Europe/UK Sep'17: 2 Days In Prague - An Introduction to Prague (Day 1)

Where do I begin about Prague?

I'd heard so much about Prague, about it being one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and about its incredible history and streets full of old churches and cathedrals with magnificent towering spires. It's a city I've been itching to tick off my bucket-list for the longest time and it finally happened!

We spent three nights and two full days in Prague, which I think is the minimum amount of time it takes to touch-and-go through Prague's most famous sights and attractions, and to say that you've "been there, done that". Ideally though, I would love to have spent four or even five days in Prague, heading out for day trips and exploring the lesser known areas of Prague and the Czech Republic, but we were pressed for time, and had to make do with only two full days in Prague.

Renting a car in Europe

So, I've always wanted to road-trip in Europe! I'm really glad we made it happen this time, with a short road-trip from Berlin to Prague, and back again for our connecting flight to London.

This was my first time renting a car in Europe, and I was steered to AutoEurope's website via my best friend, Google, hahaha.

AutoEurope allows you to compare cars and prices across the most popular car rental companies in Europe, so you can get the best bang for your buck!

Of course, since you're in Europe, just go for a continental car. Hahaha. We decided on a small BMW, which set us back a reasonable SGD360 for three days of car rental.

The logistics of the car rental was straight-forward: We picked up our car from Berlin Main Railway Station in the morning, set the GPS to go from Berlin to Prague and off we went! It was a 350km drive (roughly four hours) and we did a short stop at Dresden, on the border of Germany (more on that soon), before continuing the drive to Prague.

Driving in Europe was not as challenging as I expected, and I was particularly impressed by the courtesy shown on the highway by other drivers! Singapore really has the worst drivers in the world. Despite it being a left-hand drive (as opposed to right-hand driving in Singapore), the journey was smooth and uneventful.


En route to Prague, also known as Praha in the Czech language.

Tips on Getting Czech Currency

The Czech republic has yet to adopt the euro currency, and one of my greatest concerns was how I would be getting my czech korunas (also known as the Czech crown), as it is not a widely-circulated currency internationally.

After scouring through various websites and experiencing it personally myself, my best advice is to simply bring along a debit card that can be used to withdraw Czech korunas from the local ATM - It's possibly the best way to get your czech currencies and the most convenient way as well. There are plenty of local money changers in Prague, but the rates are not to be trusted IMO, and I would rather get my korunas from the ATM.

Just make sure that your debit card has either the Cirrus or Maestro logo, which is accepted in most parts of Europe, and you should be fine! (Just in case, you might want to bring a back-up card, and remember to call the bank to check that your card is activated for international withdrawals.)

I recall there being a transaction fee for every withdrawal, but I would rather pay a little more for multiple withdrawals than be stuck with too many korunas that I won't be able to use anywhere else. There was an ATM right across the road from my hotel, and I didn't have any trouble withdrawing korunas at all.

Most hotels and restaurants do accept credit cards, and I remember my hotel accepting Euros too, so you don't need to be too worried about not having enough czech korunas for your stay in Prague, especially with the convenience of ATM withdrawals.

Checking into Art Deco Imperial Hotel

We arrived in Prague at our hotel, Art Deco Imperial Hotel, just as the sun was about to set. What a beautiful cityscape right from our doorstep!

I picked Art Deco Imperial Hotel for a number of reasons: It is one of the top-rated hotels in Prague, offers parking for our rental car (at an additional fee), has a convenient location near the heart of Prague, and the building itself has a history dating back to the 14th century, with old-world baroque styling that makes for a truly unique and one-of-a-kind experience.

We paid about $330 per night, but rates vary depending on season, and it might be as affordable as $200 a night, which is a very decent price for its location and luxurious baroque-styled rooms.

Tip: Look at price aggregator/search websites such as HotelsCombined, Agoda or Booking.com for the best prices on your chosen dates!

Our car was driven to the car park (apparently not in the same building) by the valet, and we were welcomed and checked in by very warm and gracious staff who also spoke good English, we had no issues communicating at all.




