Why do I want to go to Prague? Buy natural food at the farmers market

Magical Prague! Mystical Prague! Everyone is delighted with the city and shouts about their love for the Czech capital. But we didn’t like her - we have 7 serious accusations against her. Find out from our review what Prague really is.

I have long dreamed of a trip to Prague, especially before Christmas. I read in blogs and online magazines about how beautiful and wonderful the city is, how everyone falls in love with it and returns repeatedly. I read that the atmosphere of a fairy tale, mysticism, and magic hovers in Prague. I met a lot of beautiful and loud words, and even more - gorgeous photos. But ... in reality, the city disappointed.

So, our 7 reasons not to go to Prague. Please do not throw stones in the comments, these reasons are subjective - we do not dissuade you from a trip to the Czech capital, but tell you what we did not like. Moreover, we also have . Read both notes and decide for yourself what is more - good or bad.

1. The architecture is not impressive

We expected to see a lot of old medieval buildings, especially gothic ones. However, baroque prevails in the city, and in residential areas it is completely built up, as in St. Petersburg. Sometimes it seemed to us that we had returned to St. Petersburg again - the districts of Zizkov and Prague-2 did not differ at all from it. Moreover, in the descriptions of Prague you can often find lines about the atmosphere of the Middle Ages and other pathos. Where medieval atmosphere? We have not found.

And how funny it is to read guidebooks stuffed with pompous phrases about the magnificence of Prague's sights and compare them with reality. It seems that they were written by exalted people (well, or at least idealizing everything around).

We can't say we weren't impressed. We liked Zizkov, with the Tyn Church and some other sights, but this is so little! Absolutely disappointing Old Town.

2. A LOT of tourists

Hustle, noise and din. It's impossible to look at buildings without bumping into someone. If you want to stop, turn your head so that no one bumps into you, because everyone walks with their mouths open. Do you want a beautiful shot so that there are no Chinese posing? You will have to sweat, choosing the angle, or wait a long time until the entire numerous mob is re-photographed. Do you want to see a panoramic view? You have to stand in line. And we specially arrived in November, in low season. What's going on here in the summer?

3. The center of Prague - a civilized bazaar

We have never seen such a concentration of souvenir shops in any European capital. Bijouterie, scarves, souvenirs, mugs, nesting dolls, a sea of ​​magnets, all sorts of rubbish. Some terrible vases made of Bohemian glass with vulgar tigers, wolves with distorted muzzles and other animals are worth something. The tents in the covered galleries do not differ from the Russian ones - it was as if we were in a subway crossing. In general, by the end of the trip we were pretty tired of it.

4. Homeless people, beggars, living statues, levitating yogis

Homeless people and beggars in large numbers we were unpleasantly surprised - it seems that even in Moscow and St. Petersburg you will not meet so many. we were traveling with a foul-smelling drunkard in the same compartment. Thank God he got off at Kolin.

There are many beggars: some harass tourists, some in not very decent poses beg for alms. The latter are mostly young guys or middle-aged men in their prime.

A separate category is living statues, levitating yogis and other street (we don’t even know what to call it) entertainment. You walk through the European capital and feel like you are on a promenade in the Russian south. To the credit of tourists, they do not attract much attention.

5. You love animals

It is not pleasant to see pigs roasting whole on a spit with their eyes gouged out. This caused disgust, even though we are not vegetarians. We understand that this National food and features, but it's hard to see such things - like, for example, fried dogs in northern Vietnam.

6. People and service in establishments

Gloomy faces, sour dissatisfied mines of passers-by. The waiters in the cafe have such a look and voice, as if they were tired of tourists to death. It is curious that other foreigners think the same way - we met many similar reviews about the staff of bars and pubs. According to our feelings, the service in Russia is much better!

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, - magical city located in the very center of Europe. bewitching fabulous architecture, delicious Czech cuisine and quaint cobbled streets - all this makes Prague perfect place for those who are looking for rich culture and romantic atmosphere. It is easy to understand why the city enchants everyone who comes here. And there is far from the only reason for this. Here are some reasons why you should go to Prague and enjoy it magnificent city on one's own.

cobbled streets

Paved roads will take you through Prague. In doing so, you will be able to see amazing patterns that change from street to street.

John Lennon wall

A little off the most popular streets is the John Lennon Wall, which has a huge amount of incredible graffiti, so you should definitely turn off the main route. Each person can draw or write something on this wall, and it changes its appearance every day. It is considered a symbol of love and peace.

Grilled cheese sandwich

This is a piece of fried Edam cheese in breadcrumbs, placed between two buns. It is usually eaten with mayonnaise or tartar sauce.

Charming Old Town Square

Walk around the Old Town Square and you will find shops there, new art galleries, authentic restaurants and pubs. If you like busy places, then this route is perfect for you.

Trdelnik is a popular pastry

When you are in Prague, you definitely need to order a trdelnik. These sweet pastries are cooked on hot rotating cylinders, then coated in sugar and filled with your choice of toppings.

Beer is cheaper than water

In Prague, you will find the best beer in the world, and it is also quite cheap. IN local restaurants and bars literally beer cheaper than water. The most common Czech beer is the pale pilsner lager, which is characterized by its golden color, abundant foam and light taste.

Vltava river

This river is the longest in the Czech Republic. Old city And New town located on both sides. Rent a boat and ride this river. You can even order your own beer right from the boat!

fairytale castles

Prague Castle is located on top of a hill overlooking the city. It is surrounded by gardens, quaint twisted streets and brick staircases. When the castle is illuminated at night, you may feel like you are in a fairy tale.

