“The Crown of the World”
By Farah Amin
The clubbing scene in Prague is quite popular as well as unique. Pass over the touristy traps; they tend to be tack and go for the hipper art bars like Cross Club; you will find it laidback and raw with many artsy types. The unique aspect of partying could be found in Stare Mesto on any Friday night with bar-top stripping, crumbling walls and endless types of stimulants. Another oddity of the Prague underworld is Ujezd, a three-storey club where the young crowd with dreads fill with smoke and amplified rock.
There are many pubs all around Prague with unique food to try. Some of the best are Pivnice u Pivrnce and U Medviku. The latter offers the infamous head cheese and in U Radnce you will find feasts that are served on shared tables at surprisingly low prices.
Most importantly, these pubs produce their own beers. Beer is regarded as a national treasure to Czechs. The most popular beer is Gambrinus, though they believe it’s the best in the world and they would tell you that, it is not ranked as such. However, many locals, claim that another kind of Beer, the Pilsner Urquell is the best of the bunch, because of the quality of its water during production.
Don’t skip the touristic sights such as the Astronomical Clock, which has been pulling in crowds since 1490 with its weird astrological figures on the clock face that supposedly has encoded mysteries. Greed, Vanity, Death, and the Turk enact every hour from 8 AM to 8 PM, and wooden saints come out from the trap doors with a lesson in medieval morality.
The Prague Castle dominates the skyline of the city. At the center of it, there are Gothic spires and flying bolsters that could be seen from everywhere in town. One of the highlights of the castle is the Old Royal Palace, which has an excellent display of history and architecture. The Basiica of St. George and the Lobkowicz Palace have museums with the city’s best restaurant Vistas that shouldn’t be missed.
Don’t forget to burn a witch too; A tradition known as Witches Nights that marks the death of winter and the birth of new spring, takes part on April 30th. Locals gather and light bonfires to ward off the winter spirits.