Tick It Before You Kick It

2 Days in Prague - Don't Miss Anything!

August 15, 2024 • Alexandra Lauren | The Bucket List Mermaid • Season 1 • Episode 10

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Check out the show notes 👉 here for links to all tours and travel resources to help you check Prague off of your bucket list!

Ever wondered what it’s like to experience the magic of Prague up close? Join me, Alexandra, on Tick It Before You Kick It as I guide you through the city’s captivating streets and hidden nooks. 

🩵I'll share my personal adventures, including what I did for 2 days in Prague and what I missed!

🏰From the majestic Charles Bridge to the local secrets, this journey is packed with historical insights, architectural marvels, and vibrant local culture.

Tune in to hear about...

  • My whimsical encounters, such as spotting the giant baby sculptures on the Zizkov Television Tower, and the lively nightlife experience at Karlovy Lezny and Roxy. 
  • Whether you’re a jazz lover or prefer a relaxed evening, Prague’s incredible nightlife caters to all tastes. Discover alternative nighttime activities, uncover street art, and visit quirky attractions like the Petrin mirror maze. 
  • For those eager to savor local cuisine, don’t miss my recommendations on must-try dishes like Svikova at the Imperial restaurant and the incredible beer selection at the Prague Beer Museum. 
  • Learn how to make the most of your stay with insights on public transport passes and accommodation options. 
  • I also share some unique experiences, such as a mermaid-themed photo shoot in Old Town Square and a visit to the unusual Sex Machines Museum. 

🧜🏻‍♀️To ensure you catch every highlight, check out detailed guides and bucket lists on my website. 

Let's Go Adventuring:
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Get in Touch:
alexandra@thebucketlistmermaid.com

Alexandra:

I doubt there's a lot of tourists who would be like, yeah, I saw the giant babies crawling on the television tower. Just something to keep in mind. Hey there, adventurers, welcome to Take it Before you Kick it. The show where we guide you through some of the best travel experiences from around the world and what to put on your adventure bucket list. I'm your host, alexandra, and today we are going to be taking you on an unforgettable journey to one of the most enchanting cities in Europe, and probably one that is less traveled than the main ones, and that is Prague, in the Czech Republic. Now. This is known for its rich history, its stunning architecture and its vibrant culture. It is literally a destination that promises to capture your heart and your soul. So, whether you're a history buff, a foodie or just someone looking for something unique, this episode is for you Now, because I was here for two days and the majority of people that I met were here for two days. In this episode, we are going to be talking about all of the things that you can pack into two days in Prague. I'm going to be talking about all the things that I have done in Prague, and then also the things that I wish I would have done in Prague, because I wrote a bucket list for hidden gems. I wrote a bucket list for night and as well as I wrote an ultimate bucket list for Prague that has 50 plus ideas of what to do when you are here. So all of these can be found on thebucketlistmermaidcom and I will link all of them in the show notes. And after doing all this research and spending two days in Prague, this is what I would recommend for a two-day itinerary when you check this off of your adventure bucket list.

Alexandra:

Let's get started Now. Before we start, I have to say some disclaimers. Now, although this is not an explicit podcast, we are going to be talking about some adult-themed things in this podcast, so keep that in mind as you listen to this. I also have to apologize for the pronunciation, because I am about as good as speaking Czech as I was at learning Hungarian, so I apologize if I butcher all of these words. Czech is a beautiful language and unfortunately, I'm an American who just cannot make my mouth say these words, so I truly apologize for absolutely butchering these words.

Alexandra:

So just a little backstory. I was here in Europe for a wedding. I previously lived in England and then I also lived in Budapest, so a couple of my friends were getting married from England and I decided to go to Europe with my best friend so that I could go to the wedding. And then we wanted to go someplace that we had never been before, that I could go to the wedding. And then we wanted to go someplace that we had never been before. We lived in England and the UK together, so we traveled a lot, but I feel like we traveled to the more known places you know, like Paris and Italy, and I know that the Czech Republic was on my radar. However, it just never happened. So we wanted to go to someplace in Europe that we had never been before, and Prague won, and I actually ended up going back to Budapest after we visited Prague to visit all my friends from med school, but Prague was in between there and, fun fact, I actually almost went to medical school in Prague.

