Ahh, we love snow storms. There are so many things to do in Prague that locals truly enjoy. You can, for instance, shovel your way out of your family house to get the newspaper, or spend good fifteen, twenty minutes rescuing your car from under four inches of snow, just to do the very same thing two hours later... Anyway, if you're a traveler visiting Prague, you don't have to do any of these things, lucky you! If you find yourself in the middle of a snow storm in Prague, we have a few tips that can make your stay truly enjoyable... (unless you want to shovel our way from our house!)
Go see a movie
We have already posted about movie theaters here. You can see virtually any movie that was originally shot in English. Just ignore the Czech subtitles on the bottom of the screen. This does not apply to movies shot in 3-D, or to movies targeted at children - these are usually dubbed. You can find what movies are dubbed in advance - most of the movie listings use abbreviations - "D" for "dubbed", "T" for subtitled. We always try to catch a movie when we travel abroad because it's a nice way to relax after a demanding day of walking and because we have found it's a slightly different cultural experience wherever you go. Please see our original post about movie-going in Prague for detailed advice.
Have something hot!
If you want to have a nice chat instead of just watching a movie, have a nice, inspiring conversation over a cup of hot chocolate! "Hey, Zuzi and Jan! What is the best place for hot chocolate in Prague?" we hear you ask. Great question! The best place for hot chocolate in town is Choco Café at Liliova Street (just around the corner from the Bethlehem Square in the Old Town). They melt about a whole bar of chocolate into a cup, so we suggest you cancel that dinner reservation because the chocolate they serve there equals a full meal. In addition, the chocolate can be ordered with whipped cream, alcohol, fruits etc. Blood sugar metering not included.
If you want to have something a bit healthier, you can take advantage of the fact that Prague has an enormous and very lively tea room scene that is mostly hidden to travelers. Instead of the English tea room, however, you should picture something more Oriental. Prague tea rooms have a clear tendency to favor the East over the West, but virtually all of them will offer an incredibly wide choice of green, black and white teas from all over the worlds. We recommend two: Dobra cajovna at Wenceslas Square 14 (you have to walk inside the courtyard of the building), and Bily jerab in the Stefanikova street (for a map and directions, click here).
Go out and do something!
If you wish to do the opposite of the above, and actually embrace the weather instead of avoiding it, we also have two tips for you. Firstly, you can enjoy a skating session outdoors! The most convenient location for that would be the Na Frantisku skating ring near the Jewish Quarter (for a map and directions, click here). You don't need your own skates - you can rent a pair on the spot for CZK 50 (EUR 2) per pair. They're open every day until 5.30pm (and 7pm on the weekends) with some half-our breaks for cleaning the ice. Just don't show off too much, Czechs don't like that... (wink wink)
Finally, if you want true excitement, go bobsledding (or just sledding) from one of the Prague's hilly parks. We have two tips, one on each bank of the river. If you're staying at the Lesser Town, you have to visit the Petrin hill. The slope is very steep but long - over 500 m! You can also use the funicular train to get back to the top of the hill. On the other bank of the river, we must recommend the Riegrovy sady park above the Wenceslas Square. This place has two benefits we have to mention: one of the best views of the Prague Castle and the centre, and a plethora of restaurants and pubs nearby where you can dry off and get something great to eat.
Whatever you choose, we wish you a great snow storm! And if you get stuck here because of a cancelled flight, have a look at our other posts for additional tips for Prague!
Have fun!