what I think made the wall wonderful, wasn`t john lennon or the new artists painting it. What makes it a great tourist attraction for me is that all people come together here, write messages for tourists who come after them, just a big sheet of paper, where people from all around the world can write, whatever comes up to their mind.
@@littlefinger4509 whatever is written there, it somehow is a reflection of our society, not just czechs society or the european society, basically a reflection of society from all around the world, where travelling is affordable. Which is a great thing, even if the messages are often bullshit. 10 years ago, noone posted their instagramm on it, but maybe their facebook accounts or other trends and in 10 years from now the kind of message left there will continue to change and im curious about, how. I would consider a reflection of our society as a great piece of art. And many people seem to think alike, otherwise it wouldn`t be so popular to write something on that wall.
To be fair, the people that make those Tiktoks are basically just tourists that saw the thing and immedietaly decided to record it without second thought. Basically victims of the same tourist trap they promote.
I would still put the blame on them: they are often making a recommendation for something, not just showing pictures / videos of their travel. If you make a recommendation, it is on you to make sure that it is actually a sound one.
They shouldn't be giving recommendations on where to visit and what to do when they're clearly new to the place and don't know what's good. Because evidently they ended up promoting and recommending scamy tourist traps
Hey guys, many scam comments popping up here. Please beware! Not us :) asi I am sure most of you figured. We do not do giveaways for crypto and iphones... we only do Ferarris :)
this is SO UPSETTING. do people really think that they look "cool" on social media by destroying such a beautiful wall? even after the officials redisgned it?!
The John Lennon Wall symbolizes freedom of speech and the non-violent resistance of the Czech youth. The wall started in 1980, shortly after Lennon was murdered. Although John Lennon never visited the location of the wall, it was crafted as a symbolic burial site by the youth of Prague.
They are free. We need more freedom and much less authoritarian control I may not agree with what they write but would fight for them to be able to write it (as long as it's not far right hate speech)
@@theworldisfullofrightwingcnts There has to be a balance in "worth" and freedom. Should you be able to write something in protest of a corrupt government? Sure, I can see that. Should you be able to write your insta handle on a public wall? No, there is no value in it.
@@drazgul9403 then who gets to decide what has value? That wall in particular has a long history of being a wall where kids write shit and somebody has probably always taken issue with it. Just because we're grown up doesn't mean we now get to take that freedom away from the youth
This dude is in many ways responsible for my current very positive outlook on modern Czech culture. The fact that this dude recognizes the bullshit that goes on in his own turf and spends his days making sure that they dont ruin the reputation of his homeland shows just how much he loves his country. Cool dude.
I wish I knew all this before I visited Prague in 2019. I had some local friends who steered me clear of the worst tourist traps and exchange offices though. The National Technical Museum was unfortunately closed the day I was free to visit. As was the Museum of Public Transport. Although the gentleman at the beer garden in front of the Public Transport museum said that a beer would help with the disappointment. He was quite correct.
I spent a year in Prague as an Erasmus student exactly the year you started to become famous (2016-2017). Your guides were super helpful and we all loved them. I remember a friend of mine who was studying architecture saying she wanted to enter a governement building to check out one of those elevators. She didn't know that the university we were at had 2 of them and I had been using them to get to my classes (some in the 8th floor) every single day. I made her come to my department and the she was so excited, made so many photos and videos while I was just laughing at her. It made me remember how excited I was about them the first few weeks in Prague before getting used to them. By the way they are so useful because you don't have to wait for the elevator to go up and down before reaching you, they just always run and have to wait for a free cabin
the YMCA building is another secret spot where you can ride the elevators, near N.R: it's an office building, my doctors office is there so please be respectful: btw why don't you do a program on other cities as Karlovy Vary region and the natural springs? Interesting areas are Kyselka (Matoni) and did you know you can get free mineral water in Kyselka (it's Matoni, but it's free), or drive to Loket, or Boží Dar The drive is amazing around the mountain roads especially for motorcycles or cycling
If only there was a wall between TikTok and all other media. 'Shorts', 'reels', even 'stories' are all a bane of today's internet existence. Creative bubblegum. The kids love it, but I wish all the social media platforms weren't blindly chasing them in the playpen. And I wish the gum wouldn't end up on the streets we have to walk down. Thanks Guides.
