Prague, a city of 100 spirals

Visiting Prague is a wonderful experience as the city is filled with historical places and quaint streets with memorable shops. Don't forget to visit Prague Castle, the Loreta (which houses the treasury), and St. Vitus's Cathedral. A visit to the old Jewish quarter of the city is also noteworthy. Sign up for the worthwhile Velvet Revolution Tour and get up to date on the fall of communism here.

Eating in Prague is fun and the food is quite substantial. The city has many restaurants with an international flair; one of our favorites, Prada, is worth a visit.

Quick Tips:

When exchanging money into Czech Crowns, it's better to use a bank than a hotel or the small currency-exchange places that seem to be on every corner. Beware of individuals offering to exchange your money.

On our first visit to Prague, we got four Crowns for every dollar but this year three Crowns for a dollar was the going rate.

Prague appears to be a very safe city for walking at night. The city also has marvelous concerts, but try and stick to the concerts in the main halls; we were warned that some of the concerts offered on the street are not of the same caliber that Prague is famous for.

Best Way To Get Around:

We found that walking was the best way to get around. The Old Town Square and around that part of the city is easily accessible on foot. The trams are often very crowded and perhaps not safe because the danger of pick pockets. If you need to travel by taxi, it's always best to get one at your hotel, rather than one on the street, and to ask the price before you get in.

Many residents of Prague speak some English, so it's easy to negotiate a price before going anywhere.

The Inter-Continental is a five-star hotel. It is of a modern structure. The rooms are large with room for a sofa and two chairs. The room that I stayed in had a wet bar and a safe. The bathroom was spacious with a hair dryer. The bath soaps were top notch and the linens were great. Housekeeping was maintained at a high level. Ice that was procured from room service was free. The hotel hosts a five-star restaurant on the top floor. The restaurant for breakfast was attractive and the food was plentiful and good. They had food for different nationalities, serving many oriental dishes. The service at the hotel was commendable.

We ate at Prada for lunch and dinner. On both occasions the service was wonderful as well as the food. It offers a wide variety of food with an international flair. There seem to be a lot of wait staff in the restaurant willing to accommodate your wishes. The wine list is extensive. In Prague on occasion the tip is included in the bill. At this restaurant it is separate, but the service is top notch. One additional feature was that it was two blocks from the hotel where we stayed.