Don't waste your time when you’re on holiday in Prague. Find out the over-hyped spots to avoid (and where to go instead).
Křižík Fountain
The guidebooks all recommend Křižík Fountain, but it's pretty much a joke and a rip-off. In its base form it's a 30-minute musical track supplemented by a coloured dancing fountain. Depending on the show, dancers or singers may perform as well. For the CZK200 ($15) ticket price, you can easily see a ballet or opera at the Neo-Renaissance National Theatre.
Black Light Theatre
Advertisements for myriad black light theatres are everywhere; and it is a good non-verbal, tourist friendly show. Black Light Theatre can encompass mimes, sets, actors and dancers but it is, for the most part, a black stage lit with ultraviolet light with the actors dressed in specially painted costumes. All the people passing out handbills for the theatres at every tourist stop in the city claim it is "Czech theatre", but while the art form has a long history here, to meet any Czech who has been to a performance would be rare. Tickets usually cost around CZK600 ($46); for that you can get a true Czech theatre experience by seeing a performance of
Don Giovanni at the
Estates Theatre. In 1787, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart debuted his famous opera at this theatre.
Frankova, Krušovice and other Czech ickies
Eating and drinking the local foodstuffs is an important part of any holiday. While obviously beer is always a safe drink order (and usually the cheapest), try to avoid
Krušovice if possible and go for a nice
Pilsner Urquell or, for something lighter,
Gambrinus.
Bernard, while not as easy to find, has won many awards.
Czech wine is rapidly improving but it is really easy to get a bad glass. Sometimes the menu will give you two wine options: red or white. You probably aren't in the classiest of joints right now, so if you can, perhaps switch to beer. If you are offered a choice, avoid the Frankova listed under the reds, and the white Muller-Thurgau. For the most part, wine produced in Moravia is better than wine made in the Bohemia region. The best Czech reds are usually Modrý Portugal or cabernet sauvignon and for a white, choose Veltínské zelené or Ryzlink rýnský.
If you're looking for a beer snack, the menu will offer lots of interesting choices. Hermelín is brie that has been pickled in garlic. Utopenec (translates to "drowning man") is a pickled sausage. Pivní sýr is hard beer cheese served with paprika and onions.
Avoid the waiter rip-offs
Czech restaurants are notorious for ripping you off. Don't feel bad; they do it to locals as well. It's hard to predict which restaurant will steal your crowns with a smile, so estimate your meal costs before giving up your menu. Keep track of how many drinks you've had (the most common scam is for an extra beer or two to be slipped onto your tab). If you have an idea of how much your bill will be you can politely ask for a re-add if it comes back to you out of whack.
Okay, not REALLY — but Prague is a compact city and for all the major sites, you don’t need to be underground. Exploring the hidden cobblestone streets will allow you to truly soak in her beauty and charm. Getting off the main tourist track also has its advantages in cheaper restaurants and shops and less tourist-focused businesses out for your money. Choose a tram if your tootsies need a break. Tram numbers 22 and 17 are both on excellent sight-seeing routes. Tram 22 will take you through the
New Town, across the
Vltava River and up to
Prague Castle while 17 runs right along the river. Don’t forget to purchase a ticket before getting on and validate it in the yellow boxes on board.
Church concerts
Wandering through the
Old Town centre it is futile to avoid them. Half-asleep people shoving advertising flyers at you; promoting an area church concert. It seems tempting: concerts are played daily, often with two performances a day; they are most likely playing a well-known concerto and you get the benefit of absorbing the music in a beautiful sacred setting. For the most part though, these concerts are expensive and done by bored musicians with none of the beautiful, skillful performances that occur regularly in Prague. If you must take in a church concert;
St. Nicholas Church in Mala Strana (not St. Nicholas Church on Old Town Square) usually offers a good performance.
Got any more places to avoid? Have your say using the comments form below.
Next: Near the beaten track
