I love a good city break, exploring the old towns and pretty squares, cruising the rivers and taking in the scenery. Prague has always been on my list of places to go for its picturesque reputation and promise of cheap food and drink, and so we decided to head over to the capital of the Czech Republic for my sister's 21st birthday in November. On the first day, we arrived at our hotel pretty late so went for a quick wander to the main square, treated ourselves to a trdelnik (basically a giant cone doughnut filled with a variety of sauces, ice cream and fruit depending on your preference), had a cocktail overlooking the iconic Astronomical Clock (which was astronomically priced, but we didn't mind so much because of the view) and headed back for a good sleep. The atmosphere of the evening had us feeling a little uneasy with the surplus of stag dos and crowds of leery drinkers. We were aware that the city is well-known for binge-drinking breaks with the alleged cheap ale and plethora of bars, but after a day of travelling, we decided to boycott the rowdy groups and turn in early. On the second day, which was our only full day in Prague, we wandered down to the main square once more to take in the beautiful architecture and decided to walk across the Charles Bridge to the Castle. The atmosphere in Prague in the daytime was much more relaxed with groups of tourists being lead by guides speaking a variety of languages. On the bridge, locals had set up stalls selling everything from paintings to jewellery, and artists were charging tourists for portraits sketched there and then. Musicians played sweet music, tourists took photos of the Vltava River and residents darted in between the chaos, eager to cross on their everyday route. The hike up to the Castle is pretty steep. I have to admit I was pretty out of breath once we'd eventually climbed the seemingly never-ending stairs, (apparently there is an alternative route up by tram for those who don't wish to climb the steep hill) the view of the city was pretty breath-taking. By the time I'd caught my breath, I was excited to see the world's largest ancient castle. The grounds themselves are free to roam around if you're looking for a cost-effective attraction in Prague. You're searched at the gate and groups of armed soldiers are seen patrolling the grounds. Once inside, the architecture is beautiful. I love the Gothic style, and these incredible buildings didn't disappoint. And on the plus side, the trek back down was a lot less strenuous than the hike up. In the evening, we treated ourselves to an evening in one of the city's famous beer spas. For £50 each, we were given a private room with our own individual tubs which are filled with beer and herbs to benefit your skin. In between the two tubs, we had our own beer pumps to refill our drinks as often as we wanted in the hour we were allocated. There was also a heated bed in the room which we were permitted to use within the hour if we wanted, but we just ended up staying in the tubs drinking beer the whole time. At the end, we were each given a free beer to take home with us and we left feeling refreshed after our day wandering the city. On our final day, we set out to find a decent restaurant to fill our bellies before the flight home. We enjoyed a couple of mulled wines on the rooftop bar of our hotel overlooking the city and ended up discovering a pizza place not too far from the hotel. One thing that did surprise me on our trip to Prague was the prices of the food and drink. It wasn't as cheap as people made out, unless you drank the local beer. If you're planning a boozy weekend and don't think you can stomach lager all night, I'd definitely take more than you'd expect. Overall, I'd say the city is full of charm and classic beauty, but it's definitely one that I probably would have enjoyed more in the summer. However, the main square and the views from the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle are pretty all year round and the bars and restaurants open their doors to tourists until late every season. As two girls travelling abroad, we did feel slightly uneasy going around the bars of an evening, but perhaps the atmosphere would be different if you went as a group. We didn't mind so much because we got to do plenty of sight-seeing in the day and enjoyed a couple of quiet drinks in the evening (I know, wild times). Would I go back? Probably not, but only because I've got so many places I want to see before I start revisting. I wouldn't say it was my favourite city to visit, but it's definitely a nice place to go if you're after a relatively affordable break not too far from home with plenty to see and do. Bernard Beer Spa, Prague
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