prague

[stevep]

im going to prague this summer to visit my child who has scored a program there at charles university.

who's been there?
any comments?

i doubt i'll have a bikemo.
unless i get some intercity thing to cruise around.

[thinpin]

Used to love it in the 80s.... :D now full of Americans! :D :p

[thinpin]

Aw you gotta bring the bike... that way you'll get to see the real czecks outside Prague....beer... real beer.....real budweiser...well maybe!

[Kevan]

next fall. The trip is still in the planning stage. My father loved it there, that's all that I've got to go on so far. We've been to many places in the world and if he says this place is a knockout...well, then it must be.

Have fun!

[Grant McLean]

Geeze, they let just anyone have kids don't they? :)

It's been about 15 years since I was there, but it was awesome.
Walking the streets reminded me a lot of certain parts of paris.
I've said many times i'd love to go back to see what it's like now.
There were tons of renovations going on back when i was there,
so many of the old shops and apartments were being brought
back to former glory. The city had a tough time when the Soivets
built concrete housing all around outside the city, but amazingly
the core remained untouched. Should have a fantastic vibe now.

-g

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . last summer. Their chorus sang "Carmina Burana" with the Prague Symphony.

They got out to wander around the city and she said it was great--clean, well organized, friendly people. It's got the largest population of Americans of any city in Europe. But the first thing she noticed, she said, was that "Dad, there were no fat people!" Very few overweight people, lots of cute guys, lots of good looking women she says she wished she looked like! :p

BBD

[paczki]

Take the train to Dresden and go to the art museum (the old one). One of the best collections in the world-- Raphael's Madonna, Giorgione's Sleeping Venus, a great Titian, etc. Good cycling around there too.

[zap]

As Grant noted, the Soviet era buildings are rather drab but old town Prague is fascinating. There's a vibe in old Prague that I find common in cities like Paris. The Charles Bridge is a pretty neat place to just hang out and watch artists and folks walking around. Church of our Lady Before Tyn is in the Old Town square as are other historic sites. The night life can be as exciting as you want it to be.

If you are spending several days there, you might want to plan on taking quick trips to towns like Pilsen.

[stevep]

thanks.
i expect to be there 10 days but will take a side trip to vienna as well.
dont see a bike in there unless i can rent some city thing while im there.

[M.Sommers]

Prague = City of Spies.

[Tom]

after riding bikes through the green way parks from over by Vienna. Too bad you're not going to have a chance to ride.

As cities go, it's a good one. Art museums are pretty good. The Charles Bridge is a cool spot. The big cathedral up on the hill is one of the better ones I've been in, don't miss St. Brisket over on the right front. There's a tomb, a glass window, you look in and somebody got the great idea of arranging the bones like some kind of bouquet. It's really unexpected.

Lots of tourists in the summer, but most of them are other Europeans.

If you're obliged to buy somebody shiny stuff, the amber is definitely worth checking out. Garnets, too.

[Blue Jays]

Eastern Europe is truly beautiful. Vienna and Salzburg are certainly cities to see as well in the area. You will feel immersed in world history while visiting Prague...definitely purchase street art for framing at home.
The breakfast choices are spectacular, as you'll soon see. As an athlete, one thing about which to be prepared is that cigarette smoking is ubiquitous in that region with very little opportunity for respite.

[corky]

Pop over & look me up..... I'll show you round Budapest, Prettier than Prague Budapest is known as the 'Paris of the East' :)

and man o' man the dames are mighty fine!

[stevep]

how long a train ride to budapest?
id like that.



Pop over & look me up..... I'll show you round Budapest, Prettier than Prague Budapest is known as the 'Paris of the East' :)

and man o' man the dames are mighty fine!

[corky]

Its about and hour and a half from Vienna to Budapest.

[stevep]

Its about and hour and a half from Vienna to Budapest.

ahhh.
ill do it then.
i wanted to get there , thought it was further.

[bcm119]

I was there in 2001. Of the 3 places we went in the czech rep. I liked Prague the least, but it was still fantastic. Also went to Plzen, very non-touristy, cheap, and drab soviet buildings, but the Urquell brewery was worth seeing. Its the "real" czech republic, if you're interested in seeing that, and the beer was about 30 cents/liter compared to $2 in Prague.

I highly recommend visiting Cezky Krumlov. Its basically on the way to Vienna on the train, near the austrian border. Sort of a mythical little village with castles and a river winding through the center of town, great bohemian food and beautiful surroundings. At least google it before you decide not to go...

[flux]

im going to prague this summer to visit my child who has scored a program there at charles university.

who's been there?
any comments?

i doubt i'll have a bikemo.
unless i get some intercity thing to cruise around.

Steve,

One of the coolest cities I've been to. Very unique place.
p.s. bring your fixed gear.

[DarrenCT]

stevep, check this out



Many travelers (and virtually all Czechs) declare that Czech beer is the best in the world. But pub etiquette here is unique, closely followed, and not exactly intuitive.

Pick wisely

Look past the faux Irish pubs and casino bars for anything marked with the Czech word for pub: hospoda or pivnice. A good sign is a chalkboard listing half liters for 30 crowns or less (about $1.20); a better one is a steady stream of Czech customers.

Learn some lingo

Politeness and a little phrase-book Czech go a long way. Four to start with: dobry den (DOH-bree den, meaning "good day"), prosim (PRO-seem, "please"), dekuji (DJE-koo-yi, "thank you"), and zaplatit (ZAH-plah-teet, "to pay").

Be patient, and be ready

When the waiter comes--it may take a while--he'll assume you want a beer. Order with your fingers, using the thumb for one, add the index finger for two, and so on. Unless you say otherwise, expect half liters of the house pilsner. When your glass is empty, most waiters will ask, "Jeste jedno?" (ESHT-yay yedno, literally "still one"--a.k.a. "Another round?"), but some will simply plop down a fresh mug. To stanch the flow, say, "Zaplatit, prosim," and the waiter will total up your bill. (A 10 percent tip is common.)

Decision time

Some pubs have just one pilsner on tap; others offer beer in two strengths: Ask for the lighter desitku (DEH-seet-koo, or "10 degree," about 4 percent alcohol--the same as most American beers but without the fizzy chemical aftertaste), or the stronger dvanactku (DVA-natz-koo, "12 degree," about 6 percent alcohol). When you see workmen drinking beer at 9 a.m., it's desitka. If they're staggering home at midnight, they've probably moved on to dvanactka.

Keep the staff on your side