The first thing you will most likely find in Prague is the large amounts of alternative transportation available all over the city. Picture is a tourist attraction of taking an hour long tour exploring the city streets by horse.
Fashion trends normal start in Europe. You can see why and how by the way that people dress while just walking the streets of Prague. Most people in the city dress nicely and do not typically wear lounge-wear out of the house. A common outfit that American young women will wear is a t shirt with leggings, but you won’t find that here.
Tourist attractions are everywhere and here are just some that were right in front of me! This bus is just one of the many tourist companies that are available for people to choose from. On the side of the bus is an advertisement for their luxurious river cruise that they also offer. Beside the bus is another tour guide with a large umbrella advertising their “free tours”. Many times, tour guides will walk around with large umbrellas or colorful sticks to help their group get through the huge crowds in the streets. Cigarettes are just as prominent here as they are in Hungary. I was unable to find such a large amount of people smoking freely on the streets as Budapest, but there still is a huge market for them. Pictured above is a man who seems to be going home after a day of work smoking a cigarette. Another tourist attraction, but this one is way more fun! Here we have a group of men in a bicycle powered car. In the middle there is a keg of beer where they can tour the streets while also having a drink with friends. This attraction is much more popular in Europe rather than the United States because of the different drinking cultures the 2 continents have. The technology culture is the same as the United States though. Everywhere I saw many with a phone out and looking down at instead of being in the present and experiencing things in life. Here we see 2 individuals who don’t know each other at all, but are doing the same thing – being engrossed in their phones. The man is taking a picture while blocking out the world with headphones in, and the women taking a photo while still holding her drink.
Like Budapest, Prague has a large amount of cyclists. Since the streets are so narrow and the city is densely populated, people tend to result to cycling to get from place to place. On the left is a man using a “city bike”, a bike that can be rented for quick and easy use and can be left anywhere in the city for another individual to use. On the right is another man who is using his own bike for a better alternative.
Pictured is the enormous crowds that gather around Prague’s Astronomical Clock every hour to see the bells chime and move. This is one of the great tourist attractions of Prague. The culture in this city is so rich with history, yet the shops and restaurants must adapt to the culture that is tourism. I am sure that there are plenty of locals that come through the square to buy food and clothing, but the majority of people in this captured photo are all tourists. Pictured here is another city worker that is picking up the countless cigarette buds that cover the ground. Similar to Budapest, there are people that go around and empty the bins and litter that are on the ground. Besides the cigarettes, there is not much garbage on the floor. There is more of a “do your own part” in garbage and how you dispose of it in Prague. In the United States, the culture is more thought of as “that’s not my job, someone else will pick it up”.
In this photo, you are able to see that Hungarians are found drinking a beer. This is typical to see someone drinking a glass of beer or white at any point of the day. Alcohol is seen as more of a leisure beverage alongside with water whereas in the United States we typically only drink those beverages for dinner.
It is typical to find motorcycles, mopeds, and bicycles covering the streets and parking spots of Hungary. Citizens like to use this mode of transportation instead of cars due to the narrow streets and accessibility. Pictured here is a man that is using a bicycle of his own to transport himself from place to place rather than using a car or public transportation. As said previously, lots of people in this area are found to be riding a vehicle similar to this one. Pictured here is one of the many different forms of public transportation that Hungary has. There are trams, buses, and subway trains that run throughout the city that provide citizens an easy, convenient, and environmentally friendly way of getting from place to place. Couples in Hungary are very open about expressing their love for their significant others. Here you can find a couple on a street bench deep in each others embrace. Cigarettes. The most prominent thing to have noticed when first stepping of the plane. People openly smoke cigarettes everywhere from outdoor restaurants, walking down sidewalks, and even designated smoke rooms. Restaurants and cafes, like this Starbucks, all have ash trays on tables everywhere to dispose of them properly yet they cover the streets. The streets of Budapest are much cleaner than any street you would typically see in Boston or New York City. There are people regularly patrolling the streets for any garbage on the floor or emptying out the stationed garbage cans. Photographed above is a man walking down one of the streets to clean and better the city from pollution.
Uber eats is a growing phenomenon in the United States where people get their food delivered right to their front door. Companies similar to it are present in Hungary as well. Pictured above are just two of the many delivery workers that I saw during the duration of my time sitting at this outdoor Starbucks. They can be typically seen riding a motorcycle (left) or a bicycle (right). But you will always be able to identify them due to their large box shaped backpack.
Although we were in a central tourist area, there were several groups of people walking up and down the streets learning more about the Hungarian culture. Hungary is a melting pot of ethnicity, so you typically will not be able to tell who is a local, who is just visiting for the day, and who really is a tourist without them walking in large groups shown above.
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