They really are responsible for the increasing mental sclerosis of so many people and also the obsession for taking out your phone and videoing absolutely everything. Awful.
I have noticed how much social media is pushing this stuff for the short attention span of young teens. I mean I admit it's effective and sometimes I get lost and spend 30 minutes watching them too but I really hope this doesn't get worse in the future.
I prefer the old classics like vine. I made a TikTok once to see what all the fuss was about but shortly deleted it. Don’t care for TikTok. It’s a bunch of rando “music”, “memes” and unhelpful crap
I was there with my 3yo, it's cute, not and absolute must go, it's not too interactive. It's mostly fun to observe the little details, to "drive" a bus or a tram. With kids it's better to go to zemědělské muzeum.
Seeing the Lennon wall makes me sad. What is wrong with people they are destroying art? Having a huge amount of likes on TikTok is the only thing people care about these days.
@@theworldisfullofrightwingcnts If the city itself does the grafitti, it isn't vandalism because its allowed, its from the officials. When tourists do that, then its vandalism. Leaving mark, suuure suuure. Just promoting yourself on the wall.
I tried to buy pork as a tourist in the Czech Republic. The guy yelled at me and said he doesn’t sell to Americans along with some other words that I imagine weren’t kind. I guess I didn’t miss out on anything! Also, I’m Canadian.
@@Ricardoelsupremothis is needless pedantry. Everyone knows in colloquial conversation that ‘American’ refers to someone from the US unless otherwise specified.
social media and it's trends have been the most destructive phenomenon to any tourist attracting place. i get terribly annoyed at this point of tourists in my little country for being disrespectful to our local culture and historical sites
@@Rose333X what kind of an altruistic reddit retard answer is that? It has nothing to do with what i said. When you're a tourist, respect the culture and customs of the natives. Simple as
Janek and Honza, just popping by with a comment to say thanks for all the great guides to Prague. Was there a couple weeks ago and had a great time, ate lots and drank plenty at some of your recommendations, had a coffee at Linda's coffee shop and stayed away from all the tourist traps!
I remember going up and down with the Paternoster elevator back in 2002, when I visited Prague on a school trip. People working there used to be kind of enjoying the tourists back then...they even gave mini tours of the building. The other favourite "up and down place" for us, was the Duplex Discotheque and those were some pretty hard ups and down 🎉🍻😵💫
I hate those computer read fake TikTok’s. I love honest guys who actually go there. Give us their honest opinions and show first hand footage. Love your videos. Thank you for sharing.
I do appreciate going to more "legit" and "historic" places when traveling abroad. But I do also enjoy just doing to dumb fun places like the sex machine museum. The way I judge it is, if its a reasonable price for the experience then it is worth going to for me. Of course, I would first want to hit all the major historic spots first then do whatever I want after.
You’re not allowed. This guy says you’re only allowed to do what Czech people do and if something costs more money than his cheap ass is prepared to pay for it, it’s a scam or trap.
The whole trdelník thing is weird. People from Prague say it's not local - true. But they also say it's not Czech - false. Absolutely, trdelník was never a thing in Prague, but it it a local thing in some parts of Moravia (particularly around borders with Slovakia, where it's a well-known local food in Záhorie region) and indeed offered in many non-touristy locations over there. In a way it demonstrates how diverse Czechia is and how even people from Prague are somewhat detached from the rest of the country. Good reason to explore more than just the capital!