Our room was a modest but nice size - It was spotless and well-kept, which was fantastic. I liked the classic interior with its ornate furnishings and cosy ambience.


Even the bathroom was gorgeous with its classy marble tiles and art-deco styled faucets and hardware! I always appreciate a bath tub and I loved it that my room came with a good-sized bath tub :D

All-in-all, Art Deco Imperial Hotel scored well on my hotel score-card, with extra brownie points for their very famous Cafe Imperial, where we had a delicious dinner on our first night in Prague!

Prague at night - First impressions

Prague lives up to all the hype that I've heard about it - It is one of THE most beautiful European cities I've had the good fortune to set foot in.

With that though, comes the bad news: The best parts of Prague like Old Town Square and its neighbouring areas have turned into one giant tourist attraction and is flooded with hundreds of people from day to night, as well as touristy shops and vendors selling overpriced food and merchandise.

To put it bluntly, if you hate crowds, you're most probably gonna hate Prague.

Prague is still remarkably beautiful - But a lot of its authenticity has been lost to the huge amount of attention it has received as a popular tourist destination over the past years. To uncover Prague's original charm, one must tune out the noise of the surrounding crowds and delve a little deeper.


For instance, I learnt that the highly popular trdelnik aka chimney cake that you'll see being sold in ten different shops, with each one touting the trdelnik as a “traditional Bohemian” pastry, isn't even historically a traditional Czech food, but grew crazily widespread in Prague over the past few years because of its popularity with the tourists.


(Yes, I did cave in and bought one of these chimney bread on my first night in Prague.)
Taste-wise, it was sweet, sugary and cinnamon-y, not too bad at all as a street-side snack, actually.


This ham though, was a huge disappointment for me - We were enticed to buy the ham because of how the entire leg of ham was roasting so merrily on a spit, but when it was served in one huge hunk, the ham was barely warm on the outside, and still cold on the inside. Also, it was terribly expensive and I felt completely ripped off.

Moral of the story is, avoid these expensive tourist traps unless you're super eager to try something that you've never tried before.

Night view of the Vltava and Prague Castle

We meandered our way through hordes of over-eager Korean tourists until we reached the river-side, from which you can see the lit-up Prague Castle across the River Vltava!


Spotted hundreds of love locks on a fence right by Charles Bridge.

Dinner at Cafe Imperial

If anyone were to ask me for food recommendations in Prague, Cafe Imperial, together with its sister restaurant Next Door by Imperial, would be my top recommedations!

If you're looking for a traditional Czech restaurant with honest good food at affordable prices, Cafe Imperial is that rare gem: I first heard of this restaurant, very coincidentally, while having a wonderful seafood dinner in Sydney, Australia. The restaurant manager was from the Czech Republic, and when I told her that I would be heading to Prague, she told me that I had to try Cafe Imperial, and Next Door by Imperial (both helmed by the same chef) for really good Czech food.

I remember taking a snapshot of the restaurant names she scribbled down for me, and it was only until just mere days before my tripe to Europe that I realised Cafe Imperial was quite literally located just in the very same hotel I booked (Art Deco Imperial Hotel)! How's that for serendipity?


Endive salad
with orange segments, walnuts, homemade dressing


Roasted quail stuffed with Foie Gras
with red wine sauce


Grilled tuna
with fennel crust and Nicoise salad

The food was legitly delicious - That roasted quail with foie gras had all the right flavours, while the grilled tuna was fresh and appetizing with the aroma of herbs and spices.

Remember to book a table in advance, Cafe Imperial is super popular and walk-ins might not be successful so I would suggest getting your hotel concierge to do a booking for you! We had a very good dinner, and went to bed (how convenient that Cafe Imperial is located on the ground floor of Art Deco Imperial Hotel!) happy and satisfied.

Breakfast at Imperial Cafe

One of the highlights of Imperial Cafe though, is its stunning Art Nouveau décor and mosaic tiles that should be admired in the day time for all its intricacy and beauty!


I have to admit, pictures of these gorgeous interiors were part of what drew me to book my stay at Art Deco Imperial Hotel ;) Soooo gorgeous!


