5 Days + 5 Things I Would Recommend in Prague

While I suppose technically I travel for a living, I wouldn’t consider myself an expert of any city. There are places I love, ones I explore, and others I cringe when they show up on the manifest.

This trip has been on the books for months (or years really, as this was rescheduled due to the AD last summer), and rather than get myself overly hyped as disappointment over trips plagues us in business aviation, I let the dates be nothing more than a booked hotel in my ever-growing list of reservations.

I had very little knowledge of Prague before the planning of this trip and to be completely transparent, had it on my “bucket list” for a few reasons other than I felt like I should and ancestral purposes. My pilot who makes fun of me for going down a rabbit hole of research before I even set foot inside a restaurant was appalled to find out I didn’t perform my homework for this trip. And I’m glad I didn’t.

It was a nice change of pace to be surprised to some degree and have zero expectations. Prague is beautiful & clean. Prague is old & safe. Prague did not house any of the original Disney princesses as I thought it may (apparently that’s Germany and France but whatever).

The food is thick, the history is rich and preserved in a delicate fashion, and lived up to the hype, at least in my mind. While they could certainly throw a salad or two on their menus, I would go back. Next time without any form of heels WHATSOEVER because the cobblestone everything was oddly not built many centuries ago to ensure a comfortable walk around town in my chunky Steve Madden heels.

So here are my 5 days + 5 recommendations for Prague. These do not come from a curated schedule planned to the minute by a travel agent, nor are they trendy, boutique, or off the beaten path. But they did provide this flight attendant with a dreamy European layover.

Stay

For a multitude of reasons ranging from location, cost, and familiarity, we stayed at the full-service Prague Marriott downtown. With work, it’s just easier to go with the devil you know sometimes, especially for safety purposes in a place you’re not familiar with.

Our hotel’s location was great as it was a few minutes walk to Old Town square and hardly 22 minutes from LKPR. The city is incredibly walkable and by the time we left, we had logged in at least 30 miles. Basically one for every beer that was drunk. Just kidding. Every glass of wine. Also just kidding.

Full service seems to still or again mean something in Europe. The rooms were larger than expected, clean, and touched by staff multiple times a day. Not a day did my bed go unmade or my towels not refreshed. It’s the little things. The lounge was 24/7 and well-maintained with drinks and snacks at all times.

And the most important part? By far?

Well, two most important parts. The first is the quad of working elevators that propelled between the floors at a pace unseen in the States. They were highly efficient and that is crucial to a hotel stay.

And the little chocolates they left next to your bed during turndown service. I smuggled mine home.

Walk EVERYWHERE

We left Prague with at least 100,000 steps under our belt, which balanced out our diets while we were there. It’s a fairly small city so everything that’s on a postcard and worth seeing, you can walk to.

I didn’t know this, but Prague didn’t take as much damage during WWII as many other European cities, so the majority of the historical architecture is still in its fairly original state, with the exception of some restoration here and there. So when you google, “Prague Castle” and “St. Vitus Cathedral,” – those walls have seen some things in their days…and centuries.

Walk through Old Town and across the Charles Bridge to the other side of Prague and venture through the upward cascading and winding roads that take you up to the castle area. It completely looks out of a storybook. It’s a bit more quiet because most people don’t want to muster up the ability to walk the required 16000 steps to do this.

Embrace the Beer and the Gravy

I came for the experience, and left with rocks in my stomach. No, maybe not rocks, it was just the gravy that seemed to smother every local dish.

I don’t consider myself a picky eater, so when the opportunity came about to really embrace the local cuisine, I was in. We took a cooking class with a local and I understand where the heaviness of the food comes from. Generations before would just cook in bulk and fill up on proteins and breads. First thought – sounds amazing because I too love meat and bread. Next thought – I feel FULL.

Having said that, everything was made from scratch so between the homemade dumplings, lady fingers, and handmade noodle soup – I was sold on that part of their cuisine. It was good to eat and drink in a way that was different from the way I do at home, but I was ready for a salad after a few days…because I had yet to find a menu in that city that offered one.

I had a few favorite restaurants on the trip, starting with Marina Ristorante. The food was standard in its offerings, but on the higher end. The draw is that it is a riverboat turned restaurant. It sits right on the river with 180-degree views of the river, Charles Bridge, and all of the boats that go up and down. At night, the lights are so beautiful.

 I didn’t make it to the top of the U Prince rooftop bar but I heard from our copilot that it was worth the hype for the views of the city alone.

Get Out of the City Center

This is something we did a bit but would recommend to anyone visiting for more than a few days. The weather was less than ideal for what I deem appropriate for May…anywhere that isn’t Antarctica…but had it been reasonable, there was an 8-hour day that consisted of riding a bike to an amazing castle in the countryside and taking a train back. I would absolutely recommend this.

I considered The Clock Towers to be the city center and one brief walk through was enough. I found it to be fun for a bit to grab a local beer and walk around a bit (whether or not you could do this, I’m not sure but everybody was doing it ((insert Old School Frank the Tank streaking quote)) but overwhelming after a few hours.

As I mentioned above, walking around on the other side of the bridge helped with this so next time I would do more venturing over that way and would encourage you to do the same.

Also outside of the city center was another local bar and beer garden recommended by the gentleman who hosted the cooking class we took. It was called Dva Kohouti and reminded me of the many open patios at bars except everyone was smoking cigarettes and there wasn’t a seltzer in sight.

Own Being a Tourist

I’m sorry to say but we are all tourists in a foreign country, especially if it’s a completely new one. Some touristy things are exactly that for a reason, and probably a decent one at that. While I don’t recommend filling your days buying souvenirs not made in that country, sporting an I ❤ (insert city) t-shirt on your 6th tour in 2 days, go do some things that you wouldn’t normally do.

In Prague, our crew took a dinner cruise on the river and it was beautiful. The boat was nice with panoramic views, and we ate good food and drank local beer and wine for a few hours up and down the water. There’s just something special about getting to see the sights at night because I LOVE some lights. It was reasonably cost, as most things there are, and was worth every penny (or Euro or CZK).

When you think of doing a cooking class in another country, I can’t imagine that taking one in central Europe is the first place that comes to mind. But it was undoubtedly the highlight of the entire trip.

As I mentioned, I’ll go into further detail in another blog entirely but picture this..shopping for goods at local markets for recipes that are passed down generations, that you get to prepare in a local’s kitchen with nonstop flowing food and wine. Oh and that kitchen? In an original home that has walls that were hundreds of years old. Yeah, giving me major Anthony Bourdain vibes. It was a flight attendant (or anyone who enjoys cooking even the slightest) dream.

And the few things I wouldn’t recommend?

1. Any type of heeled shoes
2. Chimney cakes from Old Town (trusted colleagues say they’re better in Budapest)
3. Expecting to eat any meal in any sort of timely manner, or what Americans consider to be

Prague is absolutely somewhere I’d love to go back. With our jobs, it’s tough to venture out of our city too much because you never know what could happen. It would be difficult to explain to work as to why you ended up 4 hours away via train to wine country and couldn’t make it back for..well..any reason work-related.

I feel extremely fortunate for the crew that I work and travel with. They’re here for the experiences, much like myself, and understand the balance. It’s easy to get caught up in the thought that you’re on your own personal vacation so riding that line is important. If Prague was any preview of what’s to come this summer, I’m ready. And also am already tired. But definitely ready.