I would say it’s traditional like guláš which also didn’t originate in Czechia but it’s considered Czech. I don’t think trdelnik is a tourist trap per se, it’s just the whole TrdloKafe thing and all the other shops that sell overpriced trdelnik with ice cream and whipped cream on top. Desserts like věneček and špička feel definitely more Czech and you can get them for a reasonable price. 😀
@@adriana_cern Agreed, the whole ice cream thing is weird and not very traditional. But I could name some non-touristy locations in Brno where it's served and they've been in business for years so obviously locals eat it too :)
The john lennon wall is a real shame because the original art looks amazing and I wish it still stood, but I personally also really like the vibrant lively look of what it has now, I wish there was a timeline where these were separate walls that coexisted in some way.
They were actually quite popular throughout Europe and older Civic buildings and even hospitals. So next time you're waiting for an elevator think of how different things would be if these elevators were still installed in new buildings!
@@raptorshades Yes, but now, on many places, they have both paternoster, and normal elevator. So no worries :). But it's awesome for better flow of people. We have it on our university and it's much better for flow and waiting than normal elevator.
I've had trdelniks in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Delicious. Prague should be proud to have them! They are traditional, like money scammers and love locks... ❤🔒
Don’t get me wrong, I used to enjoy a good trdelnik back in the day when it was a thing you could only get at a Christmas market, now when it’s everywhere, I think it lost its charm 😐😄
Love your videos and always suggest them to friends before going to Prague. I think a big problem with the John Lennon Wall is, that spraying/painting on it is advertised as an activity for tourists. When I visited Prague in 2018, we stopped there with a guided Tour and they told us a story about how spraying there was legal. They also gave us the paint to spray there and some cardboard and knives to create templates
At the University of Sheffield, UK and there is a lift in the Arts Building like the one you describe as a 'nonstop running elevator'. It is called the paternoster lift. So that's the correct term for them in English too.
It grinds my gears that tourists think they know better than the locals. The Prague police should make it clear to them that the wall is private property and their Tick-tock art is a criminal act.
I am leaving Prague tomorrow and everything you listed in the video is 100% right. These sites were honestly the least interesting parts of Prague. It has so much better to offer. On that note, I would like to recommend Speculum Alchemiae in Prague. I don't see it listed anywhere, but it was the coolest tour of the history of alchemy in Prague. I found it by accident and was the best surprise during my trip.
I've been actually stuck with a friend at the bottom of the paternoster elevator at the Prague university during a study trip to Prague. A bit terrifying not having any cell service at the basement surrounded by concrete.
For everyone being mad about the wall. Soo Graffiti or streetart is and always was a form of public negotiation of space. Everyone can make a proposition on how to design the wall and everyone can neglect that proposition and propose something new. And this ever changing character of walls in cities is the appeal about it. It is one of the last places where not one person or one committee decides on the structures faith but the people do and they do it over and over and over again. Something a piece is there for decades because it is so good, or it have stecial meaning sometimes it is gone within houres but the change just added more history to a place. Is it a bit different when folks of tourist do it? Yeah but if it is just one spot, isn't it what makes that spot then special in it's one way?
nice perspective! people scribble on the art, but then new art is painted on top. it's like the art is... alive. it's moving, constantly changing over time -- it sort of reminds me of that "r/place" thing.
Tbh, as an artwork, the book spiral looks interesting and would pique the interest of any tourists. However, I disagree with your invitation to "just read the book in the library" since we are talking about tourists here and they often have tight schedule. Your contents are so great that others watch them and retell the things they found from you. Those locations are unique by themselves but thank you for telling us more bits about the reality of Prague!
Sometimes its just fun to be a tourist and do touristy things when travelling - keep that in mind. When we travelled to my husbands hometown I wanted to do the more touristy things aswell as the things he would show me and that also showed him something he had never seen before in the city he grew up in :D
I know I am a few months late to this video. I am a dual citizen between the US and Czech, and so when I was a child, we went to the Ministerstvo Zemědělství in Hradec Kralove for some paper work. Some government office. And guess what was there? A paternoster lift. It was WELL before the tourist popularity of the lift, like 2007 or 08. The office was mostly empty on that day, and so I just spent most of the time riding the lift up and down. As a kid, it was fun.
