h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I worked in Prague a few years ago and it a great place to visit.

Prague is a very ancient and pretty city, which pretty much fell into disrepair during the communist era. Most of the buildings have been cleaned and repaired now, but is now being invaded by hordes of tourists during the summer months. Some worthwhile sights include :-

Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti) which is not a square at all. It's a long boulevard quite like the Champs Elyseés in Paris. Wenceslas Square (named after the Good King himself) was the focal point of the Velvet Revolution, where the people of Czechoslovakia withdrew support for their government in 1990, and quite rightly, their government said "OK, so", and left without a fight.

The Old Town Square (Staromestske Namesti): This is a must see. The prettiest town square in Europe. Loads of open air restaurants, churches and a large clock tower in the centre which gives one of those clockwork glockenspeil displays every hour.

Charles Bridge (Karlova Most): This is a long footbridge across the Vltava river which is protected by imposing guard towers on either end, and populated on both sides by statues of the good and the great in Prague down the ages.

Prague Castle (Hradcany): This is the seat of the old kings of Prague which dominates the Prague skyline. Its a bit of a walk up the hill to the castle but worth it when you get there. One word of advise - don't try to look out the windows there, as defenestration (getting thrown out of an upstairs window) is a popular form of execution in this part of the world

The pubs, clubs and restaurants are great, and the people are very courteous and friendly.

A must do : Go down to the river at sunset near the Charles Bridge, have a beer and savour the view. It is extremely impressive.

A must not do : Hail a taxi from the street - You are taking your life in your hands, and you will more than likely be ripped off. The public transport system is excellent.

Can you recommend anywhere good to stay? I'm hoping to go over there before Xmas. The cheaper the better, but preferably with a roof and running water!!

Hi Merkin,

A short answer is no - when I was there I was put up in a cool communist era apartment block on the outskirts of the city. I would say you need to be very careful though, because hotels are outrageously expensive.

What I will do is contact a few friends who live there to see if they have any ideas, and get back to you when or if I get a response back.

CR

Thank you very much. You may or may not be both a gentleman and a scholar. I've heard there is cheap hostelry to be had, but that it is a matter of knowing where to find it.

MK

You've heard right. There are lots of hostels to house lots of backpackers. You shouldn't have too much trouble as there are helpful accommodation offices at the airport and main train stations which will help you find somewhere in your price and comfort bracket - anything from cheap hostel dormitory beds to luxury hotels.
Last Summer I ended up somewhere called hostel SPUS which was cheap, central, clean and friendly but there are lots of others around too. On another trip I stayed in a private room (also arranged through the accommodation offices) which although a little more costly has the advantage of giving you an insight into everyday Czech life.

Ta very much!

Apologies for the delay - an ok one apparently is "Sir Toby's Hostel", Delnicka 24. Website, http://www.sirtoby.cz

Enjoy your trip,

CR

Cheers mate. However I'm going to Tunisia instead Goign to do Prague when it warms up a bit!

See you in Prague, Merkin. It is freezing here today, so better stay in Africa until March

I don't know if this applies to defenstration in general, but the two victims of the famous defenstration in 1618 survived the fall.

Another good hostel to stay at is called the Boathouse hostel. Although its not in the city, the ladies who run the place make it feel like home (they even get mad at you when you don't order dinner on time) They have laundry and internet services and are located right on the Vlatva river. I enjoyed many nights of sitting by the bonfire with other backpackers. Do not take a taxi, as it is an easy 10 minute tram ride from the city center. I don't have the tram number with me now or the stop but I'll submit more info when I get it. Its nearly impossible to look up the number while in Prague (I know cause I forgot to order dinner one night and had to call the owners to let her know I wanted to eat!)