Why do you love Prague?

One thing about Prague is that, like Paris, it did not suffer a lot of destruction during WWII, so many of the interesting and beautiful buildings and sights survive. (My good friend from Poland is very bitter about this, but that's another topic for a different site.)

Also, Prague was for a time the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. Popes and emperors were based there.

It was also occupied by the Nazis and was part of the communist bloc [edited], so there are those aspects to Prague's interesting past, as well (including things like the Lennon Wall [edited to correct spelling], and its role in the Velvet Revolution).

Prague is relatively inexpensive (compared to, say, Vienna or Salzburg). I found the people to be mainly friendly and very courteous. My favourite hotel ever is in Prague, and the staff there were exceptional.

Prague is beautiful with its red roofs and hills, and St. Vitus Cathedral (in the castle) has one of the most stunning and interesting interiors of any I've seen (and I've seen quite a few).

You're right in that, for many of us, Prague's sites and history are less familiar than, say, those of Paris, where around every corner was an "I can't believe I'm seeing this" moment. (I found the same with Budapest--even more so.) However, just because I was ignorant does not make places or their history less interesting or worthy, so, for me, it was an inspiration and an opportunity to learn more--in some cases after seeing the sites and wanting to know more.

Prague is very busy, though, which can detract from its charm somewhat, unless you are prepared to plan so that you can zig when others are zagging.

Great, thank you very much BB, this is exactly the sort of info I was looking for. I appreciate you taking the time to reply. Do you mind sharing the name of the favorite hotel that you referenced?

I have been travelling to Prague since 1993,it really is hard to say why I love it. I feel completely at home when I arrive more so than I do in my home city of Edinburgh.
What are you missing in the guidebooks................ a heck of a lot. yes the main tourist sites are amazing ,very beautiful but there is so much more to Prague that the main sights .The Praguers are a great people and once you get to know them are really friendly and warm .Get away from the main tourist areas and you will find a whole new city. I love the parks in the nice weather and even in the cold they are wonderful. the important thing is to SLOW DOWN. Don't try and see everything, take time to enjoy the bars and cafes as well as the various beers gardens . Head away from the city centre to see some great historical sights as well are facinating architecture and wonderful parks.Use the trams ,metro and buses the best system I have experienced anywhere and I have been to plenty of places.Eat the food, yes it is heavy and often fatty but do try it, have the beer it is amazing and the local wines are not too bad either.wander aslng the river the area by Naplavka is lovely , little pop up bars in the summer time and there is a great market there on a Saturday.Prague is one of these places you can have a list and tick things off ,but just wander ,go with the flow ,go down side streets and along little lanes, get lost you will find some wonderful little squares, parks, gardens and of course a bar.
There is no one thing that makes Prague special its just lots of little things that grow on you.
Prague never lets you go… this dear little mother has sharp claws –Franz Kafka.

As someone who lives here, I am often asked this question.

Firstly, everything is beautiful. No matter where you go, the city is beautiful. In the words of Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka and John Keats "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

Secondly, it is incredibly safe. Czechs are not an aggressive bunch, so you can literally go anywhere, at any time of the day or night, and always feel safe.

Thirdly, the trams run on time. The city has a very sophisticated, fast and cheap 24-hour public transport system. It is very easy to travel around the city, making it accessible for all. We do not sit in traffic in Prague.

Finally, the beer is cheap. A beer on Prague should cost no more than 40czk (about $1.50) meaning that you can always afford to meet a friend for a pint.

These is why I choose to live and work in Prague.

Marcus

P.S. @BB, just on a note of clarification, Czechoslovakia was never part of the Soviet Union. It was a communist country, but never part of the USSR.

