1. Prague has a very chequered history – it was occupied by the Nazis in WW2 and then it spent years behind the Iron Curtain – which means it has a wealth of excellent museums. Two not to miss if you want to get a real sense of the place and its people are the Museum of Communism and the small, and very chilling, National Monument to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror
Author Catherine Hokin
2. It also has a history of excellent café culture. There are so many to choose from but for the best people watching experience (and amazing cakes) head for Café Slavia which has been catering to the city since 1881. Ask for a table by the huge windows overlooking the river and pretend you are plotting revolution.
3. The Old Town is wall to wall restaurants but the real gems are often found a little further out. My favourite is the brilliant Kroka in Prague 2 which does modern Czech cuisine at great prices. It’s a locals’ favourite so book.
4. One of Prague’s most famous artists is Alphonse Mucha and his work is everywhere. There is an official museum but the best place to see examples of his incredible talent is the Municipal House. The guided tour there is superb.
5. Prague Castle is a UNESCO monument and no trip to the city is complete without a visit. It is also a huge complex and it would be easy to miss Golden Street which is one of the best bits – this is a whole row of tiny houses which were occupied from the fifteenth century until WW2. Franz Kafka lived there and so did a witch.
6. You can’t mention Prague without mentioning beer. Again there is a huge amount of choice but if you like an interesting beer garden try Pinkasu which is nestled into the gothic ruins of the church of Our Lady of the Snows. As an added bonus, it also has shade on hot days.
7. And finally, the Astronomical Clock in Old Town Square. It gathers huge crowds and I’m really not sure why – it really is blink and you’ll miss the movement. My tip is not to stand in the scrum. Grab a table at one of the bars that surround it instead and enjoy the groans when everyone realises they looked away at exactly the wrong moment.
About The Author
Catherine Hokin is the author of several World War Two inspired novels set in Berlin, her favourite city.
Following a History degree at Manchester University she worked in teaching, marketing and politics, while waiting for a chance to do what she really wanted which was to write full time. Her short stories have been published by iScot, Writers Forum and Myslexia magazines and she was the winner of the 2019 Fiction 500 Short Story Competition. She is a lover of strong female leads and a quest.
Catherine now lives in Glasgow with her American husband. She has two grown-up children – one of whom lives, very conveniently, in Berlin – and a life long addiction to very loud music.
Her latest book The Girl In The Photo' is out on the 27th January 2023
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