Breakfast affair with the usual suspects: Bakes, eggs, bacon, sausages and the likes. The breakfast was pretty good, though not mind-blowing.


LOVE those stunningly impressive pillars and the tile art on the ceiling!

Exploring Prague

Thankful for really nice weather on our first full day in Prague!

If you're wondering how transport works around Prague, they do have a metro line and buses around the city, but most of the attractions in Prague are all accessible via walking, which was our main mode of transport during our two days in Prague! We left our rental car parked at the hotel, which I would think is the safest option as well.


We took a stroll from Art Deco Imperial Hotel to Prague Old Town Square, where I'd booked us on the free SANDERMANs Walking Tour of Prague - A really great way to learn more about Prague and its history with a local guide, and it's completely free too! Since it's free, why not, right? You can choose to tip your guide whatever amount you deem appropriate after your tour, or not at all, if it wasn't up to your expectations.


SANDEMANs does free walking tours in 19 different cities across Europe, which I think is really cool! They even have an app that you can download and make bookings via.


The 3-hour walking tour brought us through some of Prague's most famous sights like Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, Old Jewish Quarter, Wenceslas Square and more, and our guide brought to life the history behind each landmark or spot, sharing interesting nuggets of information I would not have gotten otherwise.


One of the most famous attractions in Prague has got to be the Astronomical Clock! It is the oldest still-working intact example of its kind surviving to date, and is a magnet that draws in the crowds every hour with its regular "show" on the hour. As you can see, part of the clock tower was under works while I was there, but the clock itself was still the center of attention.

Our guide explained to us how the clock works but it was too complicated for me to understand it properly, so I gave up and resigned myself to just admiring the beautiful and ancient time-piece.


There was a short break during our three hour walking tour with SANDEMANs, and we took the opportunity to grab a bit of food - Also stumbled upon this ice cream shop with great gelato that we enjoyed very much!


The sorbet there wasn't memorable, but I really liked the creamy and intense gelato flavours! Worth checking out for a little mid-day snack.

Puro Gelato  
Na Hrobci 410/1, 128 00 Nové Město, Czechia 
Phone: +420 721 438 209


The walking tour also brought us to Josefov, the old Jewish Quarter in Prague.

Spot that strange black clock in the upper right corner with undecipherable characters on it? That's a Jewish Hebrew clock that runs counter-clockwise. I don't know very much about the Jews, but it was nonetheless fascinating to hear about their history.


This is the Old-New Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Europe that is still in use as a house of prayer. Here's an interesting fact: Franz Kafka, the famous writer, attended the Old-New Synagogue when he lived in Prague.


Generally, I really enjoyed the 3-hour long walking tour with SANDEMANs, so much so that I decided to book another tour via SANDEMANs for Prague Castle the following day.

We wandered about after the tour ended, and found ourselves on the other side of the river, where a bustling street festival was taking place, with people milling about the grassy plains of a park around an outdoor stage.


It was so pleasant in the cool weather to stroll around and soak in the cheery vibes!


Probably yet another non-authentic Czech street food, but who can resist the allure of freshly-fried potato chips cooked on the spot? Not me.


Crowded streets of Malá Strana, just across the River.


We headed back to Old Town Square in the evening, because we had a performance to catch!

Love this scene. The sun setting in Old Town Square while kids were chasing after bubbles drifting gently through the air. It was a magical moment. 

See those Gothic structures rising above the Baroque-style houses? That's Church of Our Lady before Týn - where we bought tickets for a classical performance!

It was a completely spur-of-the-moment decision we'd made while walking past the day earlier, and I was truly very excited for the performance! There are actually lots of little performances with popular classical repertoires happening all around Prague every day, and this one at Church of Our Lady before Týn is just one of many.

If you're a classical music enthusiast and carely deeply for good acoustics/sound, I highly recommend watching a performance at Rudolfinum, the most famous concert building in Prague and the seat of the Czech Philharmonic.


