In honor of moving to Prague this upcoming August I decided to research the city and learn more about it. Here are my findings about the city from the history, traditions, things to do and more.  

Background  

Prague (also known as Praha) is the capital city of the Czech Republic. It was founded in the 8th century in Bohemia. (Now Czechia) Prague is found in the northwest of Czechia close to Poland. Czechoslovakia split up in December of 1992 and became new states: The Czech Republic and Slovakia.  

Some Traditions 

There are many traditions in the Czech Republic throughout the year. They fall on certain dates or just certain times in the year. Here are some of the spring traditions. 

Easter- Velikonoce

Since the Czech Republic isn’t a deeply religious country most Czechs see Easter as a sign of spring coming. Many of the Czech traditions start on the Wednesday before Easter known as Ugly Wednesday (Škaredá středa) During that day families will clean out their homes. Green Thursday (Zelený čtvrtek) is a day that encourages the eating of greens like cabbage, spinach, etc. Green beer is a popular replacement for healthier foods. On the evening of Green Thursday boys in the village will walk around with a wooden rattle and rattle them aggressively. Saturday is a day of preparation. On Easter Sunday the children prepare for Easter Monday. The girls dye eggs and the boys start making their pomlázkas. Pomlázkas are whips made by twisting willow twigs together. On the morning of Easter Monday, the boys go around and carefully whip the girls with the pomlázkas to bring fertility and beauty to them for the rest of the year. The girls tie ribbon around the pomlázkas and give the boys a dyed egg. 

April 30th – Čarodějnice  

The people will gather to burn ”witches” and celebrate with beer games and food. This symbolizes the end of winter period and the transition into the warm summer season. There are many places around the city of Prague and Czechia that hold these festivities. 

May 1st– The day of love  

This day is dedicated to the Czech romantic poet Karel Hynek Mácha and lovers all around the city. People will kiss under blossoming cherry trees to symbolize their love for each other.  

Things To Do

Prague is a big city, so there are many things to do from museums to sightseeing. 

Charles Bridge- The Charles Bridge is one of the most well-known landmarks in Prague. The bridge connects Prague’s old town to the Prague Castle over the Vltava River.  

John Lennon Wall- The John Lennon wall is a colorful wall inspired by John Lennon. The wall is filled with graffiti, quotes, poems, and lyrics from Beatles songs.  

Prague Castle- Prague Castle is also one of the most well-known landmarks in Prague. Admission to the castle grounds is free, but some individual sites are not. 

Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí)- Old Town Square is located in Prague 1. During the winter the square holds Christmas Markets. Located in the square there is the medieval astronomical clock, church of our lady before Tyn and the Jan Hus Memorial.  

Visit a beer spa- There’s a few beer spas around the city. In the spa, you can bathe in beer and get unlimited beer.  

Vrtba Garden- Vrtba Garden is one of the more popular gardens in Prague. Its located in the Little quarter.  

Take a Pub tour- Prague has many different pubs scattered all around the city since its well known for its beer. Its worth it to take time and go visit a few.  

Food

Traveling to a new place, trying new foods can be some peoples favorite part. Prague is filled with many culturally important dishes. Here are a few that you should consider trying.  

Trdelník- Trdelniks don’t originally originate in Czechia but you can still find it all around Prague. Its a pastry dish that can be served either sweet or savory. Its made by wrapping dough around a stick and holding it above a flame until it becomes golden. After, its rolled in sugar and filled with a different filling depending on what you want.  

Pork Knuckle- Not the most appealing sounding food but pork knuckle is a very popular dish in the Czechia. Normally its boiled, marinated and then roasted in dark beer. In Prague the pork knuckle is normally served with fresh bread, dill pickles, mustard, horseradish and sauerkraut.  

Smazeny Syr (fried cheese)- Smazeny Syr is Edam cheese coated in breadcrumbs, egg and flour and its deep fried. Its served normally with potatoes and cabbage.  

Fun Facts 

About 80% of the population are atheists 

Located in Prague is the biggest club in Central Europe 

The beer in Prague is cheaper than water 

Prague is one of the beer capitals in the world 

Prague is home to the second ugliest building in the world 

Sources 

http://www.myczechrepublic.com/czech_culture/czech_holidays/  

https://www.czechcenter.org/blog/2020/9/9/vesel-velikonoce-weird-czech-easter-traditions 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague  

https://travel.usnews.com/Prague_Czech_Republic/Things_To_Do/Prague_Castle_Prazsky_hrad_27924/  

https://www.timeout.com/prague/things-to-do/best-things-to-do-in-prague  

https://www.anadventurousworld.com/what-to-eat-in-prague/