Alexandra:

I was choosing between Prague and Budapest, and Budapest won, but now that I've quit all of it, I think I would have picked Prague. I don't know. I did like Budapest too, and I do have an episode on living in Budapest, if you want to check that one out too but Prague really took me by surprise. I'm not gonna lie, and I'm kind of sad that we only had two days there, but you know, that's kind of just how it worked out. So, as I said, in this episode I'm going to go over what we did, kind of what I wish I would have done, and maybe some things that would have streamlined our vacation a little bit more so that we could have fit more in. I don't know about you, but I'm the type of traveler who needs to be going at all the time because I can sleep when I get home, but joke's on me because I travel full-time, so I just never sleep. Love that for me. On that note, before we get started, I would definitely recommend getting a public transport pass For us. We got the one that was multiple days and we could use the subway as well as the little trolley system. This was especially helpful when we were going across the river, and then also it was very, very helpful to get up to the Prague Castle with this. So anyway, I think that by getting that pass and learning the system beforehand, I think you have the opportunity to cram a lot into your stay in Prague. So I would definitely recommend that.

Alexandra:

So let's get started. Let's jump into day one of our little Prague itinerary. So we stayed on the side of the river where, like the old town, square is and everything. So our first stop we actually walked from our. It was a VRBO. It was really cute, although it didn't have a working lift, so we had to climb up this big, huge spiral staircase. Anyway, so we walked from our VRBO, where we were staying, and then we walked all the way down to Charles Bridge.

Alexandra:

This, pretty much, was the one thing that I saw as a common denominator on all of the blogs and all of the things to do was Charles Bridge. I'm going to be honest, it was very touristy. However, I loved it. It was honestly so bustling, it was so cool, and I took some mermaid pictures, both looking over the bridge and the river. I hope I'm going to butcher it.

Alexandra:

It's the Vltava River, we'll go with that, but Charles Bridge is looking over this river and I took a mermaid picture overlooking the bridge and the river, as well as on the bridge itself. And, man, I don't think I've ever had a destination where people were so excited to see a mermaid. It was so fun and the pictures were incredible. I will put them on the show notes. Please go check them out and support my tail, because it's a little hard to get this tail out. I'm shy. I'm a shy mermaid. Okay, I am not shy, but the second that tail comes out I am the shyest person in the world and I get so nervous. So go give it some love. But anyway, charles Bridge did not disappoint.

Alexandra:

This 14th century stone bridge is actually adorned with statues and it offers one of the best photo opportunities in Prague, not just the bridge itself, but also the views that it gives you. It gives you an entire, unobstructed view of Prague Castle. So this is definitely a good place to be and if you do want to go with fewer tourists because I'm going to be honest, it is very touristy I would definitely go at sunrise really, really early. But another thing that I really liked about this bridge is there was a lot of vendors. Although I didn't buy anything personally, it was kind of fun to see all the art and you know, I'm sure you pay an arm and a leg. That's nothing what it costs, because it's kind of a tourist trap, but it was still fun to see, you know.

Alexandra:

So after we got off of the bridge. We went into this area called Malastrana, and it's this neighborhood in Prague and it was beautiful Like, seriously, there were. The architecture is something else here so we ended up stopping for lunch, we got some food and we just had a view of this entire thing, and it wasn't bad as far as price, you know. Obviously it wasn't great, however, for being in the middle of the city center where we have a view of this entire area, I'm not complaining.

Alexandra:

So after that, we took public transportation up to Prague Castle, and this is an ancient symbol of the Czechs' lands that have been around for thousands of years and offers seriously breathtaking views of the city. Make sure to arrive early, avoid the crowds and take a leisurely stroll through the castle grounds If you do want to buy a ticket. So we ended up getting the ticket that allowed us to see this throne room as well as the golden lane, which, honestly, the golden lane was really, really cool, because they set up all of these old houses so that you could see what it was like back then, and we also saw some armor. I mean, it was a really cool blast from the past there. It wasn't the most exciting tour that I've taken or the most extravagant castle. I mean, you hear castle and you're just thinking like Versailles. This was not Versailles. This looked very old timey, it wasn't adorned as much. However, it was really cool and I would definitely recommend it.

Alexandra:

If you are a history buff and also if you are in Prague castle, there is this cafe that you can go to. It's kind of near the exit as you start to walk down all of those roads because it's kind of on a hill. So this cafe, if you go in there I got a tea and, seriously, the view, because it's on a hill, the view is incredible at this cafe. So if you are there and you are just walking through and you don't want to pay for the tour, if nothing else, just go walk through and then go to this cafe Absolutely beautiful.

