Our train journey from Berlin to Prague turned out to be far more eventful than expected.

Halfway through the journey, my mum called to tell me my final university results. By this point, Hannah and I had already started chatting with the other people in our train carriage, so naturally everyone became invested in the moment. The entire carriage ended up waiting in suspense to hear my results.

Just as my mum was about to tell me, the signal dropped and the call cut off.

Cue complete panic.

I kept trying to call her back while everyone around me waited anxiously for the outcome. Eventually I managed to reconnect and found out I had received a 2:1 in my BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics degree.

I was completely overwhelmed with emotion — and the whole carriage celebrated with me. Looking back, it was a surreal but really lovely moment.

Aside from that excitement, the train journey itself wasn’t particularly pleasant. It was hot, stuffy, and heavily delayed, so by the time we finally arrived in Prague we were more than ready to drop our bags and relax.

We checked into Sokolska Youth Hostel, quickly changed, and then headed straight out to explore Prague’s nightlife.

Prague Nightlife: Our First Night Out

We ended up at Rodeo Skolska Club, a cocktail lounge only a five-minute walk from our hostel.

The place turned out to be a great surprise. The music was exactly our kind of vibe — classic dance hits from the 80s and 90s — and the atmosphere was fantastic.

What we loved most was that it didn’t feel overly touristy. Most of the crowd seemed to be locals, which made the night feel far more authentic.

One thing that definitely stood out, though, was that people were smoking inside the club — something we weren’t used to anymore.

Despite that, it ended up being one of the best nights out of our entire Interrail trip.

Day 1 in Prague: Castles, Views and Bridges

Still buzzing from the night before, we started our first full day in Prague by visiting some of the city’s most famous sights, including Prague Castle, Petrin Hill, and Charles Bridge.Day 1: Castles and Bridges

Prague Castle

Our first stop was Prague Castle, which dates back to the 9th century and has served as the seat of power for Bohemian kings, Holy Roman emperors, and Czech presidents throughout history.

Today it is still used as the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic.

Although we didn’t go inside the castle complex, visitors can purchase tickets to explore the interiors of what is considered the largest ancient castle complex in the world.

Even from the outside, the views across the city were impressive.

Petrin Hill

From Prague Castle, we made our way toward Petrin Hill, one of the best places in Prague for panoramic views of the city.

Located in the Malá Strana district, Petrin Hill rises more than 130 metres above the Vltava River, offering stunning views across Prague’s rooftops.

Visitors can either walk up the hill or take the funicular railway, which stops at three stations along the way: Ujezd, Nebozizek, and Petrin.

We decided to hike.

The walk takes around 30 minutes and, although a little steep, it’s a peaceful climb through wooded paths and greenery. On the sunny day we visited, the hill was full of locals and tourists enjoying the warm weather.

Historically, the hill was once covered in rocks that were later used to build much of Prague. In 1360, a defensive wall known as the Hunger Wall was constructed there to help protect the city.

After taking plenty of photos, we slowly made our way back down toward Malá Strana.

Charles Bridge

Next we crossed Charles Bridge, one of Prague’s most iconic landmarks.

Commissioned by King Charles IV, construction of the bridge began in 1357 and it remained the only crossing over the Vltava River for many years.

The bridge is famous for its 30 baroque statues of Christian saints, as well as the many artists, musicians, and street performers that line its walkway.

Walking across it offered some beautiful views of the river and Prague’s historic skyline.

A Rainy Afternoon in Prague

Unfortunately, the weather quickly turned.

What had started as a hot summer day suddenly became heavy rain, so we decided to find somewhere dry and grab lunch. Slightly ironically, we ended up eating Indian food in a shopping mall, mainly because we were craving rice after days of travel.

Since the rain showed no signs of stopping, we decided to visit the Prague City Museum.

The museum provides an overview of Prague’s history and displays artefacts spanning several centuries. One of its most notable features is an enormous model of the city that fills an entire room.

While it was interesting, I have to admit it wasn’t the most exciting museum unless you’re particularly passionate about Prague’s history.

Afterwards, we caught a bus back to the hostel.

Another Night Out in Prague

Back at the hostel, we met some Irish girls staying in our dorm who told us they were planning to join the Drunken Monkey pub crawl.

Naturally, we decided to join them.

It turned out to be another fantastic night. We met travellers from all over the world, danced for hours, and stayed out until the early morning.

It was one of those spontaneous travel nights that you know you’ll remember for years.

Day 2 in Prague: Old Town and the Astronomical Clock

The next morning was… difficult.

Despite barely sleeping, we forced ourselves out of bed, packed our bags, grabbed some breakfast, and joined a walking tour of Prague’s Old Town.

Unfortunately, our lack of sleep caught up with us. At one point we were so tired that we briefly fell asleep while standing during the tour, which still makes us laugh when we think about it.

Old Town Square

One of the highlights of the tour was Old Town Square, widely considered one of the most beautiful squares in Prague.

The square is surrounded by colourful historic buildings, churches, and cafés. During winter it becomes the location of Prague’s famous Christmas markets, while in summer it’s filled with street performers and outdoor food stalls.

The Astronomical Clock

One of the square’s main attractions is the Prague Astronomical Clock.

Installed in 1410, it is the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still in operation.

Every hour, crowds gather beneath the clock to watch its small animated performance. If you plan to visit, be sure to arrive a few minutes before the hour — the square quickly fills with tourists waiting for the show.

Church of Our Lady Before Týn

Overlooking the square is the Church of Our Lady Before Týn, one of Prague’s most recognisable Gothic landmarks.

Its dramatic twin towers dominate the skyline of the Old Town. Interestingly, the towers are not perfectly symmetrical — one is slightly larger than the other.

According to local legend, this represents the masculine and feminine sides of the world, with the larger tower symbolising strength.

When Exhaustion Finally Won

At this point, Hannah and I were completely exhausted.

Instead of continuing the walking tour, we decided that sleeping in a nearby park sounded like a far better plan.

We ended up falling asleep for about an hour, only to wake up and realise the park had emptied of tourists and was now mostly occupied by locals and a few homeless people enjoying their afternoon nap.

We decided that was probably our cue to move on and head to our next destination: Kraków.

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Where We Stayed in Prague

We stayed for two nights in an eight-bed female dorm at Sokolska Youth Hostel.

While the hostel had a good central location near a metro station, the facilities left a lot to be desired.

The bathroom situation was particularly memorable — and not in a good way. The light switch was located outside the bathroom, meaning someone could accidentally turn the lights off while you were showering. If you were too polite to shout out that you were inside (very British behaviour), you were left showering in complete darkness.

Unfortunately, the bathroom was also quite unclean.

To make matters slightly stranger, there was a very creepy man who seemed to sit in an armchair in the living room all night, slowly rocking back and forth while staring at the door.

Still, the bunk beds didn’t collapse — which, at that point in our trip, felt like a win.

Final Thoughts on Prague

Despite the questionable hostel experience and very little sleep, Prague quickly became one of our favourite cities of the trip.

With its dramatic Gothic architecture, historic bridges, scenic viewpoints, and lively nightlife, it’s easy to see why the city attracts millions of visitors each year.

Even after two busy days, we felt like we had only scratched the surface.

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