Downfall of Tiktok's recommendation system, most of them are eye-catching short clips without insight (as you mentioned), it is only for entertainment, it is also testing IQ of all human beings
Hey Honest Guide, happy Halloween. Have you ever thought about making a supernatural guide to Prague? When I was I kid, I remember a book about ghosts and other supernatural stuff in Prague. That would be great.
There was one such non-stop elevator in the pilot episode of a British series called This Is Going To Hurt, it was in an hospital. Probably to show that the place was in need of renovation.
Díky za boží videa, jsem z Čech, ale do Prahy jezdím málo a když tak nevím kam jít, aby to za to stálo.. tedy nevěděla jsem kam jít. S Vámi si trénuju angličtinu a když pak vyrazím mám jasno. Ať se Vám daří, díky že to děláte tak hezky a ještě ke všemu dvojjazyčně ❤❤🙏🙏
I'm now so ashamed to say I wrote on the Lennon wall... We got a history teacher as a walking tour guide from Airbnb experiences and he even brought markers for us to write on it.
Don't worry, at the end of the day it's just a wall. I'd say that having a place where people come together to have a bit of fun is more interesting than a plain wall - would would get dirty and gummed and spray painted on anyway.
@@nanifa6082 Exactly, in the end, it's just stones, it's just atoms. Every monuments and pieces of art should be vandalized, after all in the end it's just metal, it's just paper, it's just marble, it's just a medium for artistic expression, it's not what matters, what matters is that we are all here together, holding hands, singing songs, what matters is the moment we're sharing. _if it's not obvious enough, I'm being sarcastic. Tomas didn't know any better but saying it's okay and justifying it like you did is truly moronic_
Paternoster lift is awesome! Also very unhappy with your explanation of the Lennon Wall. This was an important artefact from the struggle of Prague residents against the Communist regime using art and graffiti. Other movements around the world have adopted the "Lennon Wall" concept. My daughter was involved in a Lennon Wall at her university without realising where the name came from, so I took her to the original Lennon Wall when we visited Prague in early 2020. The whole idea of the wall is to make the authorities cranky. Long live the Lennon Wall.
Anne, we're Czech, we know the meaning of the Lennon wall. The problem with tourists tagging it and drawing nonsense on it is that it loses its meaning! No Instagram tag or conspiracy (in the video you can see someone wrote "bush caused 9/11") is meaningful to the city, or to the history of the wall. Not to mention it looks terrible and ruins the beautiful art underneath it.
@@Stephaniesmith4737 I was only commenting that Honest Guides did not provide the meaning of the Lennon Wall in the video, I certainly did not mean that Czech people do not understand the Lennon Wall. Of course they understand it, they made it! But it might now be beyond their imagination, because other people are using it to express their own struggles (not related to Czechia). I think it is a beautiful thing, but understand it is probably also annoying for the locals to see it being damaged/defaced
Ima be a bit off topic but. I remember my trip to Prague and I want to a store wanting to try Tridlo. Costed 3 euros , me being Lithuanian , I was expecting something not to big , with a bit of jam in it. I proceeded to get a tridlo pretty much as big as my head , filled fully with Apple jam. I had to double check if this was legit. I left them 6 euros cause 3 euros for the amount of jam and tridlo itself I got felt like a scam. Loved every bit of your country , my most memorable trip I have had. From my very first ride in a metro , to the very first mountains I saw in my life. And drives up the thin mountain roads , while fog covers the forests below you....A view I wont forget.
And that, my friend, is the difference between someone who travels to know places and learn new stuff and someone who travels only to post pictures on social media, to let others know that is traveling.