Alexandra:

After we were done with the Prague Castle, we ended up walking through and down and we walked straight to the smallest street, which we just looked it up on Google Maps or Apple Maps and it was kind of fun. It's free, you just walk down. It literally looks like a staircase, but it is the smallest street in the world, so pretty cool to see. And then from there we walked to the Lennon Wall, which was amazing. Just such a fun thing, and it's also really good for photo opportunities. Again, it's free. You can walk there.

Alexandra:

We didn't take public transportation to there, but I probably would have if I would have known. We were getting to the point in the day where we were running out of daylight at this time, and then we went back to Charles Bridge and we watched the sunset over Charles Bridge. So that's what we did and honestly, it was a pretty good day. I think it was very good to see all the touristy stuff and what people come to Prague to see. So I definitely enjoyed everything there and I enjoyed learning about all the history there. As I said, I'm not sure I would have done the tour unless I was a history buff, but it still was fun to see.

Alexandra:

Now let's talk about what to do in Prague when the sun goes down, because there is so much to do and so much that I honestly missed, which I'm very, very sad for, but I'm telling you so that you don't miss it like I did. I do have an entire guide on this, as I said, on my website, which is 19 bucket list things to do in Prague at night. So definitely check that out, because the fun doesn't stop when the sun goes down in Prague. So one of the things that we didn't do that I wish we would have done is there are a lot of concert opportunities to do in Prague, Like there's the State Opera House, there's the Estates Theater again sorry and then there's the National Theater, and we actually did walk past the civil building called Omnisidum oh, oh rough, but that was absolutely stunning at night. We also walked past the National Theater. So although we didn't see a show, we did see these buildings and they are just really nice to look at at night. They are very well lit and if you're an architectural person which I love architecture especially at night then Prague at night, even just exploring, is going to be worthwhile for you. There's also a blacklight theater that I heard a lot about, which I've personally never done. So if you have done this, especially in Prague, definitely let me know, because I want to hear what it's like.

Alexandra:

And, of course, the number one answer that comes to all backpackers and adventurers is what is the clubbing like in Prague? So Prague is actually home to one of the largest clubs in Central Europe, which is called Karlovy Lezny. It's actually five floors and each has its own music style, and they also have an ice bar and a robotic bar. So if you're into clubbing, this would definitely be the place to go on your night. One Other ones we heard from locals is Roxy and also the Cross Club. Or you can go to a quieter tavern or bar like Ufleku, the Golden Tiger or Umedviku. We're gonna go with that. Just please don't be hungover for tomorrow. If you only have two days, don't spend one of them being hungover, thank you. Prague also has a wide variety of jazz bars, like the Reduda Jazz Club and the Jazz Dock. So if you're like I want to go full-on clubbing, but I just want to do something that's very unique to Prague, I would definitely go check out some of these jazz bars at night.

Alexandra:

Now let's talk about the things that I learned about after I left Prague. Sad face is Prague's zoo recently announced a program that introduces night vision goggles, special military imaging and UV lighting. It's the only zoo in the world that offers an experience. So if you're there on a weekend Friday, saturday or Sunday they have these after-hour zoo tours at 8.30, 9, and 9.30 pm. I personally have never done this and I've never heard of this being done. So if you're looking for something unique to add to your bucket list at night in Prague, this zoo after hours is gonna be perfect.

Alexandra:

Another thing that I had no clue was a thing is they have these medieval dinners, where they have like these four-course meals, where you step in time and it's like you're eating in an authentic 14th century tavern and there's fire breathers and jugglers. I'll link the tours in my show notes. I would have 100% done this Again. So sad, sometimes you just wing it and sometimes you reap the consequences for just winging it. So there's just a couple ideas for what we did at night. Honestly, we just explored and ate dinner and walked by a couple places that I did mention in the blog, but if you do want the full list of things to do at night, again, just check out that blog post on the show notes, because there is a surprisingly high amount of things to do at Prague at nighttime. Rip your sleep. Sorry, but once you have gotten back into your bed at your VRBO or your hotel and you haven't gone crazy, let's talk about day two.

Alexandra:

Now, day two I really liked how we did it, because I feel like we focused on the touristy stuff during day one and then day two, we branched out into more of the hidden gems of Prague, and one of the main things that we did that I would recommend is we actually took an alternative tour. This was one of my favorite things we did, because it was so not touristy at all. We actually went out of the main city to where all the locals live, where the schools are, and one of my favorite parts here was we saw all of the street art, which was very cool to see. And then we also went to this place called Vitro Block. This is actually an old factory that was renovated by the locals in order to house various shops, cafes, street arts plants. The vibe in there was so cute and it's something that tourists would not go hear Like. This is for people who want a local experience, and it was so cool.