The church itself (dating back to 1365!) is just gorgeous, and these majestic settings made the experience extra special for me.

The "Royal Czech Orchestra" though, wasn't a full orchestra like I was expecting, but comprised of just a string ensemble and some soloists. Nonetheless, I had a good time and thought my money was well-spent on this experience! :)

Dinner at Next Door By Imperial

So I tried Cafe Imperial on our first night, and of course I had to book a table for Next Door by Imperial as well! Just across the road (yes, next door, lierally) and helmed by the same chef, Next Door By Imperial has got a superb ambience and just as appetizing menu as Cafe Imperial, and we were not disappointed!

I love it when restaurants serve fresh bread. We were given this spread to go along with the bread and it was OMFG so so so so so yummy??! Turned out to be some sort of ham pate and it was so damn good we must have polished off two baskets of bread along with it!

Crayfish soup 
with Armagnac and ravioli 

Grilled Flat Iron Steak
with roasted tomatoes with garlic and herbs


Can't find this on the menu anymore - But I believe it was pork cheek, and very delicious too!

A wonderful dinner like this only set us back less than SGD100 - Super worth it or what? I would imagine the same meal costing twice the price in Singapore! These two restaurants (Cafe Imperial and Next Door by Imperial) are super popular with both locals and tourists alike so remember to make your reservations beforehand!

I'll be finishing up with part 2 of Prague in the next post, be back soon!

Europe/UK Sep'17

FRASER SUITES QUEENS GATE, LONDON - I LOVE SERVICED APARTMENTS
HOTEL DU VIN WIMBLEDON, LONDON - NOT JUST TENNIS
MALMAISON OXFORD - A LUXURIOUS PRISON STAY
CAPRI BY FRASER BERLIN - EXPLORING BERLIN

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Europe/UK Sep'17: Capri by Fraser Berlin - Exploring Berlin

Berlin is no unfamiliar name to anyone who's even studied a little History in school: It is the capital of Germany and most people know about the Berlin Wall that divided the city after World War II, and what a significant day it was when Germany was reunified in 1990 (okay, I was three years old!) with the falling and demolition of the Wall.

With so illustrious a history, you would expect nothing less from modern Berlin, that has now risen to become a cosmopolitan hub for both the arts and sciences going strong in the start-up scene, tech, research, IT and other creative industries, and is an amazing place to visit for its vibrant culture, cutting-edge architecture, fantastic food and richly textured history!


I was privileged to have an opportunity to experience Berlin for a few days when Frasers Hospitality brought me to Berlin for the launch of the latest addition to their properties: Capri By Fraser Berlin.

If you read my last post on Fraser Suites Queensgate (in Londond) where I talk about staying in serviced apartments, you'd understand better about how a serviced apartment to me is like marrying the comforts of home with the facilities of a hotel.

While the Fraser Suites properties such as Fraser Suites Queensgate would be suitable for long-stay business travellers, small families or a group of friends travelling together, I would say that Capri By Fraser is the perfect travel accommodation for the casual business traveller or young couple on holiday - It is a little less luxurious, a little more practical and yet still 100% comfortable and convenient!

Capri By Fraser Berlin

In the heart of Berlin, Capri by Fraser brings its unique design-led style to this cultural and diverse city. Located on Museum Island, this brand new hotel residence is only a short walk to the famous museums in Berlin's historic centre. Guests can choose from 143 stylish serviced apartments, ranging from Studios to One-bedroom units.

Designed around the ‘always on’ needs of today’s travellers, Capri By Fraser Berlin is ideal for leisure and business travellers looking for short stay apartments, as well as for extended-stay guests and group bookings. Everything you need is at Capri By Fraser Berlin, from a 24/7 gym to a drinks bar, a laundry room and even meeting facilities and a business center.


The concept of Capri By Fraser Berlin is fun, playful and quirky, and I love it! It's not one of those stuffy and traditional old-fashioned hotels for sure, and you'll feel right at home with the energetic vibes of Capri By Fraser Berlin.

Something cool that you'll notice in the lobby is this: During construction of Capri By Fraser Berlin  a site of archeological significance was discovered and is now covered with glass and carefully preserved!

