Where We Ate
As two people who both love food but want to live a healthy lifestyle we need to maintain a balance of indulgence and health. We have been living outside of the States for 10 months now. So when we found out there was a Mexican restaurant in Prague with good reviews and a burrito, we knew we had to make a stop. Granted, it doesn’t compare to the real deal. BUT, my oh my did it satisfy those cravings and make two people happy!
Since, we traveled to Prague around Christmas so we took advantage of the fun street food of the Christmas market. Smoked sausage, mulled wine, baked good, and Trlinks (it is promoted as a Czech specialty but it is really from Hungary/Romania) which is a delicious sugar covered dough ball from heaven. You cannot beat the magic of drinking mulled wine, listening to christmas songs with snow falling, and the smell of baking all around. Truly if you are feeling under the Christmas spirit Prague was definitely the place to fix it.
Yes, the first cuisine we had in Prague was Mexican food, BUT we also tried our hand at Czech food too! Well, mostly just one Czech food…We probably combined consumed a gallon of delicious goulash during our trip there. No regrets!
Where We Stayed
Hostels are always hit or miss, you either find an amazing place that you don’t want to leave or a dungeon. If you are traveling to Prague, let us put your mind at ease. Art Hole Hostel is a definite hit!
Situated in the middle of old town Prague, Art Hole Hostel has beautiful and smart murals covering the walls of both floors of this funky place. The rooms are spacious which is great if you need to squeeze in a quick hostel friendly workout (similar to our Thanksgiving workout)!
The staff is also an all star group. They were kind, helpful, and willing to answer any questions we had about our stay or Prague.
As most of you know we like to travel cheaply, and with free breakfast, unlimited tea and coffee, and 1 EUR beers, this hostel was a great decision and we were very happy with our stay and highly recommend.
What We Did
The Astronomical Clock in the center of Prague is one of the oldest clocks in the world, the oldest working pieces of the clock are from 1410! Every hour as the bell chimes the clock comes to live! Beautiful, historical, and fascinating. You can feel the history all around you in Prague and this was definitely one of the highlights.
Something we always suggest is contacting the tourism department of any city you are visiting to ask them for suggestions. If anyone knows the town, it is them. We contacted Prague City Tourism and they recommended a tour of the old city hall and it was great! Not too long, informative, and fun. The guide we had was full of jokes and you can tell he enjoys his job. We got to see underground tunnels, learn the history of the city and the building, and see fantastic paintings. Included in the tour is the ability to climb to the top of the tower for a breathtaking view of the city, which we recommend at night because the whole Christmas market is lit up.
We were suppose to have two more tours with a different tour company. Sadly, they cancelled both at the last minute.
John Lennon wall was one of Emily’s favorite parts of the trip. The positive energy and the art was one for the books. We were lucky enough to have a street performer performing Beatles songs when we were there. It is not that far of walk and it’s a great way to burn off some of that goulash.
The Saint Charles bridge is definitely also on our recommendations. The whole walking bridge has tons of sculptures and street artists and performers. Despite the cold weather the bridge was still full of life.
If you want an amazing view of Prague definitely consider the trek up to the castle. The views where definitely worth it and it’s free to roam the ground. You can also see some really interesting buildings with murals around the castle. Since Prague is one of the few capitals in a hilly area you can work off MORE of those Trdelniks. 🙂
Absinthe is extremely popular in Prague, so naturally we had to give it a shot! Absinthe can be prepared two ways: the french way (pouring water over a sugar cube into the spirit), or the Czech way (setting the sugar cube on fire) and if you know us at all we always try to do what the locals do.
We went to Absintherie, a nice little bar in the middle of Old Town. It has a beautiful interior, extremely knowledgeable staff who LOVE absinthe, and also just a lot of absinthe. I got straight Absinthe the Czech way and Emily had a lovely gingerbread Absinthe mule, in honor of the season. Turns out, I don’t really like absinthe but Emily really liked it and with such a fun atmosphere, a fun time was had by all!
Prague in the Christmas time is a wonder to behold and can help any Grinch’s heart grow three sizes! We would love to hear your favorite parts of Prague or what’s your favorite place you have traveled during the holiday season, let us know below!
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