Prague's many sights make it a tourist hot spot, and visitors can find any number of high-quality photos of the Czech capital on Instagram. But do these images depict Prague as it really is?
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 This is how Prague looks on Instagram. Romantic and packed with impressive historic buildings.
00:06 But what's it like in real life? Does it really live up to its glamorous social media image?
00:12 We show you if it's all it's cracked up to be and which places are truly worth visiting.
00:18 Located in central Europe, Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and home to 1.3 million
00:23 inhabitants. Six million visitors travelled to Prague in 2022. It was under communist rule until
00:30 1989 and these days it's a tourism hotspot. Does it live up to the hype? We visit three of Prague's
00:37 major sites to find out. Our first stop, Hradecany, Prague's castle district. A popular backdrop for
00:44 Instagram pictures. Is it worth a visit? In the center of the castle complex you will find the
00:51 gothic St. Vitus Cathedral. Come on the hour and you'll see the changing of the guard. You can enter
00:59 the castle grounds for free but it gets crowded from late morning. So better get up early and go
01:05 exploring. The past comes alive in Prague. Travelling here is like taking a journey through time.
01:12 But if you simply want to relax, take a walk through the gardens at the foot of the Hradecany.
01:18 So what's our conclusion? Hradecany is a must-see.
01:23 But what about our next stop? Let's head down into the historic center.
01:28 Our second stop, Charles Bridge on the Vltava River. It's very popular on Instagram but does
01:39 it look as good in real life? Charles Bridge is one of the most popular tourist attractions in
01:45 Europe. Lined with statues, it's a symbol of the city and named after Emperor Charles IV.
01:51 Once Bohemian kings walked across it to be crowned. Now it's tourists from all over the world.
01:59 Unfortunately, Charles Bridge is almost always overcrowded. We recommend that you walk across it
02:11 quickly and save your time for a unique sweet pastry that's a Prague speciality.
02:17 Dough wrapped around a stick, baked and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. But it's hard to pronounce.
02:25 Hradecany? Hradecany? Hradecany? Yes.
02:32 So it's something like this. Hradecany.
02:38 Trdelnik. So what about our final reality check? Our third stop? It's an absolute star on Instagram.
02:48 The old town square with its famous astronomical clock. So does it look as good in real life as
02:55 on Instagram? And why is everyone looking up? Every hour on the hour, 12 apostles appear above
03:08 the astronomical clock on Prague city hall. This landmark is both unique and world famous.
03:14 A mysterious masterpiece. But what is the time? There are four different types of time. One,
03:21 which is called Old Bohemian. Another, the Old German time. Then Babylonian time. And then
03:31 Star Time. Charles IV loved astronomy and he was a superstitious man who believed that numbers and
03:40 digits made change a lot. So yes, in that way, Prague used to be the center of science, of
03:47 astronomy as well. After you've finished puzzling over the clock, head up the tower of the town
03:53 hall. You can look down over the entire square. There's no better view over the old town. In
04:00 short, our third stop absolutely lives up to its reputation. When it comes to the Charles Bridge,
04:07 we recommend viewing it from a distance. Or you can take a paddle boat to get a good look from below.
04:15 It costs just 15 euros an hour. So what do we think about Prague Castle? You can't miss it.
04:23 It's impressive both during the day and while taking an evening stroll.
04:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]