This post is a continuation of my
previous post about our recent trip to Prague, Czech Republic.
On the third day, we had breakfast at the executive lounge of the hotel, which was not nearly as impressive as the main one. Well, it was better for my waist anyway. This time I was so ready to head out and explore. From the experience the night before, I though I would be smarter and dressed up warmer. Long sleeved shirt, sweater, and scarf. Boy, was I sorry I did that! I ended up carrying the sweater and scarf and wishing I had worn a tank top instead... It was such a nice day though, might as well enjoy it right?!
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| Bread at supermarket |
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| Bread at supermarket |
I took the Metro from the station by the hotel, got off at the Namesty Republiky station and took a bus. My first destination was the
Rimowa flagship store at Parizska (street?). I used Google maps to get around and it worked out really well for me. The bus took me to a stop at the end of Parizska right by the river. They had some kind of construction going on...
Buying European brand here is a good deal compared to the prices in Asia. And in my case, the Rimowa saving was about 35% after tax refund. The sales tax in this country was about 21% but there you only get about 12% back. So you need to take that into account. To claim VAT refund, you have to spend a minimum of 2000 Kc at a store on a single receipt. You then have to ask the store to provide you with the form and you can claim your refund at the airport. Keep in mind that the customs officials would usually like to see the goods you bought before approving any refund.
The Parizska is a strip of high end luxurious brands like Jimmy Choo, Patek Phillipe, Hermes, Tiffany, etc. If you walk along this strip from the river, you will reach the
Old Town Square, which is one of main squares in Prague, and probably the most popular too. If you like taking city tours, there are many options you can find at this square. There is an official Tourist Information Centre with English speaking staff who can help you, and you can also find a lot of brochures there. Around the Square you can find posts offering different tours. The new and popular was the Segway tour, where you can rent a segway and a tour guide with his/her own segway will go with you to give explanations. There's a tour on an open top classic car, a horse carriage, bicycle, and of course good old walking tours.
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| Classic cars available for rent for tour |
There are several landmarks at the perimeter of the
Old Town Square, and it seems that the most popular one was the Astronomical Clock. I got there right at noon and there were literally hundreds of people gathered right in front of it to see it rang. This clock has been used by the people in Prague for hundreds of years.
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The famous Astronomical Clock
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Also around the perimeter of the Old Town Square, the gothic style
Tyn Church is another landmark.
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| Tyn Church |
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| Tyn Church |
If you are not the type who can walk a lot, fear not! A ricksha (rickshaw bike) is available for hire and they will take you where you want to go.
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| Segway for rent (left), Ricksha (rickshaw bike) for hire. |
This day I had lunch at the Old Town Square on a bench with a bunch of pigeons (and other tourists). A kolbasa and a slice of bread cost 60 Kc, the same as a plastic cup of pilsner! The other option was roasted ham that looked mighty delicious for 85 Kc and some mashed potatoes for a bit extra but it was just way too much for me. Gelato or ice cream generally cost 20 Kc to 30 Kc depending on the location. There was also a vendor of some sort of sweet snack, which is dough wrapped around a long rolling pin baked over charcoal and covered in sugar and cinnamon. A cut for 60 Kc.
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| Food vendors at the Old Town Square. |
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| Roasting ham |
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| Baking the sugar dough |
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| Sign for toilet, I assume? |
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| Giant bubble busker |
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| Ornament |
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| Door ornament |
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| More ornament |
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| Decorated window |
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| Starbucks at Old Town Square |
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| Dough covered in nuts |
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| Open air cafe |
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| Decorated wall |
The rest of the pictures were taken around the perimeter of the Old Town Square and this post is getting mighty long. So lets stop here for now, stay tuned for the next one! Thanks for reading.
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