Me and my bf traveled to Prague this spring and I really have to say that the Vitus cathedral was absolutely F amazing to see. It was the most beautiful building. We also went on a guided tour to Kutna Hora to see the bone church along with st. Barbara.
The books in the tower can't be read, is that so ? How about the other books in the library are they all in Czech ? Don't expect any deep thoughts from tiktok.
I really enjoyed the honest take on all the povrchní information videos. I'd be super disappointed to just walk through a narrow space for a tourist trap restaurant, or walk into someone's place of work while they're working.
Why is he hatin on the sex machine museum? I haven't been, but looking at the photos it looks like a proper museum with a lot of interesting and historical stuff. That stuff may not be for everyone I get it, but for 10 euros I wouldn't act like it's a scam or something, I'm a very sex positive person and I'd pay 10 to go see it
Something that was done in our city to avoid vandalism to art was moving the art upwards, away from reachable heights. Obviously they also charge like 300 eur to those who vandalism the wall
It's not nearly as prominent, but there is a problem with people visiting National Parks and historic sites in the US and tagging things. It's not as bad when they do it to signs or added infrastructure, but when they do it to the natural surroundings or the historic structures, it's just atrocious. "Oh, this rock outcropping has been on this mountain for 500 million years, slowly shaped by the forces of erosion and freeze cycles, but I can't help but imagine that I can improve it by writing name in bright spray paint."
Last time I was in Prague (22 years ago) there was this museum where you could drink unlimited red wine for free. It was filled with more or less bad fantasy paintings, but the owner was a fantastic man. We had sooo much fun in there. I wonder if it still exists…
Advertise means they pay you to show that place, not that is a good place. Don't go advertised places, they crave and pay to more people to come there. Good places doesnt need advertisement 👍
The Lennon wall is worth visiting due to the historic value it represents. It is worth understanding why it is called Lennon's wall, on the first place and why the graffitis are allowed. It is about freedom of expression over censorship.
Lol, my mom used to have a government job in Brussels, and the building she worked in also had these paternoster elevators. She hated them 😂 Apparently it was a common prank amongst coworkers to prevent a new coworker from exiting the elevator, they would freak out because many assumed that they flip over at the top and bottom lol
I visited Prague a couple of times around 20 years ago, great city but there's so much to see in the rest of the country. I really despise mass tourism because it's is just fast food tourism, fast tourism, you're not exploring or enjoying a new place you're just quickly shoving it down your throat.
ive been to prag with a czech girl. she showed me around and was completly into this monastery called loreta. also plays chimes. and ... most importantly ... theres a nice place next to it where you can get beer. czech beer is the best.
Having seen the John Lennon wall in the mid-90s, I'm horrified as to what's been done to it. If the tourists can't respect it then maybe knock the thing down? Because what's replaced the original is one big splat of a mess.
Ima be honest I don’t know what’s wrong with a Beer Spa - I went to the website and there’s a thorough historical explanation for why bathing in beer soaks can be good for you and which ancient civilizations pioneered that. Anyway, love your videos. You are blessed by Hermes, and you’re a hero to travelers and tourists!
If they could only make something actually traditionally Czech, like buchty, into a show when it‘s baked, like by baking it in an oven where you can watch them rise, I bet they would be incredibly popular street food.
I love your passion and the style of your guide videos to CZ / Prague. Can you please expand your business and create clones of your business model for other Cities around the world :) I've been watching your guide for years now and still think you do it better than anyone else
The wall being destroyed a couple days after really breaks my heart. Those artists did such a good job. You dont smear over other peoples art!
what I think made the wall wonderful, wasn`t john lennon or the new artists painting it. What makes it a great tourist attraction for me is that all people come together here, write messages for tourists who come after them, just a big sheet of paper, where people from all around the world can write, whatever comes up to their mind.
@@xxMilakasiaxx And half of it is instagrams or "acab".
That's not art or anything else, just vandalism.
camereas and fines!
