Prague: From Charles Bridge to the trendy center | What's tourism in the Czech capital like today?
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- Prague is one of the most-visited cities in Europe. Before the coronavirus pandemic, overtourism was a real problem here: It was often so crowded that it was almost impossible to move around the historic Old Town, as well as around Charles Bridge, Hradcany Castle Hill, and Wenceslas Square. What's it like today, after the pandemic, and what ideas are there for tourism in Prague in the future? DW's Nicole Frölich visited the Czech capital, and was surprised at what she discovered. Have you ever been to Prague?
CREDITS:
Report: Nicole Frölich, Andreas Kirchhoff
Camera: Holm Weber
Editing: Klaus Hellmig
00:00 Intro at Charles Bridge
00:38 Learning Czech
01:39 Old Town qith the old town square
02:52 Astronomical clock at the town hall
04:36 Again... the Charles Bridge
06:36 Holašovice quarter
08:47 Czech beer in U Kunštátů pub
10:16 Charles Bridge by night
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#prague #charlesbridge #czech #czechrepublic
As a local, the Covid restrictions were really a relief regarding the number of tourists in the city center.
Many Czechs from outside Prague were visiting the city for the first time in many years during Covid, because there were much fewer tourists.
also because they couldn't go anwhere else I imagine
I’m sure the locals that owned businesses in Prague weren’t as happy as you.
@@imacyclepath440 In the very center of the city, hardly any local owns a business.
Oh my father used to go to Prague in the 90s for work, he'd take us with him every time... my mother loved it so much that they ended up buying a house there. They recently sold their house in Barcelona to move permanently there, and I couldn't be happier for them, since I know how great and welcoming the city is.
The city centre is basically another city by itself... Tourism pushed locals away into other districts, because it was crowded and overpriced through hotels and Airbnb.
The rent is triple in the city centre than just a few streets away.
And because of that, don't expect great authentic cuisine in the centre. They don't need to cook or behave well because they will never need to build a regular clientele, tourists come and go.
i visited Prague Charles Bridge. Nice representation of saints, Jesus and virgin Mary. When i walk along the bridge, I felt like I was walking in the footsteps of heaven. Those statues are the portrayals of the holiness of the city and its people. May god bless all the people of Prague .......
Let me quickly remind you that about 70% of the population are atheists and don't really get things like "holiness of the [...] people"
Sincerely, a czech person
@@ihaveterriblememes406 I'm actually an exception and I'm Czech too! I'm protestant 😅
@@oliversodomka3651 hned bych na tvoji pocast zorganizoval protest. Mas stesti, ze jsem jeste par mesicu uvizlej v mnichove
2:40 got it twisted a little bit - Prague is either called mother of cities OR city of hundred spires ;)
"maticka stovezata" ..... perhaps "mother of hundred spires" is not the best translation-but still, its called this more often that what you mentioned
Prague is breathtaking, would love to go back again and visit other districts.
The entire city looks wonderful.
Another point I can make about Prague that it's well known for Art Nouveau architecture as well as the Czech Artist Alphonse Mucha who made his career in Paris, France in the 1890s
So... Paris is know for Aphonse Mucha...
@@marmac83 Alphonse Mucha was born in the Czech Republic during the days of Austria-Hungarian Empire. However he moved to Paris, France to work as a painter and illustrator and there's a poster of his work with Sarah Bernhardt in the illustration for one of her performances on stage. That's why I should have been more clear and specific on certain details.
I realy appreciate that you let the locals speak, thus showing the genuine Prague, how it is percieved by the Czechs themselves. Good job!
I was fortunate to visit PRAHA in 1990, 1991 and 1992 staying there for a month to 6 weeks at a time. I would rent a house and the owner provided a daily maid to clean and do the laundry. My favorite times to be there was Winter and Fall, I also traveled throughout what then was Czechoslovakia drinking local beer, visiting spas, the opera and many concerts with a local guide and a driver... it was absolutely magical
Ah, the bad old days..
You should absolutely come back, a lot has changed for the better.
@@PradedaCech I didn't think that it's bad then, from my point of view it's absolutely wonderful... seeing the people's excitement about being free and about the future it's magical...
