The first evening in Prague calls for something special: a medieval dinner. After a long day of travel, we arrived in the city just in time to drop our bags off at the hostel before heading to an evening full of traditional Czech food, medieval performances full of music & dance and unlimited beer – what a night! Somehow, I had talked my friend Jorney into flying over from the US to join me for a week in Europe. It was so unbelievably comforting to see a familiar face after solo traveling for the last few weeks, especially a face that belongs to one of my best friends.
A short tram ride later, we arrived at the dinner spot. It was certainly giving medieval dungeon vibes, packed full of people. We were quickly guided to our seats between two couples: one from England and the other from Australia. For the next few hours, we enjoyed our five course meal, medieval performances (yes, there were bagpipes) and lots of beer alongside our new friends. It was honestly one of the most unique experiences, and I could not recommend it enough – such a strong start to one of my now favorite cities. For some reason, we decided it was a great idea to wander around the city center plaza for a bit before heading back to the hostel. Luckily, we stumbled upon the iconic astronomical clock just in time for its final signal of the evening at 11pm.
The next day, we decided to sleep in a bit so Jorney could catch up with the time zone difference (the beer the night before didn’t help either). We decided to spend the day walking around the city center to explore all the must-see spots including the Prague Castle, Charles Bridge and the old town square. We stumbled upon an exhibit that shared spooky ghost stories of Prague, which was actually really neat. Afterwards, we walked back towards the old town square for some cocktails and tapas at a speakeasy, Anonymous Shrinks Office. The concept of the speakeasy was cocktail therapy – the menu consisted of Rorschach inkblot images representing various drinks. On the back of each card, there was a hint to describe the notes of the cocktail; however, we opted to keep it all a surprise and choose the image that we were drawn to. Surprisingly, we ended up choosing cocktails that suit us perfectly (kinda trippy): a margarita inspired drink (Jorney) and port wine infused with chocolate cherries (mine). Ironically, I had just traveled to Portugal and tried port wine for the first time – one of my new favorites!
We decided to take a day trip to the small town of Kutna Hora – an hour train ride from the city. We were very interested in seeing the Sedlec Ossuary Church, otherwise known as the Church of Bones. Inside the small chapel, we discovered the most interesting sight we have ever encountered: a room full of human bones arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel (even an entire chandelier). The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 to 70,000 people – plague victims. It was certainly an eerie visit to the chapel, but it was interesting to see. Out of respect for the souls, we were not allowed to take any photos of the inside (and we wouldn’t have anyways). It felt very heavy walking into space, and it made us wonder about the precious lives of each individual inside: their names, passions, dreams, etc. It was certainly a very chilling experience. Afterwards, we decided to check out a local restaurant serving traditional Czech food before catching the train back to Prague.
On our last day in Prague, we opted for a chiller day of walking around the city to thrift at secondhand and vintage shops. What’s the most important thing to do before shopping? Grabbing a bite to eat. Luckily, Jorney had found the perfect spot for some brunch and coffee. It was quite literally the best brunch and coffee I had ever had. Afterward, we both decided that we would take inspiration from this shop, and open up the newest brunch spot in Oregon (give it 5-10 years). I mean, just look at the food!
We spent the remainder of the day thrifting for some new pieces, and ended up purchasing four vests between the two of us. It is always so challenging to thrift with your friend who shares the same style – luckily, we decided to share the pieces! Afterwards, we hopped on the tram back to the hostel to rest for a bit before going to watch an opera show. Let’s just say it was the most interesting (bizarre? horrifying?) performance I have ever watched. Don’t get me wrong, the skilled performers were absolutely incredible, but the opera itself was.. interesting. Granted, it was an Edgar Allan Poe performance entirely in Czech. Honestly, I have no words for the performance (for context, here’s the trailer). We left the theater confused, slightly dazed and hungry for some dinner so we grabbed some food at a nearby restaurant Asian Temple (definitely recommend it if you ever find yourself in Prague).
Overall, I really enjoyed our time in Prague. It was medieval, charming, mysterious and everything in between. I’m definitely looking forward to visiting it again in the future!
Another country checked off the list. Another FlixBus awaits. Oktoberfest here we come!
xoxo,
m