Get a drink to unwind after a long day at the Drinx bar, right within the lobby! It's open all the way til 1am, so why not?


I was put up in one of Capri By Fraser Berlin's Serviced Studio Apartment and I loved the stay!


The beds were luxurious and comfortable, no complaints there for sure.


The cosy apartment's kitchenette has a washing machine, a sink, a microwave and even a convection stove. Although I personally wouldn't cook any fancy meals from scratch here, heating ready-to-eat meals or putting together simple meals would be a breeze.


The bathroom was spacious and comforable as well, with a huge mirror and ample space!

There was also a good-sized work desk within the space as well as a small dining table with chairs, which made the apartment at Capri By Fraser Berlin pretty much perfect for me!

Breakfast at Kaffee Karamell

In the mornings, you can get breakfast at the casual and lively Kaffee Karamell downstairs - The breakfast here is a lovely spread and served all day with light choices from simple freshly squeezed juices, natural yoghurts, fresh pastries to a full cooked breakfast!

Capri By Fraser Berlin Official Grand Opening Party

Spot these two bears at the entrance?

These two bears were the winning entries in the #BuddyBear Design competition organised by the Singapore Embassy in Berlin in 2014 and are meant to symbolise standing hand in hand together for a peaceful world.

Frasers Hospitalities has its roots in Singapore, so I love how the bears are a proud tribute to Singapore!


The good folks over at Capri By Fraser sure know how to throw a mean party! The official opening party for Capri By Fraser Berlin was a huge blast and I loved it!! First, official speeches started the party off..




Followed by canapes that were cooler than usual. That's soup in test tubes!




There was even an organic ice cream truck to serve up the most delicious ice cream cones at the party!


I never say no to ice cream and this was so good!




Electrifying, death-defying acrobatic performances!

The night ended with a whole lot of partying, grooving and dancing - I can attest to the fact that the Berliners do partying best!

Exploring Berlin

My stay in Berlin was just a short two nights, but I managed to roam about the city to explore some of its most historical sites and of course, food!

Looking for a city guide? Check out Oooh, Berlin.

For those looking for a great non-touristy guide to the city, I highly recommend checking out Oooh, Berlin, a city guide meant for Berliners and expats, but I feel would be just as enjoyable for any visitor in Berlin!

Oooh, Berlin offers free city maps/guides for various areas in Berlin, such as Kreuzberg, Mitte, Neukolln and more! These maps highlight really cool places like great cafes, restaurants, bars, shops and other interesting places all over Berlin in a well-designed map that can be downloaded into your phone. I found out about the best Texas smoked brisket of my life (more on that below) through Oooh, Berlin!

There were so many other spots I wanted to check out, but didn't have enough time to. Please check them out for me! :)

Bus & Boat City Tour

One of the best ways to start exploring Berlin is to take the combined bus and boat tour around the city!


The city bus tour allows you to hop on and off at various landmarks and points of significance around Berlin, such as Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin Cathedral and many more, while an informative audio guide accompanies the ride.

Berlin Wall

At part of the Berlin Wall, one of the most well-documented landmarks of German/European history!


When in Germany, have some bratwurst! Completely legit in a crisp baguette with ketchup and mustard.

Hackesche Höfe

We wandered our way to Hackesche Höfe, the famous traditional Berlin courtyards at Hackescher Markt. Hackesche Höfe dating back to the 18th century are the largest single courtyard complex in Germany and are now vibrant urban quarters home to art galleries, offices, restaurants and nightlife venues.


Taking an ice cream break at Hackesche Höfe!


It's not uncommon to see the justaposition of new and old in Berlin, and one very striking example is the Berliner Fernsehturm TV Tower right next to St Mary's Church (Marienkirche), one of the oldest churches in Berlin.




The exact age of the original church site and structure is not precisely known, but it was first mentioned in German chronicles in 1292.


Right next to St Mary's is the Neptune Fountain, that was built in 1891 and was designed by Reinhold Begas.