Someone from other country can barely imagine how Prague looked like only 15 or 20 years ago, that change is massive. Not always good, as you can imagine, prices are crazy in some places, like 250 CZK for enter the tower, older pensioners would start a fight because of such price, but that will probably happen to every overtouristy place, I just wish our salaries were somehow related to those prices. 😀 But when you look at city and how it looks like, it's much better now. I've visited Vienna in 2021 and I was slightly disapointed, I didn't realize that Prague actually looks that good before I started traveling. Also Prague public transportation and our mobile apps (timetables and maps) are totaly superior to all countries I visited so you always know how to get somewhere and it's searching like 1 second, not 1 minute like apps from other countries. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing bad about public transportation in Vienna or other countries, but our mobile apps are just superior so you always now how to get from A to B and it takes you just few seconds on phone to find it. I am always so frustrated about this in other counitres when I realize that they don't have anything like our apps and you have to look at websites of companies who run those vehicles which is like something from 19th century for me.
BTW, some places in historical center are still terrible, it's mostly owned by some italian or balkan almost mafia companies and they don't restore those buildings and also city doesn't always put money to place where it's really needed (like surroundings of train stations or underpasses and such palces) but you can see real change, like restoring sidewalks back to nice cobblestones, not patched asphalt like in Vienna. 😀
As a Prague resident, I’m happy that the time of overturism are gone. Since the pandemic started, I’ve started to take walks around the city. Although I’ve taken the same route a few times, it can’t lose its beauty. Prague is beautiful, come to visit! ❤
But if your call to visit prague is really listening, over tourims it´s gonna back hahahaha, don´t worry bro, prague is really really beautiful, i´m just arrives today from there
The times of overturism are definitely not gone. Still too many airbnb's pushing the citizens out of the city center, way too few shops, restaurants and other social meeting points for the locals in the historical center. Its basically a huge museum filled with tourist traps
Can you suggest some cheap hotels to stay in old town?
I absolutely adore Prague. It's true there is no need to hang around just Old Town, as Prague is beautiful and unique in each its part.
I bet you did not visit the commie blocks.
@@Pyrochemik007 I did. I stayed in Jižní Město very close to Opatov metro station and it was totally fascinating. Next time I visit I will go to Klement Gottwald's mausoleum and the old German Embassy. I also adore the Metro stations... I'm still planning... there isn't as much obscure communist stuff left tbh :).
Prague is awesone and beatiful city. And the castle is incredibly, the church inside the castle is amazing and the buildings are really gothic. The Charles brigde is beatiful, and everthing views are amazing
The castle looks to be one of the places you could spend a few days exploring.
I live in Prague! Absolutely agree with everything said in this video! locals rarely spend any time in the old town, the areas surrounding it are way way better! also, Holesovice is my absolute favourite district here! :)
Lovely Bohemia...your video captured it well, thank you!
"I believe that Czech Republic 🇨🇿🇨🇿 is more than just Prague but still a very beautiful and great country to both visit and live in coming from the Philippines.?!"
🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
The "posh" area of Vinohrady is posh due to it's close proximity to the city center and very beautiful buildings, especially those around the Riegorovy sady park.
Enjoyed every bit...👌🏻As always DW's travel series is top notch 👍🏻 Happy to see you back Nicole...
I had a great time there! There's so much to see and enjoy, it's necessary to stay for days or come back again and again...
excellent tourist material, beautiful hostess..it was a pleasure. thank you
I think most tourists come to Prague to experience the medieval atmosphere of the Old Town. And that's why they don't visit places where actual locals live that much. Apart from Holešovice or Bubeneč - Karlín and Rohan Waterfront, are one of the districts that are not considered the inner center but their atmosphere is so unique. As a local I highly recommend to visit that area as well😎
Praha is mystic and magical city in our CZ land.
This was a very interesting video. I was there 20 years ago and even then it was heavily visited but a lovely place. We had a great time.
What a beautiful city i Hope i can visit It soon .
Thanks for showing It...
As a local, if you're in Holesovice, I would suggest visiting Cafe Hrnek on Veletrzni. It's privately owned, great coffee, great atmosphere and they bake their own pastries which are amazing too!
A lovely video - always good content on DW Travel.
This city is certainly worth a visit. Luckily, I had a chance to go there. Greeting from one from Thailand.
