8 Reasons to Visit Prague

Ahh, Prague, one of my absolute favorites. The first time I visited this city was in 2015 when I came here to check out the annual Christmas markets in Prague. I went into that trip with high expectations for the markets itself, but once I saw the rest of the city I was hooked.

The next semester, I went back for an internfest weekend with a student travel company. And this time, I fell even more in love with the city. Now I know I say I have a thing for “charming cities”all the time but Prague is literally the epitome of exactly that.

Cobblestoned streets intertwine throughout the old historic center, every roof is the same worn-rusted hue, and colorful storefronts set the stage for a perfect backdrop to pull it all together. To me, Prague is the perfect melting pot of everything I look for when I travel in Europe.

Fast forward to the present day. A friend of mine came to visit me in Europe and we decided to do a little traveling during her week holiday. We each chose a different city, hers being Amsterdam and mine being Prague.

Even though I have already visited this city, I always tell people to come here if they have done little traveling around Europe. Out of all my personal travels I have done through my time in Europe, I can confidently say that Prague is high on my list of favorites (outside of traveling in Spain of course).

In fact, most people don’t know this but I was actually planning on studying abroad in Prague after my year in Spain. I had applied to the school, I had gotten in, and I had even started planning my class schedule when SDSU informed me that I would not be able to graduate with a degree from California if I did not take a certain amount of upper division units at the SDSU campus.

Deciding that my degree was more important than continuing my travels, I made the executive decision to ditch my Prague Plan. As you can clearly see, Prague has something on me. After 3 visits, I’ve concluded that Prague is an incredibly underrated city that deserves to be noticed.

So with that being said, I decided to sum up my top 8 reasons to visit Prague.

1. You Can Save Money in One of Europe’s Cheapest Capitals

Whether you are a broke college student traveling on a budget or not, everyone can appreciate a good deal. Prague is famous for being one of the cheapest cities in all of Europe. Just like any city, there is a range of prices depending on where you go, but I found that Prague was significantly cheaper compared to other major cities like Paris or Madrid. An average beer costs less than two euros while a fantastic dinner might only set you back 15 euros or less.

2. You Can Sample Some of Czech Republic’s Most Authentic Food

If you like to eat, you are going to LOVE Prague. If you are a vegetarian, maybe not so much. Generally speaking, Czech food is really hearty, which makes sense since the winters here are so cold.

One of the most traditional food dishes to try is the Czech Republic is Goulash. This dish of beef and bread or potato dumplings pairs perfectly with the local pilsner beer that you can find in any bar. If you are visiting during Christmas time, you can also experience the street food that’s cooking up throughout the town markets.

3. You Get to Marvel at Incredible Architecture

The astronomical clock, old town square, St. Charles Bridge, and the dancing house are just a few monumental pieces of architecture that you can find in Prague. One of the main reasons I’m so fascinated with Prague is because the city’s architecture is completely unique from other cities in Western Europe.

Yes, it still has the romantic and historic presence that is normally found in popular European destinations, but it still has something completely unique about it. When you are in Prague, you wouldn’t mistake the city for any other.

4. You Can Explore One of Europe’s Largest Castles

I know I’m not the only person who dreamt of living in a castle when I was little. Whether you did or not, you can still fulfill your childhood fantasies by taking a tour of the Prague Castle. The castle complex itself is composed of several different buildings including the St. Vitus Cathedral, The Golden Lane, the presidential palace, and several other museums and churches.

5. You Can Sample the Best Treats – Trdelniks

Now I’m not exaggerating when I say trdelniks are the best treats on the planet. Okay… that might have been a bold statement but they are so good I felt like they deserved their own category. Even though they are a dessert, I don’t like to categorize these into one meal because I personally ate them throughout the entire day.

This cinnamon pastry is basically a rolled dough that has been spun and cooked over an open fire until it has a nice crust on the outside and is doughy on this inside. Once it has been cooked, it’s then rolled in cinnamon sugar and served piping hot. If you are really feeling crazy, you can even get it filled with Nutella. yuuummmmmmm.

6. You Can Drink Pilsner Beer Made by Monks

Whether you get your pilsner beer from the Strahov Monastery or not, there is plenty of places throughout the city to find a good Pilsner. Prague’s claim to fame in the booze world would have to be their Pilsner Beers. Pilsners tend to be a lighter beer, and pairs perfectly with the classic Czech dishes.

If you are beer fan, make sure to try Prague’s traditional favorite while visiting. If you don’t like beer, don’t worry. You can still find all the signature drinks wherever you go.

For a stunning view of the city, go and grab a drink at Terasa U Prince Hotel.

7. You Can Experience a Diverse Nightlife

Prague to me has one of the best nightlife scenes in Europe. Now I already know that a lot of people reading this who have been to Barcelona or Berlin would completely disagree, but hear me out. When going out in Prague, a lot of their bars are underground which gives it a more cozy atmosphere. I also love that a lot of the bars have a separate area for a dance floor, so you can either hang out and enjoy a drink or go to the dance floor if you want to feel like you’re in a club.

To me, this is the perfect scenario when going out because it’s not like you have to fully commit to going clubbing but you can still have a good time and dance. But even if you are into hardcore clubbing, they still have plenty of options to check out as well.

8. To Get an In-depth History Lesson Everywhere You Go

Up until 1989, the Czech Republic was not its own country, it was referred to as Czechlosovakia. Because of its recent history, every guided tour discusses fairly recent events that occurred during the lifetime of the older population within the country. While the Czech Republic was still involved during WWII, it also had its own unique history that I found fascinating to learn about during my time in Prague.

And that right there are the top 8 reasons to visit Prague in the Czech Republic. Whether you are studying abroad or traveling throughout Europe, Prague is an incredible city that should definitely be added to your bucket list!

P.S. Thank you Marissa for an amazing trip! I had the best time traveling with you and I can’t wait until our next adventure 🙂