stellaontour- this time: Prague - City&People - Countries of the World - Tourism

Countries of the World - Tourism
stellaontour- this time: Prague - City&People

As i`ve mentioned before, this is my third travel blog and my 5th city trip. I always write a very detailed travel dairy ( i wrote 88 pages...) and this time i tried something new. I did not only want to catch the everyday experiences, but also getting aware of a general atmosphere. To see what Czech people are like or what i could summarize about money. I hope this are interesting and useful information for the short time i was given.
For your trip i recommend to write things like this down, they are a gold treasure for the future. Just sit down somewhere and observe. How fast do the people walk? What are they doing? Are there only tourists in the centre? How much did you talk to inhabitants and what were they like? If you have the time, try to find a spot without tourists and do your very best to not look like one, i always think this is one of the coolest experiences.

People

What kind of people will you meet?
Around 80% tourists...And tourists means mostly Germans and Asians. Besides that a few from Italy, France or the UK.
And you know them: Happy, spending and taking photographs ( of each other taking photographs, or sights, sometimes).
Most of them are not traveling alone. Huge group of around 20-40 people are common ( and they stand in your way).Or smaller groups, lots of families like mine.

But what are " originals", the people who live in Prague like?
They are friendly, but reserved. They don`t like Small Talk as much as the Americans do. They like smiling, but don`t do it more than it`s necessary. They have humor and some are really funny. Their way of driving a car is often roughly and regardless, which makes life dangerous for pedestrians. They are proud of their home and they like tourists. English is not a problem for them, but they never loose their accent.
AND they know that trams always have priority in traffic, that`s why trams only kill tourists, well nearly...-

MONEY

Czech crowns is the currency in Prague, 27 kc are around 1€. Officially! Because changing money is not a problem itself. Every third shop is a change shop. BUT changing money is a cold unfair business! You will get around 22-25 kc for 1 € and there are a lot of cheaters. Western Union and Chequepoint are the worst! So watch out or you`ll make bad deal and loose a lot of money. Unfortunately even the bank accounts aren`t any better. Change your money in your hometown, that`s the safest way. And never change money on the street!

I`ve been to NYC and Paris before, so Prague seemed like a cheap city to me. But prices are probably higher than you`re used too. For a lunch with four meals and four drinks we spend around 500-1000 kc, which is around 20-40 €.

SHOPS

Unfortunately Prague went through the same process like most cities. Nearly all the shops are runned by big concerns. You will only see shops that you already know. H&M, dm, C&A, Only, Madonna, all of them are popular and well-known. I missed the original and unique shops. The only one of that kind that i found: Atelier Vanda& Valerie, at a very special location- inside the famous Charles Bridge!! Yes that`s right! When walking towards Prague Castle, walk down the stairs on the left. You will find yourself on the small island Kampas (which is worth a visit anyway) and directly on your right there`s the Atelier. They sell handmade beautiful ceramics/ pottery. You can see Kampas in the picture on the left!
Besides the popular brands there are Change, Glitter Glas& Jewellery,souvenir and finally trdlo. Wondering what that is? Google it. A sweet and sugary pastry roll filled with (ice)cream. Their smell became the smell of Prague for me.

Old Town ( Stare Mesto)

After a week in Prague my father said: The old town of Prague is actually dead. That might sound like a drastic judgement, but there`s something true about it. There were some empty houses and nobody actually lives in the centre ( anymore). Most apartments are rent out to tourists and you barely meet any inhabitants. The shops are of no big variation or uniqueness. I always wonder where the heart of a city is located and the old town may not be that place. It made me thoughtful, because it shows how tourists can damage the character of a city.

2315 visitors since 2017-04-16
Last update : 2021-11-15

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