Before embarking on my semester abroad, Prague had been my favorite city…which was saying a lot considering how many cities I had already seen. Going back for my second time was a test. Would it still be my favorite? It was. Every city in the world has something unique about it, but Prague has such a distinct paramount character in comparison to any other. Its architecture is something straight out of a fairytale book, like Harry Potter world mixed with wherever the Hobbit lived… and a dash of Dracula’s taste for castle construction.
This Eastern European city that has just recently grown out of communism has been impressively shaping up to be newest “hip” place for young people to travel to. I noticed Prague’s remarkable upgrade and transition into modernization since my first visit there just 3 years ago. Their language is quite a mission to understand but their people are the nicest. Their food is a mushy mix of mysterious meats but their beer is the freshest. Here you are my friends…my updated notes on American perceptions of Europeans, European perceptions of Americans, and how our customs clash…after revisiting my favorite city in the world: Prague:
- They don’t even know it yet, but they have got night life down to a T. Their pubs are just what you would want from one. They are loud and fun but spacious and clean; and their clubs are out of this world. Visit Karlovy Lazne for a clubbing experience that you can not even get in Miami. It is the largest club in Central and Eastern Europe, boasting 5 floors, with 5 different DJ’s playing 5 different genres of music on each. Go there with all of your friends with any taste in music, and everyone will enjoy.
- They are known for supporting the greatest music legends in the world: The Beatles. Visit the John Lennon Wall just under the Charles Bridge. Since the 1980’s it has been filled with John Lennon inspired graffiti including Beatles song lyrics and portraits of Lennon himself. It is a sight that is respected from tourists from all around the world, and a symbol of “peace” and “love” by youth everywhere.
- They think Americans are cool! It is one of few cities that I have not felt like an intruder in. With their communist rule, they were restricted from creating and listening to certain music, writing and reading certain literature and expressing themselves with certain art…until the late 1980’s! They respect our language, our customs and our interest for visiting their part of the country.
Visit the typical European cities such as Rome and Paris, Barcelona and London…but DO NOT OVERLOOK PRAGUE.
Signing off,
Alli