# Please tell me about vacationing in Czech Republic **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 9, 2019, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450 "2019-01-09T05:48:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/1 "2019-01-09T05:48:10Z")
I am in the planning phase for a trip to Trutnov, Czech Republic this July to go to a music festival. I am also thinking about spending 3-4 days in Prague, as multiple friends have told me, in the exact same words with the exact same insistence, that Prague is the most beautiful city in the world. I am looking at renting a house or apartment in/near Trutnov thru AirBnb (all hotels were booked solid already). I am not planning on renting a car but only because I am not convinced one is a necessity; I may rent a bicycle. So please, tell me about your experiences in Czech Republic and in Prague. If anyone has been to Trutnov, please tell me about your experiences there. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/2 "2019-01-09T06:09:48Z")
Just posting 'cos I’m jealous. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/3 "2019-01-09T06:12:32Z")
I went to Prague perhaps fifteen years ago. Stayed at a well-regarded hostel where I met lots of fellow Canadians and many outgoing Americans. The people were quite well educated and sociable. Many spoke English; Czech is not an easy language to learn. The subway was efficient and safe. The Czech beer was very good, I remember the food as hearty “roast meat and potato” dishes. Can’t recall individual neighbourhoods, but we’re certainly mainly picturesque cobbled streets, some nice architecture and museums, grand bridges and some beautiful historic castles. I’ve seen prettier cities, but not many. People dressed attractively and the clubs played decent music and were cool (kind of like Berlin) but count your change carefully. I would expect a music festival there to have excellent music. I went to a good gym, but single entry was really expensive at 30 euros, but most other prices were reasonable many years ago. I’m sure you’ll have a good time. Czech people are sophisticated and worldly; I would like to go back to Prague. There seemed to be some unfortunate prejudice against Roma people. They showed soccer games in public squares which were enthusiastically attended. The public squares and ancient cobbled streets were quite stately. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/4 "2019-01-09T06:33:23Z")
Prague is damn gorgeous; the only two vases I’ve bought in my life are from there (one modern, one art deco from a museum’s “we don’t have any more room” store). The “ch” in Mucha is neither a “k” nor the same sound as in chocolate: it’s “the throat-clearing noise”. One of his earliest works is a big window in the cathedral. Go to the Television Tower if you have the time, the views are spectacular. Loved the Museum of Communism. Go to Karlstein if you can. We took a bussed day trip to a glass factory and Karlstein, loved both places. In the subway, don’t stay close to the door: move as far in as you can. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/5 "2019-01-09T13:37:32Z")
When I was in Prague, our guide suggested we try the local beer. So I did. 🙂 Getting around by subway is easy. And yes, many people there do speak English. ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/6 "2019-01-09T16:53:25Z")
We went to Prague this past August. I don’t know if it was the most beautiful city in the world (we also went to Bern, which was very nice as well) but it’s definitely one of the more beautiful ones I’ve been to. We were only there for a day, so I didn’t get a chance to ride the subway – we stayed in the old town area and walked everywhere. We rented a condo for one night right in the middle of old town and it was absolutely gorgeous and very reasonably priced. We did mostly touristy things – if you like views, make sure you go up the astronomical clock tower – you’ll probably be near it anyway and it doesn’t take very long. I’ll echo the comments that it was very English-friendly. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/7 "2019-01-09T17:25:33Z")
Great city, though not sure there’s a straight street in old town section. I’m usually pretty good with sense of direction, but not so much there. A couple of sights outside of Old Town: [ul] [li][Dancing house](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_House)[/li][li]Strahov Monastic Brewery and St. Norbet Restaurant- it’s a brewery in a cave up high on monastery complex in between castle and Petrin Hill; even the taxi driver had trouble finding it, though.[/li][/ul] Also, if you’ve never been to one, [Terezin](https://www.viator.com/tours/Bohemia/Terezin-Concentration-Camp-Day-Tour-from-Prague/d22153-2190CEDT15) Concentration Camp is outside of the city & worth a visit. This was truly a concentration camp as relatively few were killed here, they were ‘concentrated’ here & then shipped to the much more horrific death camps. (BTW, I’ve used Viator before; I’d recommend them as tour guides.) Great movie about it is [Defiant Requiem](https://www.defiantrequiem.org/film/description/). ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/8 "2019-01-09T22:22:46Z")
I live only two hours from Prague. I was just there last month to see their Christmas village and tree. It’s a pretty city, but certainly not the _most_ beautiful. So many cities would top the list, well above Prague. Porto for one. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/9 "2019-01-09T22:38:40Z")
Awesome! I’m gonna PM you so you don’t have to post too much personal info here. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-about-vacationing-in-czech-republic/827450/10 "2019-01-10T00:20:59Z")
So I’ve added a trip to Kostnice Ossuary and a day to drive around the Krkonose mountains and/or see/climb on the Adrspach-Teplice Rocks. Also prolly gonna find a way to spend a couple of days in Paris. My 9 day trip is turning into 14 days real quick. 😃