Alexandra:

I also have to shout out this company because they gave me permission to link to their free map and guide of Prague, and this is not sponsored. This is not an affiliate. This map was so helpful when going to Prague. It really gives you a local's perspective on Prague and it is so in-depth, so I linked that in the show notes as well as my hidden gems Prague bucket list. It was like a Prague bible. It was awesome and I've also linked this alternative walking tour here because it was really cool.

Alexandra:

And then we ended up going to this metal like almost steampunk bar afterwards and it converts into a club at night so you can just stay there if you want a club at night. But I got this lemonade and I don't know what it is about Central and Eastern Europe and lemonade, but it's the best I've ever had. They just put massive fruit chunks in there and I just enjoyed my non-alcoholic lemonade and it was honestly amazing. And during this tour also, we saw the Petron Hill, which was a really, really unique view of the city. And we also looked at the Zizkov Television Tower, which you might think, um, why is a television tower being mentioned on an adventure podcast? Well, there's actually these giant baby sculptures, which is just so unsettling and so weird and unique at the same time. So again, if you want that unique Prague hidden gem experience, I doubt there's a lot of tourists who would be like, yeah, I saw the giant babies crawling on the television tower. Just something to keep in mind. And, on that note, if you are in the Petrin area there is a Petrin mirror maze that you can go through, so there's another idea if you're in the area already.

Alexandra:

Also, when we were in this area, we did walk around some of Prague's lesser-known art galleries, even just the smaller ones that nobody knows about, and this was very interesting. I love art. Some other ones that were mentioned was the Gallery Critique and then also the Gallery Umeni Giro di Vida. Oh man, please, please, do not quote me on this pronunciation. I am thoroughly embarrassed for my American accent at this time and I'm just gonna need you to go to the show notes and look up what I'm actually saying. Oh, I'm just so sorry.

Alexandra:

So after we were done with the alternative tour, we got a beer in Locale and the guide explained to us that the Czechs are very, very into their beer. They're like the ultimate beer lovers. So they are have worked on, perfected their fermenting and preparation techniques to just create great tasting beer, and the portions are huge and it's pretty cheap. So, according to the guy, lokal was one of the most common places that the locals go to get beer in Prague. So we decided to check it out and we were not disappointed. I have to admit, I'm not a beer girly. However, it was very fun to taste and if you are into beer, then that's great.

Alexandra:

Now, one of the things I missed again so sad is they have a lot of opportunities around the city to actually go in a beer bath, and most of these come with unlimited beer and wine options, and some of them actually have beer bread, like it's crazy, and this is just such a cool thing to do in this city. I will link all the tours in the show notes, because if I had to say one thing that I really, really regret about not doing in Prague, it would be going to a beer bath. There was a beer bath when I was in Budapest, but these just are way better. I just feel like this is next level. Also, on that note, they do have a Prague beer museum. It is 17 euros, but you do get four beers for free and they have 30 beers on tap. So, again, not something that I would personally spend my money on because I'm not a beer drinker, but if you do like the art of beer and the actual taste of beer, then it might be something to look into.

Alexandra:

Now, after we were done with our beer, we decided to go per the local recommendation because, as I said, after that alternative tour, we ended up getting a drink at that little steam bar and we got the lowdown on Prague from a local. So he gave us the amazing recommendation of going to eat Czech Svikova. I think that's the best pronunciation I've done in this entire podcast. Pat on the back for me svikova. Okay, we're going to go with that Czech svikova at the Imperial the Imperial's the restaurant, and this is a traditional Czech dish that consists of beef sirloin covered in this cream sauce made from root vegetables and spices, and on the side they have Czech bread dumplings and sometimes you'll even get whipped cream and cranberry marmalade on the top. Sounds weird? We thought so too.

Alexandra:

Now, my best friend is a little bit more of a travel foodie than me and we both tried this and she thought it was incredible. She was like that was one of the best dishes I've had in my travels. It was so amazing, I thought it was going to be so weird. We just couldn't get enough of it and we tried it at several restaurants because, you know, if you get something good, we knew probably not going to get this again. So we had it at several restaurants, but none of them quite compared to that first time at the Imperial, that Imperial restaurant. It was so fancy in there and it wasn't that bad and they even gave us some free bubbly. So anyway, no complaints. That dish was amazing. If you're going to try one thing in the Czech Republic, it would be this dish Absolutely amazing.

