We started our second – and also our only whole – day in Prague at the charming little café across the street from out apartment. Kavárna Čekárna is an incredibly cozy spot with great coffee, so if you happen to be nearby, do pay a visit.
After the coffee woke us up, we walked to the nearby Vyšehrad – only about 10 minutes away. We wandered around the cemetery of famous Czechs, walked past the church (we couldn’t go in a wedding took place there, but it was quite impressive even from outside), and then we just enjoyed the view. Our next stop was the Petřín funicular, so we approached it via public transport, what, by the way, is cheap and easy to get around with.
Meanwhile, I got a few souvenirs, too. Here’s my mini-guide to souvenirs: I think it’s best to buy something that has a connection to the place you’re visiting, so let’s forget about mass-produced things imported from a far-away corner of the world. The absolute winner for me is a postcard. Seriously, who wouldn’t be happy to find a little gift in their mailbox? Even if it’s not the next great poem written on it, a postcard is the proof that someone was thinking about you – and you can even use them later on as a decoration. So, I’m absolutely pro-postcards, let’s keep this tradition alive! Other than the postcards, I brought home some artisan chocolate, because you can go wrong with that, because chocolate. End of story.
As the line at the funicular was a mile long, we decided to come back later. It was beer-time; after all, let’s not forget that we are in Prague. So we hopped on metro line "B" – which was sort of time-traveling experience, as the stops of the metro look like it’s not 2016 but 1976.
We had lunch, and many beers, at Pivovar Lužinyi, a restaurant on the top floor of a mall at the Lužiny metro stop. As we were outside of the tourist-magnet city centre, communication in English went a little harder, but it wasn’t a problem. Sometimes it’s worth to try things a bit off the beaten path – but it’s good to know how to get back…
Our next stop was the Old Town Square in Prague, where I re-evaluated the definition of "crowd". We spent only about 15 minutes here, and even though the hourly show of the astronomical clock was on, we didn’t really see it. Next time, maybe.
After resting a little in our little apartment, we were out and about again, and we were after some hermelín! We ended up at Café Kolíbka, a cozy spot located in a basement, which was the perfect choice. Their beer is great, a rustic interior, and delicious hermelín – I would definitely recommend this gem of a place!
We felt full when we started to walk towards the funicular – by then it was dark, and the lights in Prague were on. The previous line disappeared, only a few people were around the funicular, so it was a lot better this time. We went up the hill, but the rose gardens weren’t much of a sight in the dark, so we went down the way we came up – meanwhile we had one last chance to enjoy the sight of Prague at night.
Before we called it a night, we decided to have a last hermelín and a beer, so we stopped at the busy U Glaubiců and we weren’t disappointed. But the day (and our energy levels) was about to end, so we went home, and, just like the night before, we got caught in the rain (but this time we were prepared).
In the morning it was time to leave. We went to the nearby Cafe Terapie – it’s a cozy coffee house with nice staff and great coffee. When the caffeine kicked in, there was nothing left but to say good-bye to our Airbnb host, and tart our journey home.
Although we left Prague behind, it was already in our hearts, and I can’t wait to go back to my new favorite spots in the Czech capital.
