Prague ended up being an incredibly relaxing destination after our impromptu walking tour our first full day there.
We spent a lot of the rest of our time eating, drinking, and keeping warm! Our favorite sit-down restaurants were Clear Head & Maitrea. Had we done our research a little better, we would have known in advance they were sister-restaurants. Which was a bonus for us because the menu was so interesting and extensive, there was plenty of food to try! Plus, each location puts their own spin on things.
Meals I highly recommend: Grilled goat cheese with walnuts, served on potatoes au gratin and spinach leaves in coconut milk with garlic, basil pesto, and balsamic reduction; Maitrea burger – in sesame bun with cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, caramelized onion, jalapeños, tempeh bacon, served with roasted potatoes and vegan tartar sauce; Udon noodles with peanut ginger sauce, tempeh, bok choy, carrot, spring onion, and bell peppers, sprinkled with coriander. YUM!
Our favorite “fast food” came from Forky’s & Chutnej. Both restaurants have tons of great veggies burgers to choose from and Forky’s has delicious superbowls (Buddha Broccoli!) as well.
But you can’t go to Prague without drinking a bit as well : ) Our two favorite joints (with VERY different vibes) were easily Prague Beer Museum & Hemingway Bar.
We went to the Prague Beer Museum at Smetanovo Nabrezi and loved the laid-back atmosphere. It was big and packed, and we were lucky to snag some great window seats. Not a big fan of beer, they had plenty for even me to drink. We started with the Heart of Darkness beer flight – the Opat Chocolate made me swoon. And I enjoyed the Modra Luna Blueberry lager as well – light & refreshing. Plus, they had some great views:
On the opposite end of the drinking spectrum was the Hemingway Bar – think personalized and intimate. We made a reservation (highly recommended, we saw many people turned away), because they have strict rules about how many people their mixologists can serve at a given time. We had planned on stopping by for just one drink and they were so good we stayed for two more rounds!
Some of their specialty drinks are quite good: Thai 75 contains Beefeater gin, fresh lemon juice, pineapple purée, sugar syrup, fresh coriander, and Perrier-Jouët champagne. For a more unique flavor, I also enjoyed their Apple: Cash Only Apple brandy, cider, kombucha, fresh lime juice, grenadine, and basil.
Though they really began to shine when they made us personalized drinks. Chandler’s Moscow Mule, with horseradish vodka and pineapple purée was incredible and I couldn’t get enough of my Old Cuban, with gin instead of rum! Definitely a memorable bar.
But the rest of our week wasn’t all drinks & food. We also found time to head to Prague Castle.
Initially, we got there and stood in a big queue. Luckily, it closed on us and we made our way inside looking for a second ticket office. Instead, we were greeted by St. Vitus Cathedral.
We ended up joining that queue instead. Despite being halfway around the cathedral, it took less than 20 minutes to make it inside. Turns out, that without the ticket, you can still get inside, but you have to stay in the back half of the cathedral.
We couldn’t complain as we were still surrounded by the gorgeous stained-glass windows the cathedral is known for:
Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world (quite a mouthful, isn’t it?) and is also a UNESCO heritage site. In the winter, without the gardens, the cathedral is the real attraction. Having already been inside, we decided to forgo the rather inflated price to see Golden Lane (you can’t buy tickets to individual activities, only sets).
We wandered around the complex for a while longer before enjoying the views on the walk down (we had taken the tram to get up, also recommended!):
Another place we went was the Museum Kampa. Unfortunately, photographs inside weren’t allowed, but we went to an incredible Pablo Picasso exhibit: Passion and Guilt. On display was La Suite Vollard, a cycle of one hundred graphics, which originated between 1930 and 1937.
The exhibit felt so personal and I walked away with a much stronger understanding of Picasso as an artist. Fun fact: Picasso was the first living artist to ever be exhibited at the Louvre [1971].
We had other walks around town – Chandler got a haircut up in Prague 2, near Chutnej and we got to enjoy the beautiful architecture up there as well:
We also got to experience snow on our last day in the city – having come full-circle from our first day of snow in Budapest at the start of our journey.
Fluffy flakes turned into a mini-blizzard as we walked just a few blocks!
But, just like that, our vacation was over.
Three weeks in Central Europe and at 5:30 am on a (still!) snowy morning, we were at the Prague Airport, ready to head back to a warm and dusty home in Accra.
Abroad With Ashley 