There are many notable landmarks all within walking distance, and we eventually made our way past Rotes Rathaus (or Red City Hall), the town hall of Berlin. This building started construction in 1861 and is home to the governing mayor and the government of Berlin!

Berliner Dom and Museum Island

You definitely won't miss Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), one of the most imposing and majestic landmarks of Berlin and the largest church in the city!


I didn't have time to explore within the cathedral, but it was plenty beautiful from the outside already.


Plus, we had really beautiful weather that day, so it was so lovely just to get a bit of exercise, stroll around and admire the city!


Do take at least a day to visit Museum Island, an island with five museums in the heart of Berlin! It's just walking distance away from Capri By Fraser Berlin, super convenient! It is a UNESCO World Heritage and the five museums are world-renowned!

Really love the chill vibes of the local Berliners, I came upon a merry little party going on just along the streets with colorful bunting strung up between two trees and even balloons! The little kids and their mothers looked like they were having a ball of a time.

When it comes to food, Berlin is also a haven for all sorts of gastronomical delights! Don't think of just bratwurst, pork knuckle or schnitzel, thanks to the influx of cultures and influencers from all over the world, Berlin is set to become one of the most exciting food destinations in Europe!

Markthalle Neun

(Eisenbahnstraße 42/43, 10997 Berlin)

A must-visit for the foodies is Markthalle Neun (Market Hall Nine), a food market that's open every day and with special food showcases on various days/evenings! (I included a link to their website above so you can check it out)


I absolutely love looking at fresh produce in Europe! They just look so much more vibrant and fresher than the imports we get in Singapore.


We saw the vegetable and fruit shop outside selling some chanterelle mushrooms (fancy schmancy seasonal mushrooms) for cheap, and took the liberty to purchase some and request for a special order pasta at the Italian pasta stall in Markthalle Neun :)


It was without a doubt one of the most authentic and delicious pastas I've ever tasted outside of Italy!


We also had some of their ravioli, which although plain-looking, was flavorful and scrumptious!


A flank steak sandwhich put together with bread from the bakery that we brought to the butchery - It was so hearty and wholesome and just really, really satisfying in the tummy.


If you spot one of these Photoautomats around, pop in and pay two euros to get your likeness captured in a four-strip printed photo, developed the traditional, analog way. It's an awesome souvenir, and also fun to experience the very first vintage photo booths in history!

The Pit BBQ

(Reichenberger Str. 120 10999)

Who would have thought you'd find such great Texas smoked beef brisket in Berlin, of all places? This restaurant came highly-recommended by Oooh, Berlin, the city guide I shared above - We weren't disappointed a single bit with our dinner here!

The incredible 18-hour smoked brisket was so tender and melt-the-mouth that we wolfed down at least 700g of meat between two people! Completely worth all the trouble we took to hunt down the tiny BBQ smoke house and a definite winner in our culinary books.


Price point was reasonable although I wouldn't say it was cheap  - But for beef brisket that's been hand-smoked using only natural oakwood, I think it was worth every euro!


I am indeed missing Berlin very much after spending the past few hours revisiting those memories while writing this post, and I do hope that the next time I'm in Berlin, I get to spend more than just a couple of days there!

Would I return to Berlin again, and put myself up at Capri By Fraser Berlin again? The anser is a very definitive, YES!

About Capri By Fraser Berlin

Scharrenstraße 22,
10178 Berlin, Germany

Phone: +49 30 2007701888

Capri by Fraser Berlin's website here

Capri By Fraser Berlin is just one of many gorgeous properties managed by Frasers Hospitality. Thank you, Frasers Hospitality for putting me up! I'll be sharing on more properties across UK/Europe, so stay tuned :)

Europe/UK Sep'17

FRASER SUITES QUEENS GATE, LONDON - I LOVE SERVICED APARTMENTS
HOTEL DU VIN WIMBLEDON, LONDON - NOT JUST TENNIS
MALMAISON OXFORD - A LUXURIOUS PRISON STAY
CAPRI BY FRASER BERLIN - EXPLORING BERLIN

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