@@littlefinger4509 whatever is written there, it somehow is a reflection of our society, not just czechs society or the european society, basically a reflection of society from all around the world, where travelling is affordable. Which is a great thing, even if the messages are often bullshit. 10 years ago, noone posted their instagramm on it, but maybe their facebook accounts or other trends and in 10 years from now the kind of message left there will continue to change and im curious about, how. I would consider a reflection of our society as a great piece of art. And many people seem to think alike, otherwise it wouldn`t be so popular to write something on that wall.
@@xxMilakasiaxx imagine trying to claim that arguably ugly vandalism is ''''art''''
To be fair, the people that make those Tiktoks are basically just tourists that saw the thing and immedietaly decided to record it without second thought. Basically victims of the same tourist trap they promote.
To be fair tiktok is for idiots.
I would still put the blame on them: they are often making a recommendation for something, not just showing pictures / videos of their travel. If you make a recommendation, it is on you to make sure that it is actually a sound one.
@@gingerbeard3341 You right.
They shouldn't be giving recommendations on where to visit and what to do when they're clearly new to the place and don't know what's good. Because evidently they ended up promoting and recommending scamy tourist traps
Stupidity versus common sense: which prevails…?
Hey guys, many scam comments popping up here. Please beware! Not us :) asi I am sure most of you figured. We do not do giveaways for crypto and iphones... we only do Ferarris :)
I also blocked all the users, hopefully it will help.
this is SO UPSETTING. do people really think that they look "cool" on social media by destroying such a beautiful wall? even after the officials redisgned it?!
I also don't get it. Do they think that they will be the next celebrity by tagging their Insta?
The John Lennon Wall symbolizes freedom of speech and the non-violent resistance of the Czech youth. The wall started in 1980, shortly after Lennon was murdered. Although John Lennon never visited the location of the wall, it was crafted as a symbolic burial site by the youth of Prague.
They are free. We need more freedom and much less authoritarian control I may not agree with what they write but would fight for them to be able to write it (as long as it's not far right hate speech)
@@theworldisfullofrightwingcnts There has to be a balance in "worth" and freedom.
Should you be able to write something in protest of a corrupt government? Sure, I can see that.
Should you be able to write your insta handle on a public wall? No, there is no value in it.
@@drazgul9403 then who gets to decide what has value? That wall in particular has a long history of being a wall where kids write shit and somebody has probably always taken issue with it. Just because we're grown up doesn't mean we now get to take that freedom away from the youth
This dude is in many ways responsible for my current very positive outlook on modern Czech culture. The fact that this dude recognizes the bullshit that goes on in his own turf and spends his days making sure that they dont ruin the reputation of his homeland shows just how much he loves his country. Cool dude.
well put, although czech culture isnt all that special as many of us would like to think.
this "dude" is called Janek, dude
the main problem with our country is though as you can see here, stuff like tiktok and dumb tourists
I wish I knew all this before I visited Prague in 2019. I had some local friends who steered me clear of the worst tourist traps and exchange offices though.
The National Technical Museum was unfortunately closed the day I was free to visit. As was the Museum of Public Transport. Although the gentleman at the beer garden in front of the Public Transport museum said that a beer would help with the disappointment. He was quite correct.
Could you maybe say which exchange offices are bad to use in Prague?
Seems you were there on monday. On monday all museums are closed. I don't know why. The National Technical museum is by the way absolutely awesome.
I spent a year in Prague as an Erasmus student exactly the year you started to become famous (2016-2017). Your guides were super helpful and we all loved them. I remember a friend of mine who was studying architecture saying she wanted to enter a governement building to check out one of those elevators. She didn't know that the university we were at had 2 of them and I had been using them to get to my classes (some in the 8th floor) every single day. I made her come to my department and the she was so excited, made so many photos and videos while I was just laughing at her. It made me remember how excited I was about them the first few weeks in Prague before getting used to them. By the way they are so useful because you don't have to wait for the elevator to go up and down before reaching you, they just always run and have to wait for a free cabin
Did you get lucky with any Czech dudes ?
the YMCA building is another secret spot where you can ride the elevators, near N.R: it's an office building, my doctors office is there so please be respectful: btw why don't you do a program on other cities as Karlovy Vary region and the natural springs? Interesting areas are Kyselka (Matoni) and did you know you can get free mineral water in Kyselka (it's Matoni, but it's free), or drive to Loket, or Boží Dar The drive is amazing around the mountain roads especially for motorcycles or cycling
@@saljablo2767 Your sister did.
