"One of the most beautiful European... " a Prague Travel Page by svoures

Prague has always been my favourite european city, mainly because of its immense beauty and romantic setting. Wherever you go, whether it is a small stroll around the Old Town with its narrow, confusing streets and hundreds of shops, cafes and pubs, or an uphill walk towards Mala Strana and the Prague Castle, or a night stop in Charles Bridge to admire the city, Prague's beauty is breathtaking.
This Xmas I visited Prague for the fourth time, the last time being four years ago. I revisited some places I had already visited before and also tried a few new and recommended ones. Once again, Prague lived up to its reputation.

Xmas in Prague is a bit different from most other places in Europe. Czechs seem to celebrate New Year's Eve more than Xmas Eve, however the whole city is decorated with Xmas lights, its squares full of little kiosks selling gifts, street performances happenning all the time and if you are lucky, snow falling throughout December.

Unfortunately, Prague has paid the price of its own popularity. In the last few years it has become very expensive, compared to what it was a while ago. It is still cheap compared to prices in the UK, for example, but if you consider that a few years ago the average price for a beer was 10-15kr and these days you can pay up to 100kr in a city centre bar, you see the difference.
The big corporate names have also started creaping up. Shops like Marks & Spenser, H&M, C&A, Debenhams etc are now taking the place of the small, independently owned shops, which really destroys the image and individuality of any city. When I go abroad, I like to see different shops, with things I cannot find back home. I do not want the Prague city centre to look like any other british city centre in a few years' time.