have one. Lunch menus are served between around 11.30 till 3pm, usually only on weekdays.

    There's the Prague Zoo, which is supposed to be quite good lol.

    It's worth looking up and paying attention to your surroundings - what I've found about Prague is, there are usually little visual details you'll miss that only exists in a little corner. Like, the face of an entire building might be rather bland, but there will be one single balcony that's painted up with potted plants and all and look amazing. Or rather little art pieces tucked away somewhere. So many times I'd look up on a street I'd walked through numerous times for the past several years and BAM I'd see something new. It's pretty awesome.

    There's also the statue of Winston - I think is his name - at Hlavni Nadrazi (the main train station) - Winston is the British man who saved hundreds of Jewish children by finding them homes in the UK. There's also the statue of the upside-down horse that's pretty cool - but I've forgotten where that is...

    Here: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/upside-down-statue-of-king-wenceslas-riding-a-dead-horse

    It's supposed to be King Wenceslas riding a dead horse lol.


    Useful phrases:
    • Pivo = beer
    • Dobry den = good day / hello (formal)
    • Prosim = please / excuse me (as in, "excuse me, can you help me". Not "I'm sorry".)
    • Prominte / Pardon / Omlouvam se = sorry
    • Nasheldanou = goodbye (formal - you can also say Nashle, which I use way more often because it's easier to say!)
    • Ahoj = hello and goodbye (informal)
    • Zaplatim, prosim = I [will] pay (which means, "the bill, please")
    • Kolik stoji? = how much is this?
    • Co je to? = what is this?
    • Kde je...? = where is...?
    • WC = pronounced more like "Ve-Tse", sorta. But to be honest if you just said "toilet" they would understand too.

    Public transport here is super efficient - but that means if it says the tram comes at 10.32 - be at the stop by 10.31 because by 32 the tram will actually be leaving the stop. If you get to the stop at 10.33, you can be almost certain the tram has already gone. Things here are really very punctual. Of course sometimes trams/metros are late by one or two minutes, esp the weekend, but on the whole, expect them to be on time.

    You need to get your ticket and then stamp it in the yellow machines inside the vehicle, otherwise your ticket is invalid! Tickets are timed - so you'll see a time stamped on your ticket once you stamp it at the yellow machines. This should tell you when it will expire, and you can use it as many times on as many routes as you like within that time range. You can also get text tickets, but I believe you need a Czech phone number for that.

    Btw all the prices I'm quoting is local, yeah? I have no idea what sort of prices you're gonna find in the centre - I never eat there :D

    I can't think of much more... All I keep thinking of is the sushi place I wanna go to tomorrow and I keep thinking, "But that's not Czech!" :superthink:

    Have highlighted all the key terms in bold since this message is so long.

    You have my email - if you have time, drop me a message and we can meet :)
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2016
  7. NigeTheHat

    NigeTheHat Contributor Contributor

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    We should! I'll e-mail you when I get there and we can try and find someplace mutually convenient. We can have medovnik and blueberry beer, because both those things sound amazing.

    Also, wow. Thanks for all the detail. I kinda want to see the upside down horse.

    This feels like a very terse reply to such a long and helpful message, but my gf is currently looking at me with her why are you still on the internet we have a PLANE face. So I should probably do something about that. Thanks again!
     
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