Comments on: Berlin 2007 - Day 5: High-Speed Prague http://troy.fisher-fam.org/wpblog/2007/10/03/berlin-2007-day-5-high-speed-prague Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:01:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3 By: Troy http://troy.fisher-fam.org/wpblog/2007/10/03/berlin-2007-day-5-high-speed-prague#comment-20965 Troy Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:16:30 +0000 http://troy.fisher-fam.org/wpblog/2007/10/03/berlin-2007-day-5-high-speed-prague#comment-20965 Thanks for reading and commenting! We actually did not even spend 5 days in Prague - it was the 5th day of your trip, but we were only in Prague for an afternoon/overnight, so we *really* didn't have time to scratch the surface. In the past year I've had a few discussions both online and in person with people and the common conclusion is simply that Prague is a tougher nut to crack than Berlin and that if we had enough time to really explore, we would have come away with a better impression. I think there's a lot of truth to that although I have to qualify it with how "easy" Berlin was compared to Prague. That is to say, as soon as I stepped out of the airport, I felt very comfortable. I wouldn't have needed a few days for Berlin to grow on me. I loved it from the start. Your comparison of Prague 1 to Times Square works really well, and I've actually groused in a similar way when I've heard people describe Times Square as a "must see" in NYC. What's there besides traffic?! So perhaps one day I will get back to Praha and if I do, I promise to stay longer than a day and to dig deeper beyond Prague 1. :-) Thanks for reading and commenting! We actually did not even spend 5 days in Prague - it was the 5th day of your trip, but we were only in Prague for an afternoon/overnight, so we *really* didn’t have time to scratch the surface. In the past year I’ve had a few discussions both online and in person with people and the common conclusion is simply that Prague is a tougher nut to crack than Berlin and that if we had enough time to really explore, we would have come away with a better impression.

I think there’s a lot of truth to that although I have to qualify it with how “easy” Berlin was compared to Prague. That is to say, as soon as I stepped out of the airport, I felt very comfortable. I wouldn’t have needed a few days for Berlin to grow on me. I loved it from the start.

Your comparison of Prague 1 to Times Square works really well, and I’ve actually groused in a similar way when I’ve heard people describe Times Square as a “must see” in NYC. What’s there besides traffic?!

So perhaps one day I will get back to Praha and if I do, I promise to stay longer than a day and to dig deeper beyond Prague 1. :-)

]]> By: Elizabeth http://troy.fisher-fam.org/wpblog/2007/10/03/berlin-2007-day-5-high-speed-prague#comment-20898 Elizabeth Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:16:11 +0000 http://troy.fisher-fam.org/wpblog/2007/10/03/berlin-2007-day-5-high-speed-prague#comment-20898 Hey, you have some great Prague photos, and sorry to hear it was your least favorite! I am so homesick for Prague and lived there for about 11 months last year... it is such an incredible city but most tourist do not venture out of Prague one. Once you leave you will be alone, with almost no tourists in the entire rest of the beautiful city--the Prague 1/Old Town Sq/Mala Strana/Castle area circuit is like 1/10th of Prague. Compared to Berlin and London, it is very compact, so the tourist are condensed together but never leave the center. It is a city that begs for more then 5 days, and you should give it a try in the middle of winter and wander through the crumbling baroque buildings of Prague 2, 3, 4, 5... 11.. coated in snow and so quiet on the streets. Go to old, dark, smoky bars where you will feel out of place and beer is 50cents, go to the Czech punk shows in the basements of old ex-communist student housing in the outlying suburbs. Get on the metro and get off on the last stops and walk around, get a beer or a cup of grog. Because Prague 1 is like Times Square in New York-a must see but not the true heart of a city, coated in tourists where everyone complains how touristy it is but never leaves the center! This is not directed with you of course but just in general feel like ranting ;) Obviously in a short trip you cant get too off course and want to see all the major sights, but to everyone else out there-- venture away from the crowds and get lost and wander all day with no plans-- that is the best way to feel Prague. (Wow this has gotten long! I didn't mean to go off on such a tangent. I'm just homesick for muj Praha ;) ) Hey, you have some great Prague photos, and sorry to hear it was your least favorite! I am so homesick for Prague and lived there for about 11 months last year… it is such an incredible city but most tourist do not venture out of Prague one. Once you leave you will be alone, with almost no tourists in the entire rest of the beautiful city–the Prague 1/Old Town Sq/Mala Strana/Castle area circuit is like 1/10th of Prague. Compared to Berlin and London, it is very compact, so the tourist are condensed together but never leave the center.
It is a city that begs for more then 5 days, and you should give it a try in the middle of winter and wander through the crumbling baroque buildings of Prague 2, 3, 4, 5… 11.. coated in snow and so quiet on the streets. Go to old, dark, smoky bars where you will feel out of place and beer is 50cents, go to the Czech punk shows in the basements of old ex-communist student housing in the outlying suburbs. Get on the metro and get off on the last stops and walk around, get a beer or a cup of grog.
Because Prague 1 is like Times Square in New York-a must see but not the true heart of a city, coated in tourists where everyone complains how touristy it is but never leaves the center! This is not directed with you of course but just in general feel like ranting ;) Obviously in a short trip you cant get too off course and want to see all the major sights, but to everyone else out there– venture away from the crowds and get lost and wander all day with no plans– that is the best way to feel Prague. (Wow this has gotten long! I didn’t mean to go off on such a tangent. I’m just homesick for muj Praha ;) )

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