Wonderful Prague. It's interesting though, that when you ask somebody from the USA "Where are you from", they will nearly always say a city or a city/town and a state only. 🤔"Where are you from" - "Austin Texas"
USA is so big, people tend to say that when traveling outside of their state , it’s like a customary , sometimes not realizing , they aren’t in the USA soil
@@moshesierra6849 Brazil is big, so is Russia, China and India are also big, they don't do it. Only an American would be standing in old town square in Prague and not realise it.
@@moshesierra6849 russia, china, canada, brazil, india and australia are all the same if not bigger than USA but you don't hear those people say their city
@@friedchicken4326 that’s correct , the american society believe this country is the center of the world
Yes that was hilarious!
Turist will do what tourist do and that is travel to places to see the main attractions; very few ask for time off and spend lots of money just to do what they do at home. Unfortunately, in Prague the attractions are concentrated in the Old Town and therefore it will be naturally crowded, I don't see tourist numbers coming down. And it is true that many areas around the center are worth it for a tourist to explore but only AFTER visiting the Old Town and if there is time to do so. Also, those districts mentioned in this video are already getting expensive compared to a couple years ago and in a few more years it will be just as hard to find Czech locals as they will probably will move even further away (to Kobylisy, Chodov or Zlicin).
I am going there for exchange in january next year and cannot wait. seems like a beautiful place.
Looks much less than 50% of pre covid, is nice to be able to stroll peacefully through Praha, magical city.
Prague has been a major film location for well over two decades. From Mission Impossible in 1996, XXX and Blade 2 in 2002 and to see some more of the grittier aspects of this city. In American Television Law and Order SVU did filming in Prague and a town on the German border as part of the plot of the script. Teplice if I'm not mistaken, it's not my intention to upset or insult the Czech People but I wanted to make a point of Prague in a filmography point of view
Greetings from overcrowded Amsterdam! 😉
Yeah, what you call Holesovice is actually Letna. But nice vid, sums up Prague nicely
@Matt Meissner You are right, many locations are filmed in Letná, like the Alchymista, which is only a stone's throw from Holešovice, where Sonja lives..😉
As a Czech and Prague born native I appriciate that video and I can agree with everything mentioned. But I need to warn everybody comming to town that also there are a lot of scamers around the town that try to cheat you. I am really ashamed of them but they are unfortunatelly still there, it will take some time to get rid of them. Just make sure to be careful when you take taxi or change currency! 🙂
@Martin You are right. It is best for foreign tourists to withdraw money directly from the ATM (without conversion into your own currency!) - because the exchange offices sometimes have very bad exchange rates there.
Well, with very good and affordable public transport, why would you take the taxi..
And, there are no scams on Uber..
@@DWTravel or watch honest guide
I Love Prague! Can´t wait to be back
It's certainly a city that pulls you back time and time again.
I’ve been to Prague several times.I went there again last June. It was the first time I had the Charles Bridge for myself . I decided to be there by 630 am 😂
yes , a good tip would be to get there EARLY!
Recipe to beat overtourism:
Literaly do not allow to come to anyone staying less than 1 week. There are tourists, especialy from china, coming just for 1 night. They spend almost nothing, and occupy the most precious places. We have no need for this tourism. If the tourist comes for a week, he will not visit same spot seven times, he will explore other stuff, maybe visit different town, or make a nature trip.
So the way is to stop overtourism is to ban AirBnB, and force hotels to rent only for week and longer.
My fave City❤
I don’t know when this video was recorded… but oooh boy, I’m pretty sure that nowadays even more people are coming to the city than before the pandemic. There are so many people in the centre that you can’t even pass through the crowd.
..LOVE YOU NICOLE !! 💝🌹
Prague is a beautiful city.
Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful there is.
..LOVE YOU NICOLE !! .. VERBOTEN ZU VERGESSEN !! ..💝🌹 ..💘
The period between the end of summer an Christmas is the best!
Otherwise it's impossible to breathe from all the masses
As a Praguer myself I always laugh at turrist vlogers saying things like Prague is so incredibile we've WALKED ALL OVER IT IN JUST ONE DAY!" And I'm thinking to my-self "No, you haven't. And most likely you haven't even met anyone local either."
Meaning: the city centre of Prague is basicly a theme park. Allmost noone accually lives in it.
Dan Vávra lives there, but I don't actually know anyone who would live ther, ofcourse I know people who live in like Vinohrady, but in old town or malá stran or something? Definitely not.
that's probably true in a lot of circumstances.