Striking architecture

Prague is rich in impressive architectural sights. Here you will find a unique blend different styles architecture such as Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Art Nouveau. It is largely due to this that Prague is one of the main tourist destinations in Europe.

astronomical clock

Prague astronomical clock- This is one of the most frequently visited sights of the city. Beautiful clock located on high tower towering above the Old Town Square. Travelers gather under it to view them in action from nine in the morning until nine in the evening. If you want to see the whole city from a bird's eye view, you can climb to the very top of this tower.

Soup in bread

Walking around Prague, you will find many cozy establishments that serve hearty and thick soup in a bowl of bread, a traditional dish cities. Goulash made from pork or beef can also be served in bread.

New city is the best place for shopping

The New Town is the commercial district of Prague, where you will find a huge number of shops, boutiques and even shopping centers.

In addition, the area is rich cultural life: Here you will find theaters, cinemas, museums, as well as the State Opera House.

"Moldova geography" - More than 70 species of birds (lark, jay, blackbirds, oriole, woodpecker, cuckoo). The capital is Chisinau (662 thousand people, 2002). Chi?in?u, pronounced: Chisinau?u) is the capital of the Republic of Moldova. Official language- Moldavian, Latin script. History of Moldova. Walnut Museum. Chisinau was first mentioned in a charter of 1436.

"Bulgaria and Romania" - Benefits received by Bulgaria and Romania from EU accession: Growth rate of real GDP per capita (%). Employment rate in Bulgaria and Romania. Strengths of the economies of Romania and Bulgaria: Methods of combating inflation and balance of payments deficit. Other economic problems in Bulgaria and Romania: balance of payments deficit.

"Moldova" - The capital of Moldova is Chisinau. country specialization. Population. The natural increase in the population of Moldova is negative (- 1.7). Moldova. Natural resources: The population density in Moldova is 127 people / sq. km. Geographical position.

"Country Poland" - Relief. Forests cover almost a third of Poland. Krakow Cities of Poland. Since time immemorial, Poland has been famous for its amber reserves and mining. Rivers are also fed by atmospheric precipitation, and in spring - from melted snow. edge Masurian lakes- "Green lungs of Poland". The most high point Poland - Rysy peak (2499 m), belonging to the Carpathians.

"Education in Poland" - Individual development of the organism. Teaching methods. Ecology and protection of nature. Stages of human development. Elements of differential calculus, logarithms. Food chains. Anatomy and physiology of man. Literature. Biology. Secondary school - lyceum. IN primary school in elementary grades, teachers often read Pushkin's fairy tales.

"Country of Moldova" - Moldova is an agro-industrial state. Egp. There is an exit to the Danube. largest cities: Chisinau, Tiraspol, Balti, Bender. Foreign economic relations. Mechanical engineering, chemical industry, metallurgy, woodworking, light industry will develop. Natural resource potential. general characteristics economy.

Why? Because once I really liked Prague. Unfortunately, I was here quite a bit (only a week) and for work. We were then shooting a film about Russian emigrants in the Czech Republic. I walked around the city with a camera on my shoulders, arranged interviews, met with different people, including visiting the Prague office of Radio Liberty.

I literally fell in love with Prague then, but there was no time to just walk along its streets - all the shootings were scheduled by the minute. As a result, I remember that the city is very beautiful architecture. On another visit, I want to visit Prague as a tourist - with a camera. I was struck by the abundance of old beautiful buildings. Here, the history of the city is cherished. Some kind of program has been adopted, according to which housing in the center can be purchased only on the condition that you invest in the restoration of buildings. Buying and demolishing to build a new skyscraper - as in Ufa - will not work.

I saw a lot of Russian people in Prague and often heard Russian spoken there. I was told that there were two reasons for this. Firstly, in the days of the USSR, Czechoslovakia was one of the socialist countries, and teaching the Russian language was in the school curriculum. Therefore, the older generation of Czechs here knows Russian well. Secondly, after the collapse Soviet Union thanks to the soft immigration policy of the Czech Republic, many Russians came here. They have business here. There are special shops for immigrants from the Soviet Union, where they sell books in Russian, DVD films (the most popular is “17 Moments of Spring”), dumplings, buckwheat porridge, pickles, sauerkraut, Shipr cologne and Stolichnaya vodka. .

I told about all this and about the life of emigrants from Russia in the Czech Republic in my film.

But still, the main thing that attracts in Prague is not at all its Slavic kinship with Russia. And a certain spirit of the city, inherent in Prague. Despite the fact that the capital of the Czech Republic is not a resort seaside settlement, a similar atmosphere of relaxation, relaxation and comfort reigns here. Holiday feeling. But not a wild Brazilian carnival, but some kind of unobtrusive, soft, cosiness enveloping you ... I would compare it with summer evening in our cities, when the sultry sun goes down and the pleasant coolness of the June night falls like a veil on the shoulders ...

This is inherent in the city, not only because of the beauty ancient buildings, gently replacing each other in such a way that you don’t always notice how one house passes into another - with virtually no boundaries and gaps between each other. But also because in the character of the Praguers themselves one can feel some unhurried joy of life. They don't run, they don't fuss, they don't scream. They just live and enjoy their city, their life...

By the way here on central square city ​​I saw a Japanese wedding. Newlyweds from Tokyo came here to celebrate the main celebration of their lives. Funny and funny, they arranged a photo session right in the middle of a crowd of tourists in such a way that as many tourists as possible got into the frame ...

I remember how I ran into a cafe, I had to wait for my friends. In order not to sit just like that, I ordered coffee. Then it turned out that a cup of coffee in Prague is almost 10 times more expensive than a glass of beer - the national Czech drink. I did not drink more coffee here, preferring the fragrant Pilsner Urquel. It is interesting that there it almost does not intoxicate, but it is drunk easily, with pleasure.