Why Prague is an ideal place to live

Today I don’t want to talk about ratings, which are deadly boring, or economic indicators, which are all on the internet. Let's talk about why Prague is such an attractive city, a magnet for people from all walks of life.

My story

I was born in the USSR, grew up on the poor outskirts of the capital of Belarus, Minsk. The biggest dream of my life was to leave that place. Suffering from poverty, from the lack of self-fulfilment and real prospects, and from people’s narrow mindedness, I married a man who shared my beliefs and feelings, and we decided to run away. Yes, I can describe that as ‘running’. We ran in despair, rather than just meaningfully immigrate. 

The Czech Republic was not a conscious choice; it was just the easiest way to get a visa. Having left a poor country, we wanted to land in a rich and developed country in order to start a new comfortable life from scratch. My life in the Czech Republic has showed me that it is perfectly possible to lead a comfortable life even in a country that does not rank among the richest in the world. At the same time, I can safely say that living standards in Prague are greatly underestimated, for people tend to assume that a country of the former Soviet bloc simply cannot be rich. However, Prague is the sixth richest region of the European Union!

We thought that after living in the Czech Republic for some time, we would move to London or Stockholm. However, we have been in love with Prague from day one. Thirteen years have passed since then; we have been travelling across Europe, but we have never seen a better city for us than Prague. After the first 3 years of living in Czechia, we finally abandoned the idea of looking for another new home.

The reasons

1. Well, to begin with, Prague is very accustomed to foreigners. Every 14th resident is a foreigner. 

2. Czechs very much appreciate the striving to learn their language. Even if you speak very poorly, but still try, they will be open to communication.

3. Prague residents do not meddle in the affairs of others. Being from a country where strangers inconsiderately make remarks to each other, even on a bus, I especially appreciate it not being the case in the Czech capital.

4. The Czech Republic is highly stable. 

-  For example, Czechs have always been upholding political values throughout their entire history. And here you can be sure that political misconduct or any other violations by politicians will not go ignored.

-  Czechs love their language and cherish it. Despite the fact that English is widely spoken in Prague especially by the younger generation, the Czech language is not stagnating. In fact, it is constantly evolving.

- People have a habit of living very calmly and composedly. Czechs still value and protect their private time against the intrusiveness of international companies. For instance, working at weekends is not part of the usual routine. 

- Pragers love their city. They voluntarily clean the streets, cherish their historical buildings and do not allow them to be demolished. According to statistics, almost all the graffiti and garbage in the city are to be blamed on tourists and teenagers.

-  The economy in the Czech Republic is also very stable. I was already living in Prague when the crisis occurred. And yet, like most of my friends, I did not even feel it.

5. Despite the fact that Prague is a very large city by European standards, the atmosphere is village-like here. Pragers themselves are also very relaxed people. They rarely shout or get in a fight.

6. In most cases, the people of Prague do not judge others by their clothes. Some Pragers even go to the theatre in trainers! I like this fact (except for theatres:), especially considering that in my native land even the garbage should be taken out in high heels in order to avoid the condemnation of the crowd.

7. The concentric structure of the city. All the main events, restaurants, shops etc. are in the city centre, and if you need to reach the outskirt, the trip will take only about 25 minutes. I live in the wider center of the city and can easily walk anywhere from here.  

8. The international airport is located in the city. You can get there quickly and easily by public transport. It helps a lot when you go on a tight-scheduled trip or holiday. 

Finally, Prague is such a beautiful city that I keep on admiring it each and every day. I have been living here for 13 years now, and I have never got tired of it.

If you are looking for a calm, beautiful and romantic city with great opportunities for culture and career, ideal for raising children, then Prague will definitely suit you.