I think Marcus hits the nail on the head when he refers to cheap beer.I was out with friends in Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon ,a round of 4 drinks came to £15 which is around 500kc. well for 500kc in Prague I can get a meal and 2 beers for 2 people quite easily.
Beer In Prague is wonderful and one of the reasons I keep coming back

Yes, I agree with the comments above that Prague is a beautiful, historical gem of a city with a broad array of interesting things to do. What are your interests? How much time do you have to spend in Prague? I spent 3 nights there in June 2015 and enjoyed everything we did - I took the Rick Steves tour to Berlin, Prague & Vienna. Prague has always been described to me as the Paris in Eastern Europe. There are castles, wonderful cathedrals, art museums, parks, inexpensive restaurants, musical concerts. One afternoon I and a couple of my tour mates wandered around the lanes in and around Prague trying to find our way back to our hotel near the Old Town Square and had so much fun exploring even though we were lost! Just a charming place, plus I found it fascinating and admirable that the people rose up in the Velvet Revolution to gain their freedom.

Judy B

Prague sold me with its architecture. It's just a beautiful place to walk around. Absolutely worth a visit.

BB said it all better than I could. I'll just add that I don't drink beer and still had a great time. Prague just has a lovely vibe, and - despite the crowds in certain places - I found it a nice place to just hang out. For me, it's the intangibles, even more than the architecture or specific "sights," that make it great to visit.

As for my personal highlights, the Municipal House tour (you must pay and take a tour to see the good stuff) and the Veletržní Palace (the National Gallery, and yes I had to cut and paste that to get the markings right) both exceeded expectations.

It's also small for a capital city, which makes it more manageable than, say, Paris or London.

I'll just add a personal note. A friend of mine had never been to Paris, and I was always raving about it. When she finally got there, she says she spent the whole trip saying to herself, "Harold was right. Harold was right!" My sister Lisa had been to Prague several times, and like you, I had trouble understanding the appeal - until I went there. I then spent the whole trip saying, "Lisa was right. Lisa was right!"

I echo the excellent information given above while adding this:

• It's a terrific deal financially. We were able to stay at hotels 2 grades above what we could normally afford. Loved them both.
• It's filled with gorgeous character.
• I believe the castle complex as a whole is the largest in Europe.

The hotel is the Questenberk.

Thanks for the clarification, Marcus.

Thank you for taking the time to reply, everyone. I think you've convinced me...Prague is the frontrunner in our prospective travels now. I appreciate your perspectives!

We visited Prague for the first time earlier this month. 4 nights. Loved it.
It is a beautiful city, very comfortable, affordable and easy, good food, cheap beer, nice people.
Incredible history, architecture, spirit.
It is a beautiful city.

What's helping attractivity of Prague: architecture, two medieval neighborhoods, not even Paris and Budapest has something similar, stunning views across the river toward Castle, excellent public transportation, not only incredibly cheap but very good beer.
By BB: "It was also occupied by Nazis and it was part of the Soviet Union so there are those aspects to Prague's interesting past, as well (including things like the Lenin Wall, and it's role in the Velvet Revolution)."
One inaccuracy about Czechoslovakia being part of the Soviet Union was already cleared by Marcus Bradshaw. Let's clear the other one. There is no Lenin Wall in Prague, it's a Lennon Wall (meaning John Lennon from Beatles, not a revolutionary bolshevik Lenin).

and the Lennon wall is nothing more than a grafitti covered wall and nothing like the Photos you see in guide books,It was a place for protest and a place to fight for change , now it is a joke.
About 18 months ago it was completly white washed and since then many others layers of crap has been painted on it, I last saw it a couple of months ago. I first saw it in 1993 and since then it has changed dramatically and moved from being a symbol of resistance and hope to a symbol of the crass stupidity of mass tourism.
rant over.

Thanks all for your helpful feedback in helping me to understand this beautiful city! We've had some changes in our plans that will unfortunately prevent us from seeing Prague this year, but definitely hoping to visit in the future!

Ilja. Oops. You are, of course, correct, and I knew that, too (have been there and seen it). Thanks for the spelling correction.