I also think what keeping a lot of Americans away is the war in Ukraine. A lot of my friends decided not to come for visit until the war dies down. I kept telling them the war is very far from Prague.
Im just waiting for the EUR and CZK to crash a bit more.
It would be like not going to the US because of the drug wars in Mexico..lol..
@@PradedaCech or going to any demcrat run city... def less likely to die here than most places in the US.
@@PradedaCech I would disagree the USA is very large unlike The portion between Prague and Ukraine
@@beactivebehappy9894 So I just looked it up. You're falling victim to the same fallacy as so many Americans, that the US is YUGE and Europe is tiny.
For everyone in the continental US who is not living along the Canadian border or New England, Mexico is about as far as the theatre of operations in Ukraine is from Prague.
My educated guess is that the Schengen borders and the US borders offer about the same level of protection.
So..I stand by my point.
Holešovice. Holašovice is a small village in southern Bohemia
If you would like to get to know Prague or the Czech republic, definitely check out the youtube channel HONEST GUIDE! They're like the number one source if you would like to visit our city!
Janek and Honza from Honest Guide do a wonderful Job - Highly recommended channel!
Have been on the Charles Bridge at 3 am. Best time to visit without any Tourons! Really enjoy Prague 2 Manesova nabe.
love prague always - 2023 0116
Enjoyed the city and the atmosphere there recently, very calm (almost Scandinavian) atmosphere
Lovely place.
Prague is a beautiful city with extraordinery "genius loci".
Thanks for a great video. Two of the parts of Prague that are mention in this video is Jisco and Bubonic. Are these two written completely different? I cannot find it when I try google.
@John Jensen Glad you like the video! Search for Bubeneč and Žižkov.. 😉
@@DWTravel Super - thanks - 🙂
In the end of the year until January will it be more crowded again?
Funy that Czech lady has that long Prague´s akcent in her English
"Almost perfect" very polite of him...
for anyone interested in Prague further, there is a great youtube channel by two local guys called HONEST GUIDE, they have tips on basically everything, check it out :)
i love the "Valtava" River. LOL. starting of well
That made me wince too.
Killing the atmosphere is one thing and certainly not insignificant. But for ordinary Prague residents, the fact that it is impossible to find housing in the centre of Prague is way more limiting, as most apartments are rented out as Airbnbs or converted into strange trinket shops for tourists. If one lives in the centre, one can't shop there normally unless one wants five "I love Prague" T-shirts a day or alcohol, which feeds the disgusting, noisy and dangerous stag parties
Žiju v centru a nemůžu s vámi souhlasit,
Centrum by mělo být živé plné hluku jinak by to nebilo centrum. Pro lidi které to nemusí ty se nemusí stěhovat do centra anebo s tým musí počítat,
To že se nedá nakupovat je částečně pravdivé nejhorší je Pařížská a okolí tam fakt nic není ale u Vaclavaku je lidl Albert Billa což na jídlo stačí,
Lidi se do centra nechtějí stěhovat protože jim vadí ten hluk nebo turisty ( což Ja zase miluju jelikož to město žije a to je správně ) místa je dost bytu taky jsou dražší 15k+ ale není to tak že v každém bytě je airbnb atd. To není pravda v našem činžáku není ani 1 být na airbnb ale všechno na dlouhodobý pronájem ve skratce Centrum není pro každého a když se do centra stehuješ tak se na hluk a turisty musíš zvyknout!
Centrum je pro lidi a obyvatele ale je to CENTRUM nemůže tam být klid a mrtvo musí tam být život
@Etienn Jeanguenin Would you be so kind to write your interesting comment in English as well, so that the other people in the community can share?
Hello from prague
@Daniel Dvořák Ahoj!
Make a video about in Norway plz
Nice city, i was there, thanks for all czech republic.
We used to go because it was cheap. Dumplings were £2 and beer £0.50.
Can you tell name of reasonable hotel?
I live in Prague. What is the name of that beautiful cafe ?
It is the *Cukrarna Alchymista* in Letná. 🎂🍰
Can you tell name of hotel nearby old town ?
@Vikram G Please check the Internet for accomodation in Prague, transportation there is very good, it is worth looking outside the old town as well!
you can beat the crowds by going in autum on a day when it rains
not as affordable as used to be, 10 euros for a tower was unthinkable in previous days, so that dampens the appeal some.