Alexandra:

We ended up going to the Old Town Square, so this is a very touristy area of Prague. Again, I did a mermaid photo shoot here, got so many looks, but you can tell me how the pictures turned out. My best friend got some street food and this street ham, which was probably one of the most amazing things I ate in this city and it was just so cool here. By this time it was turning slowly into night and I must say that I did enjoy Old Town Square at night more than I did during the day, just because there was less people. All the buildings were amazingly lit up. If you are in this area you can also check out the famous astronomical clock, which just has this massive crowd of people around it, and then it comes out and everybody just cheers and waits with their photos. Very touristy, but still a very cool thing to see, and it is right there in that Old Town Square.

Alexandra:

Now here's where it's going to get a little bit adult-friendly. So if you are a younger listener, I would suggest skipping this part. However, I just have to talk about it because this was one of the weirdest things that I have ever done in a European city. But right there in Old Town Square, if you turn the corner right to the left of the astronomical clock, there is a museum and it is called the Sex Machines Museum and it is exactly what you would think. So we went there at night and the entire thing is just contraptions that are used in certain adult activities.

Alexandra:

Honestly, it was so fascinating to go in there. It is definitely for adults only. You can use your imagination. Did I turn a bright shade of pink throughout this entire museum? Absolutely, but was I thoroughly entertained throughout the entire thing and just morbidly curious throughout the entire thing? Yes, absolutely. Again, I have never seen anything like this in any place, and it's one of those things where you go in there and you're like I don't want to look at this, but I'm just so curious to look at this, and you just kind of look and just scratch your head a little bit and you're like, wait, they used that for what? Anyway, very educational, very interesting and very inappropriate. But if you're in the area anyway, I just have to recommend it because it was so weird and so bizarre and so unique that if you are not offended by that kind of stuff you need to go. Unique that if you are not offended by that kind of stuff, you need to go. So that was it for our Prague adventure.

Alexandra:

We went back to our accommodation and we left at an ungodly hour the next morning. Again, I really wish I would have had just a few more days. I just didn't really think that Prague was going to be this cool. It really took me by surprise. I thought it was going to be like every other major European city, but it was not. So now that we're done with our two-day itinerary, let's just talk about some practical advice like accommodation, transportation and some safety. So for accommodation, prague offers a range of budget hotels to luxury hotels. If you want to be in the heart of the action, I would definitely recommend staying in the Old Town or near Wenceslas Square, or if you want a quieter experience, maybe consider the Malastrana District and getting around.

Alexandra:

Prague was honestly amazing. It had excellent public transportation. There are trams, buses and metro stations, and they're all efficient and affordable. As I said, we got stations and they're all efficient and affordable. As I said, we got we got a 24-hour pass. I mean, we got a 24-hour pass that gave us unlimited access to all of the three and then we just walked for the rest of the time. If I were to do it again, I'd probably get another 24-hour pass just so that I had it the entire time, but one of them was sufficient and safety-wise.

Alexandra:

I honestly never really felt unsafe in Prague. Me and my best friend are both young women and we were traveling just by ourselves. I never really felt uncomfortable at any time. However, it is always wise just to stay aware of your surroundings, watch out for pickpockets, just especially in those crowded, more touristy areas like Charles Bridge and Old Town Square and Prague Castle. So there you have it a two-day itinerary guide for stuff that we did, stuff that I wish I would have known about, and from historic landmarks to hidden gems, delicious food, vibrant nightlife it just has something for everybody. So I really hope that this guide helps you make the most of your visit and creates memories that will truly last a lifetime.

Alexandra:

Prague just took me by such surprise, and I think that it does deserve to be on your bucket list.

Alexandra:

There was so much to do, so if you have any questions or need more tips, feel free to reach out and I will help you in the best way that I can. Again, I have a lot of bucket lists on Prague because I just got into a travel research black hole and couldn't stop. So if you do want more guides on Prague and even a Czech Republic bucket list like the entire thing, definitely head over to those show notes, thebucketlistmermaidcom. I will link them in the description. So and don't forget to save those so that once you are in Prague, you will have a plethora of things to do and you won't miss things like I did. I just have crippling FOMO. I can't handle it. It's too much for me, and if you did like this episode, it would mean the world to this traveling mermaid if you gave me a review and subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform. Thank you so much for tuning in and we will see you on the next episode of Ticket. Before you Kick it Safe travels you guys.