I did not suspect that Prague would become one of my top two favorite cities in Europe. The other is Disentis in Switzerland, my grandfather’s hometown.

Prague

Activites

• Gröbe Villa
  • Incredible park, very expansive, there’s a cafe, vineyard, great view of the skyline, and a villa that has opera and theater performances.
• Městský stadion Ďolíček
  • Go here and watch the local football team, Bohemia 1905. They hilariously have a kangaroo as their mascot because they toured in Australia and got two kangaroos as a gift, which they then donated to the Prague Zoo.
• Prague Castle
  • So fun to walk around! There was architecture I’d never seen before, with intricate etching into the stones of the sides of buildings, incredible gift shops some of the most oddly placed Starbucks that were also so nice, but in the middle of this ancient castle. They have what they call Golden Lanewhich is a conglomeration of small museums focused on what it was like living in that castle, so there’s an apothecary, an armory, etc. I somehow walked through the exit and got to go in for free when it’s normally ticketed. They have a Franz Kafka house extremely small, just a gift shop where he temporarily stayed. There was a rather large display of armor in one of the shops on the Golden Lane, which was quite cool.
• Wallenstein Palace
  • Stumbled into these amazing grounds, fountain, huge pillars. Feels like a small Gardens of Versailles.
• MOMENT – Nadační second hand
  • Incredible thrift store!! I got three items for under $8.
• National Technical Museum
  • I was surprised to find myself at the National Technical Museum. I can’t say I would recommend it. Most of the exhibits were on printing, household appliances, and a small display of airplanes, cars, and bicycles.
• Frisbee shop
  • extremely random, but I bought an ultimate frisbee here. It was $20, so not cheap, but very cool.
• Trade Fair Palace
  • Unbelievably good museum with Van Gogh, Picasso, and Klimt. Also, fun creative areas where you could just play the piano. A range of sculptures and beautiful paintings. Also free if you’re under the age of 26. They also had a Lenin visit Prague exhibit, which was stunning.
• Walk along the river.
  • Find the Dancing House, then walk toward the bridge. You’ll eventually find a path to walk down to the canal, with great bike paths, art galleries, and tons of cute shops and cafes.
• Rudolfinum Park
  • Great little park that borders the water. Immaculate for watching the sunset.

Eats

• Lokal
  • I got the goulash, fantastic, very hearty. They serve goulash with “dumplings:, which are really just mashed potatoes that are pressed together and circles of bread that don’t have any crust.
• Crème de la Crème
  • I got their chili mango ice cream, not great, icy and weak flavor.
• Kavárna co hledá jméno
  • Unbelievably cute spot tucked away in the middle of a parking lot… I got the passion fruit kombucha, super super watery. They have great outdoor seating and are known for their eggs benedict, which looks insane but doesn’t taste the best. The hollandaise is a bit watery/not flavorful, and they put a ton of microgreens on it, which made me sad.
• U Schnellů
  • I walked into here by happenstance and got the Nakládaný hermelín, a famous Czech pub snack made of soft mold-ripened cheese marinated in oil, garlic, onions, and peppers — similar to French Camembert. Typing that out makes it sound absolutely hideous. It was okay, not too strong-smelling, very creamy, but a bit too sour, almost like sauerkraut vibes. Also got Svíčková na smetaně, beef served with a rich, creamy root vegetable sauce. I prefer gulosh. Also had a beer while I was here, and it was so horrible.
• Kus Koláče
  • THEY HAVE THE MOST AMAZING RASPBERRY koláč / PIES! Served on a soft doughy crust with cheese and jam. Remarkable. Not too sweet! I wanted to try everything!
• Café Bar Pilotů
  • Overpriced drinks but the most amazing ambiance! It felt like a bookstore met a bar. Really great, curated drinks, very intentional. All were from trips that the staff had been on; mine was served with a custom-designed postcard. The charcuterie that I got was okay but definitely overpriced.
• Pilot Cafe
  • Actually really good eggs, like amazing, also the toast and butter, wow. The sausage was a bit salty for me.
• Alchymista
  • I got their dark chocolate cake and passion fruit tea, both of which were extremely mid.
• LAB
  • Incredible raspberry beer and a ham, onion jam, and cheese sandwich.

Cesky Krumlov

For as cute and charming as this little town is, they have three different bus stops, and I missed my bus from here to Vienna, which was a scarring experience.

Eats

• Karavan Paradino Musia
  • I got some good cream-filled pastries here.
• Travellers restaurant
  • I had some good duck with dumplings (e.g., potatoes) and then red cabbage. That was much too sweet. The ambiance here is very cool. The restaurant is so expansive; it’s like multiple rooms.

Activities

• State Castle and Chateau Český Krumlov
  • The castle is really charming, and it’s fun to walk around. They have a beautiful little interior bridge you can walk across that has a great view. It’s a fun place to hang out. They have a moat with a bear, which was very cool.
• Zdroji
  • Go here and just lay on the grass and watch the people canoeing by.