# Visit to Prague



## urban5 (Mar 28, 2011)

Going to spend 5 days in Prague at end of June, and have rented an apartment several blocks off of Wenceslas Square on the edge of the Praha district. Any suggestions on what to see and places to eat. Only plan so far is to do a day trip to Dresden Germany.  

Thanks


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## Conan (Mar 28, 2011)

You'll surely want to visit the Prague Castle - - it's easy to get to by tram (and Prague taxi drivers are notorious cheats).
[edited to add:  Although it's within walking distance of the Charles Bridge, the walk downhill into town at the end of your visit may be more enjoyable than the walk uphill to the Castle; hence my suggestion of the tram.]

Prague is a city for Opera at reasonable prices.
http://www.ticketsonline.cz/index.p...o=06&rok_do=2011&city=Prague&genre=1&search=1
(There are several venues - - - the National Theatre is easiest to get to and maybe the most beautiful.)

If you're interested in recent history, the Museum of Communism http://www.muzeumkomunismu.cz/ is worth a visit even though it's kind of improvised and rundown, which suits its message of oppression and brutality.

Lunch or dinner at the handsome, old world restaurant/bakery Cafe Savoy
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...0921,14.407234&spn=0.002334,0.004769&t=h&z=18


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## Carolinian (Mar 28, 2011)

Praha is Prague in the Czech language.

I have stayed a couple of times on Wencelas Square at the Hotel Grand Europa, an art deco gem.  From the lower end of the square, walk straight and follow the crowd on the royal route to Old Town Square.  The medieval astronomical clock on the old town hall draws big crowds every hour and you can take a tour to go inside and see how it works.  Make a left there and again follow the flow of the crowd and you will arrive at  medieval Charles Bridge, another landmark.  Cross it and head up the hill and bear right and you will reach Prague Castle.  Walking through medieval Prague is the best way to see it, not from any wheeled form of transportation.

There are two castles outside of Prague that make good day trips.  One is Karlstein to the south.  You can take a train most of the way there. At the station are horse drawn carriages that will take you up to the castle, or it is a rather tiring 30 minute uphill walk.  North of Prague is another castle, whose name escapes me, which was a main residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary.  Again there is a train most of the way there, and it is possible to walk to the castle but a taxi is a better bet.

I like Dresden, too.  My first trip there was a day trip from Prague and that did not give me nearly enough time, so I went back to spend a long weekend in Dresden.  On a day trip you will probably not have time to take a river cruise on the wonderful century old fleet of sidewheeler steamboats.


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## urban5 (Mar 28, 2011)

*Praha is Prague in the Czech language.*

Thanks for your response.  It was interesting that the map the apartment company sent me had areas of the city that were different colors and the central area along the river was labeled Praha, so I assumed it was the name of the area, much like what I saw of the maps for Budapest.  Looking at the map again I see there are no labels in the other colored areas.


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## vacationhopeful (Mar 28, 2011)

*Funny Praha Story*

Was in Budapest travelling via the day train to Prague with my retired friend who had spent 35 years as an elementary school principal. I was about to do something and pointed to the large overhead display board and said "Please find out which track the Prague train is leaving from". You know, the click-clap board - the size of a minivan.

I come back 5 minutes later and say, Which Track? He starts screaming at me that we are at the wrong station (Keleti Pi) as nothing is going to Prague. I shake my head, look up, and I immediately state, TRACK 1 ... can't you see that? He looks up and says, NO! That train is going to Pra-ha, not Prague!
I scream, "That is Prague! Prague is the English spelling; Praha is the European spelling of the name."

That was good for the next 10 days of the trip - _Is that the real name? What other name should I be looking for? Why can't there just be one name? That is stupid to have two names for the same place._ Like I said, the next 10 days of our European adventure....a very long 10 days with the rigid, ugly American.


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## vacationhopeful (Mar 28, 2011)

And I won't discuss the various currencies and exchange rates that I enjoyed for that 14 day trip - Why all this funny money? Why not have one currency (you mean like, the Euro?)? Nothing is stated in Euros. Why don't they state anything in Euros? We were in Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. He changed planes in Germany. 

I don't fly on the same planes with him since 1991 when he had the meltdown about my economy class seat next to him was bigger and he wanted my seat on the flight from London to PHL 1 hour out.

Back to the Czech Republic. I have had a great time in BOTH of my trips there. Praha/Prague is a pretty town. I recommend the funicular to the fake Eiffel Tower - an earlier version of the Paris tower. Day trips - Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad, Carlsbad) where the Queen Latiffa/LL Cool J movie of Last Holiday was filmed and the home to the Moser crystal factory & Becherovka liquor. If you don't have the time to travel there, rent the film before leaving. While in Praha, order a chilled shot of Becherovka - it is the national drink after Pilsner. As for Moser crystal, I can't afford it but I did bring home my crystal decanter with my 6 cut glass crystal goblets - European size --- without breaking them.:whoopie:


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