Prague: Living in a tourist hotspot

DW (English)

In spite of the mass tourism, Prague student Rozárie Haškovcová sees the Czech capital as quite livable.

Transcript

00:00Whenever I'm crossing this bridge, I always have to look at the view and be in absolute awe.

00:04I can't believe that this is the place where I get to live and actively see this amazing view every day.

00:12Prague, my hometown, is the capital of the Czech Republic. Most tourists come here for the historic

00:18buildings, red rooftops, cobblestone streets and the strong beer culture. But today I'll be showing you

00:24my Prague. Ahoj, my name is Rosaria. I am 21 years old and I'm a student in Prague. I was born,

00:33raised and I currently live here. I live in a typical panoramic building, which are concrete

00:40apartment buildings outside of the city center. They were built during the communist era and are

00:46found across central and eastern Europe. Hello, welcome to my apartment. Let me show you.

00:55So I live in a two-bedroom apartment with my boyfriend,

00:58but I only moved in a couple of months ago, so it's pretty new.

01:04I have my homemade mint from my grandma's garden.

01:11For breakfast, I'm having this pie that my mom made for me. The average age for Czechs to leave

01:16home is about 26 years, which is typical across the EU, according to Eurostat. These days,

01:22one-person apartment in the city center can cost around 700 to 1000 euros per month.

01:28Between 2022 and 2023, rent prices increased by 20% and continue to go up.

01:36So I was invited for a panel discussion and a lecture because of my work, so come with me.

01:44It's the Velvet Revolution week this week, so I'm already wearing my ribbon.

01:48The Velvet Revolution took place in 1989,

01:52where the Czechs protested against the communist regime,

01:55which eventually fell and now we live in a democracy.

02:02We have one of the best public transport systems in Europe, with buses, trams,

02:06metros and trains connecting the city and its outskirts.

02:11It is available 24-7 and it's incredibly cheap for students.

02:18I do have my driver's license. I got it when I was 18 years old and I think that's the norm

02:22for Czech people. You get your first official Czech beer and then you also get your driver's

02:26license. I don't necessarily use it, I just think it's a good skill to have, I guess,

02:32but I don't really need a car in Prague. I'm a political science student, but besides that,

02:39I'm also a full-time influencer or greenfluencer, if you wish.

02:48I post about sustainability and climate and science and I'm trying to get people involved

02:56in the talks about overcoming climate change and other sustainable issues.

03:09So this is an event about circularity and circular businesses. It was how businesses

03:14are supposed to implement certain circular sustainable rules and laws and regulations.

03:20But now it's time for lunch.

03:29It's really good, but for about 10 euros that's quite expensive.

03:36Over 90% of Czech university students also work,

03:40mostly to cover living costs or to gain experience.

03:44Prague is considered a top university city. In 2023,

03:48almost 40% of all students in the country studied here.

03:53I love the variability that even though I study political science, I can still take subjects from

03:58any other faculty. So now I'm taking a law subject, I can take biology, anything I want, basically.

04:07Programs in Czech at public universities are completely free, so I don't pay any tuition fees.

04:14And I'm done for today, so I'm gonna head out and have some drinks with my friends.

04:27Mass tourism in Prague can get annoying from time to time,

04:31but as a local I know where to go and how to avoid the big crowds.

04:36Czechia is known for its strong beer drinking culture, and it's true. That's

04:40how most young people socialize. And I don't blame them, because Czech beer is the best.

04:49Thank you for following along. I hope you enjoyed my beautiful city and have a good day. Ahoj!

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