Prague at Christmas is one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe, but that also means it is one of the places that attracts the largest crowds of tourists.
With little more than a month left until Christmas, many trips have already been booked to European cities that are famous for either their Christmas markets or festive atmosphere.
One such city is Prague, which can still feel cold even if you are layered up like an onion (personal experience), but its worth it for its beauty and charm. Prague’s narrow streets, spires, bridges and central square take you back in time, which makes Prague at Christmas the perfect place to be.
DW reported on this unique city where Christmas is a time of celebration and tourism in its article titled “Prague battles with the consequences of overtourism“.
“Near the city hall in the Old Town Square, it looks as if people have gathered for a huge demonstration. But appearances can be deceiving – it’s just thousands of tourists waiting under Prague’s famous medieval astronomical clock for six to strike. Then, with the figures of the apostles and a crowing rooster, a spectacle begins that most tourists from all over the world film on their mobile phones,” the publication says, describing the city’s busiest tourist hotspot.
No “pub crawls” in Prague at Christmas
The article references that amongst the most popular tourist “activities” to do when in Prague, are the organized pub crawls. “Also known as the Golden City, the Czech capital is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, described in many guidebooks as the continent’s most beautiful city.
Recently, however, the city authorities decided to crack down on one of the worst manifestations of overtourism plaguing the capital: organized evening pub crawls, which have been available in the city for several years.
Visitors pay a fixed price to visit numerous pubs in a group and drink as much as they want. Such tours are now banned between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.”
Meanwhile, the expansion of short-term rental in the city has been rampant despite it technically being illegal. “While it is prohibited by law in the Czech Republic to accommodate tourists in apartments, the state does not prosecute those who do so…
Prague has not yet decided to crack down on short-term lets to tourists. The reason for this is the massive importance of the tourism sector for the Czech economy, and for Prague in particular. The state-run CzechTourism agency recorded tourism revenues of about €7 billion ($7.36 billion) last year.
This, together with the fact that about a quarter of a million people are employed in tourism, means that this sector is even more important to the country’s economy than agriculture.”
Ακολουθήστε μας στο Google News και μάθετε πρώτοι όλες τις ειδήσεις!
