Prague – Tourism Is Alive And Well

I’m currently spending a couple of days in Prague between “gigs”. DomainFest Europe is on here in a couple of days, so I’m exploring the city and trying to “chill out” before it begins. I’m on a semi-holiday (so far that hasn’t worked out too well… but I’m not complaining).

Yesterday I got the hotel to drop me down to Charles Bridge and I walked from there through the historic city. It is breathtakingly gorgeous. It’s also absolutely packed with tourists. While some European cities may be complaining about a downturn in the tourist industry Prague seems to be a very popular destination. Walking around the central part of the city you hear just about every language imaginable being spoken.

Unfortunately there seems to be a plethora of those tacky souvenir shops and Starbucks dotted around the place. Fortunately there are also a lot of other shops selling locally produced goods and  the herb based soaps, candles and bath salts on display look wonderful and smell even better.

The city is very pedestrian friendly, with most of the streets in the historic centre either completely pedestrianised or giving pedestrians ample opportunity to cross streets without getting run over.

While it is a bit gimmicky you can get a tour of the town in an 80 year old car:

It’s a bit pricey if you’re by yourself, but for 4 people it would be worth it.

I’ll do some more wandering around later today, but from what I’ve seen so far it’s a great city. The people are very friendly and the prices are significantly lower than other European capitals like Brussels.