Prague

Yesterday I returned from a wonderful weekend in Prague, Czech Republic with several friends from my program. Although there are many cool things to see, Prague is also an amazing city to simply wander around and explore. It has an eastern European vibe, which is kind of hard to explain but noticeable, especially coming from Brussels. The architecture is beautiful and different from most places I've been in Europe. Prague is also cool because, at least from what we could tell, it has a lot of young people, especially in the areas where there are many bars, clubs and restaurants.

Our hostel was pretty centrally located but in a really quiet neighborhood, making it an ideal place to see. It was also by far the highest-quality and cleanest hostel I've ever stayed in, and because the Czech Republic is not on the Euro, but instead on the Koruna (crown), the hostel (along with everything else) was really cheap. It's really confusing to convert though, because, for example, a U.S. dollar buys about 17 Korunas, and a Euro buys 25, so we would have dinners that literally cost 2,000 Korunas. Their smallest bill is a 50!

On our first full day, we explored the Prague castle complex, which is easily visible in beautiful views from across the river that cuts straight through the city. We went into their astounding main cathedral, which again has a much different architecture on the inside when compared to churches in, for example, France or Italy. We also explored the Old Royal Palace, which is where the Royal Family used to reside and still conducts occasional business. The coolest thing in the Palace is that you can see the crown jewels of the Czech Republic, which are kept in a cabinet that is basically filled with super expensive jewelry. We also walked into some of their famous squares, which are hopping with people, stands selling delicious and cheap Czech food, and vendors selling jewelry and other trinkets.

On our second full day we spent most of it exploring the Old Jewish quarter, which has the oldest synagogue in Eastern Europe and many cool shops and quaint houses. In addition, you can stroll through a humongous Jewish cemetary, which is obviously not the most uplifting thing to walk through but still memorable to see. One of the most interesting aspects of Prague, which is noticeable in this area of town, is that, despite the fact that much of the city is modern and beautiful and the Czech Republic is a member of the EU and NATO, they are less than 20 years removed from a Communist regime. Thus, seemingly randomly there are really run-down buildings or areas, or sectors of the city that just appear dismal. While this is true for any large city, there are many visual reminders in Prague that it is not a city with an extremely strong economy.

Prague was not a place I had expected to go, so I was really happy that I got to see it, especially with a few friends from my program. It is by far the most peaceful large city I've visited in Europe. There are lots of pedestrians, lots of cool shopping streets, and many beautiful, quiet neighborhoods. In addition, the river that passes through the city adds to the nice vibe. Most of the time I had to remind myself that I was in a huge city, because things are so quiet. However, despite the fact that it's so quiet, there are tons of fun bars and restaurants to go to. For example, one night we went to a 5-story club which is easily one of the craziest places I've ever been. It is certainly a city that I recommend seeing!

Stay tuned as I go to Paris this weekend!