Prague  Hostels Central - online booking for hostels in Prague

Prague is one of the most charming cities in Eastern Europe. It has a strong cultural tradition, as well as beautiful buildings a go-go. Prague is also a city where the image of Franz Kafka, the famous writer, is almost as omni-present as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s is in Salzburg, the city where the composer was born. Given the fact that Kafka’s book are amongst the bleakest, albeit fundamental, of the 20th Century, one would assume that this could cast a dark shadow over the whole city.

It is quite the contrary. Already during the Eastern Block period, Prague was one of the most lively and independent-thinking cities, as proved by the famous Prague Spring in 1968, when the leader of the country, Alexandr Dubcek , tried to introduce a more open-minded vision of socialism, declaring human rights as something central for the well-being of the population. Up until that period, Prague had been a flourishing of clubs, jazz and rock bands, and major figures like the Serbian director Milos Forman and the Czech writer Milan Kundera were main figures of the local cultural scene. This was stopped by a Russian military invasion, which was followed by 20 years of occupation by Warsaw Pact troops and a radical process of ’normalization’.

But when the Eastern Block collapsed, Prague was ready to join the likes of Germany and Austria in terms of cultural initiatives and vivacity, and if you went there in 1991 you already had the feeling of being in one of the liveliest cities in Europe. In fact, the Czechoslovak Republic has been all to eager to embrace Western consumerism, as the endless series of fast food chains and beverage advertisements will confirm you. Nevertheless, Prague is a beautiful city, full of enchanted streets and monuments, and where everything is still quite cheap, if compared to anywhere else in Western Europe. Therefore, it is the ideal city for backpackers who want to have fun without spending too much money, and enjoy an atmosphere where culture is as important as sheer fun.