I defintely see a pattern based on my travels: locals tend to be rude, impatient when their places are full of tourists so I've tried hard to not visit places like Prague, Paris, etc because I don't want to be on the receiving end of rudeness coming from locals. So Prague is crossed off of my bucket list
Not necessarily true. I was in Prague several times before the lockdowns and most of the service personnel at restaurants, cafes, museums and stores were courteous - with very few exceptions.
Great, one less!
Btw, a large part of the people you would interact with in the old town are actually not locals.
why you didn't contact the @Honest Guide?
❤️❤️❤️🇧🇷❤️❤️❤️
Ended with Dvorak ?
Let's agree on Smetana! 😆
I think the editors made a great job implementing czech anthem for ending of the video
Not the official National Anthem but Smetana's "Vltava" (The Moldau) to be precise .🧐😉
As an expat living in Prague, go to Zizkov if you wanna have a proper Czech nightlife. Lots of bars and pubs with good prices :)
Oh they’ll be back…
You could've also talked to the Honest Guide (Janek & Honza). Their videos about Prague is very informative. 😊
Prices manage demand
Went few years ago beautiful city, worst service and cold people though
Living in prague for 18 years. Number of tourists more than tripled within this period. I don't think tourism should be put at the first place and above locals. I don't think it's worth the money it brings. sure there is some income from tourism but it's not that large that prague should be tourism focused. the problem is locals are avoiding downtown and those who have been living there are moving away. It's becoming soul less circus for tourists with many overpriced tourist traps and with many things that has nothing in common with prague and it's history. For instance i totally hate Karlova street also called Kralovska cesta. That place is totally disgusting.
That's a little too realistic. No heart for you - next... ( DW Travel )
The depth of the video is just breathtaking ... Ba Dum Tss! 😄Nah, just kidding, well presented ... Ba Dum Tss! 😄 Seriously tho, .... 😈
It's "Holešovice", not "Holašovice".
ahoj tomikk
First view🤚
Why d f would you call architecture in Prague Wilhelminian when no Wilhelm was there?
@Jan Žajdlík You're right - "Gründerzeit" -Architecture would be the correct term. Thanks and Děkuji for letting us know!
@@DWTravel Art nouveau / fin de siècle would be used in English I think. :)
we want over tourism in Nepal
Nepal will need to clean up, better roads, electricity and transport.
Prague is beautiful and I love it but it's a bit of a circus too.
0:38, “Prague is the most city visiting in Europe”. I thought Paris is the most visiting city in Europe.
@Dat Nguyen Nicole said "...one *of* the most visited cities in all of Europe." The most visited European city is London closely followed by Paris and Berlin. Prague is about Number 8 on the list...
Well done DW, now people will realize that and restart to flood Prague once again!! hahahaahahah
Ww don't need tourists in Holešovice, thank you
China’s zero-Covid policy has blocked its citizens from traveling overseas. Prior to the pandemic, European cities were flocked with organized Chinese tourist groups. The 50-60% tourist reduction must be largely due to that reason.
Certainly. In 2019 summer you just couldn't walk through Charles bridge little bit faster then the rest. You had no space to overtake anyone. You had to go with flow and if somebody infront of you stopped you was screw.
Every over turist place has its pro's and con's.
On one hand turist spending money and give a lot od work for locals.
On the other hand theres criminality, scams, garbage and lots of locals which are not happy about that.
Budapest is more real.
Why do you think so?
I guess if you talking about racist Orban !
H-h-h*ngolians
well it is already too many tourists... covid was great because it freed city center for locals
it so strange to see a man with an acrosstheocean fashion trend .......that baseball cap. In Slavia, talking to a woman ????
@WHOLENESS What's strange about it?
what I described .........I still am not talking to a man with his head covered, so I stoped watching......just sayin'
How you can find out that the reporter is German? Easy, she’s the only person in all of Prague wearing a face mask in public transport 🤣
🤔 So there is only one German Tourist in Prague? 😉
that country czech lot of a stranger struck scam watch out yourself and don't listen like a stranger czech give them what is like anything don't need that you must avoid.
what?
What?
@@virtual2288 Did you figure out what this comment was about? :D My brain became a soup after reading this.
Inflation
Oh God HOW I HATE TOURISTS
Hate is not a good counselor, don't you think?
Is overukraism, not tourism.
racist
Prague is overrated. Tourist trap for simple tourists.