When I visited the Czech Republic in 1994, it had been an independent state for just a year. It would be another ten years until it joined the European Union.

Back then, a trip to Eastern Europe was something a bit different from the usual package tour beach holidays and we didn’t quite know what to expect.




The journey

As part of our whistle stop two week backpacking tour of Eastern Europe, we decided that Prague slotted well into our itinerary, particularly as it was well served by rail networks. After a long, hot train journey from Nurnberg, we finally arrived and stepped out into the searing heat. The temperature was to become the dominant feature of this trip.

Arrival and finding a room

Immediately we were surrounded by tourist touts promising us great rooms to rent at cheap prices. We took the offer of a room which was four stops away on the underground metro. That in itself was an experience. Not only was it a welcome relief from the heat, it was impeccably clean and futuristic looking with bronze colored domes covering the walls. Our room was a decent size, sparse with a bed, bathroom and little else. Across the road though, was a Krone supermarket. Because we were on such a tight budget, we spent a fair amount of time in there trying to find recognizable food.

Tourist attractions

Our first full day was spent doing tourist activities, well, those which were free or cheap. This included wandering around the Old Town Square with my husband who insisted on photographing every Gothic building we passed while I stood sweltering nearby. But they were an awe inspiring sight, particularly St Vitus Cathedral and Prague Castle. The cathedral is something of a spiritual symbol of the Czech Republic and is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.

Then we took the walk over Charles’ Bridge (Karluv Most) which was packed with musicians and artists and hundreds of tourists. The views over the city and river are fantastic but it was incredibly busy and oh so hot. A boat trip on the river was a better idea where we could appreciate the sights while enjoying the cool river breeze.

The next day we caught a tram to the Jewish Quarter where we visited the Jewish Museum and the Old Jewish Cemetery.  This cemetery is said to be one of the oldest in Europe, dating back to 15th century. Back then, this was the only place Jews were allowed to bury their dead. This meant graves would be dug deep where up to 12 people at a time would be buried in a standing position. Anything up to 100,000 people could be buried beneath the 12,000 visible tombstones. It was a sobering but fascinating experience.

Getting used to the customs

Learning the customs of foreign countries is always an adventure. Despite our numerous trips to the Krone supermarket, I kept annoying the cashiers by forgetting to weigh and price up my fruit and vegetables before reaching the checkout.

While the food in the few restaurants we tried was pretty good, having every meal accompanied by potatoes and cabbage became a bit tiresome, particularly as it tasted awful. And we soon learned not to help ourselves to bread rolls from the basket as we’d be charged for every one taken.

Visiting public conveniences wasn't pleasant. My one and only encounter with such a place had no tissue paper. Instead, we were provided with a neat pile of torn up newspaper ready for people to take into the cubicle. Not exactly what I was used to but considerably better than I would experience later in during my travels.

Because we walked everywhere, we soon had to learn the rules of the road, such as never believe that pedestrian crossings are a safe place to cross the road if you want to live. Once a driver spots you stepping into the crossing, they put their foot down and do their best to run you down.

On our last day while waiting on an underground Metro platform, I decided to take a photo of my husband on the platform. As I was positioning my camera, an ear splitting voice barked a command over a loud speaker. I stopped and we looked at each other wondering what was happening. I positioned my camera again, and once more the voice barked incomprehensible words. As we were the only two people on the platform, we realized it must have been aimed at us. Then the penny dropped and we noticed the sign. A camera with a large black cross through it. We expected to be arrested at any moment and left in a hurry.

Since joining the European Union, the Czech Republic is now one of the most popular and easily accessible places for tourists to visit. While we’d love to go back for a holiday, next time, it definitely won’t be in the middle of summer and certainly not with a backpack.