In fairness, the sex machine museum after a few pints is absolutely hilarious
I’m Czech and every time I’m in Prague I’m considering visiting 😂 never been, tho
We don’t have pints in Czech Republic
Monika It’s a catchall. Words are more than words.
@@monikaj2889 that´s like saying we don´t have inches in italy. It´s a unit of measurement, you can´t "not" have it
@@mekullagBut here it refers to pints of beer. In Czechia we don't tap pints of beer but half litres.
If only there was a wall between TikTok and all other media. 'Shorts', 'reels', even 'stories' are all a bane of today's internet existence. Creative bubblegum. The kids love it, but I wish all the social media platforms weren't blindly chasing them in the playpen. And I wish the gum wouldn't end up on the streets we have to walk down. Thanks Guides.
They really are responsible for the increasing mental sclerosis of so many people and also the obsession for taking out your phone and videoing absolutely everything. Awful.
Your channel is so good!!!
I have noticed how much social media is pushing this stuff for the short attention span of young teens. I mean I admit it's effective and sometimes I get lost and spend 30 minutes watching them too but I really hope this doesn't get worse in the future.
My parents and grandparents use Tiktok more than I do. It's not just an app for teenagers lol
I prefer the old classics like vine. I made a TikTok once to see what all the fuss was about but shortly deleted it. Don’t care for TikTok. It’s a bunch of rando “music”, “memes” and unhelpful crap
What did you expect, it's Tiktok.
Edit 1: Do you guys recommend the "kralovstvi železnic" museum?
Exactly. Don’t install that app, don’t use it, don’t watch any content. It is completely useless
I was there with my 3yo, it's cute, not and absolute must go, it's not too interactive. It's mostly fun to observe the little details, to "drive" a bus or a tram. With kids it's better to go to zemědělské muzeum.
@@makinka0cp aight thanks
Went there back in 2014 and my girls enjoyed it (aged 10 & 12) but I think I got the biggest kick watching the trains.
It is great if you love model trains. It is huge.
Seeing the Lennon wall makes me sad. What is wrong with people they are destroying art? Having a huge amount of likes on TikTok is the only thing people care about these days.
Street art is supposed to be temporary and that makes it more beautiful. Nothing wrong with painting over it or leaving your own mark.
@@theworldisfullofrightwingcnts Do that in your own house then, not in our city.
@@theworldisfullofrightwingcnts If the city itself does the grafitti, it isn't vandalism because its allowed, its from the officials. When tourists do that, then its vandalism. Leaving mark, suuure suuure. Just promoting yourself on the wall.
@@theworldisfullofrightwingcnts The car you drive is supposed to be temporary. I assume it is okay if we leave a griffiti on your car.
Are you saying that when someone puts their art on the street, it's an automatic license for random tourists to draw all over it? Surely not.
I tried to buy pork as a tourist in the Czech Republic. The guy yelled at me and said he doesn’t sell to Americans along with some other words that I imagine weren’t kind. I guess I didn’t miss out on anything! Also, I’m Canadian.
I guess he doesn't like tourists
Wonder if he got in trouble to selling to an American who later reported him or something
Guess he meant North Americans
mm.. America is a continent my boy.. So yeah you’re American lol
@@Ricardoelsupremothis is needless pedantry. Everyone knows in colloquial conversation that ‘American’ refers to someone from the US unless otherwise specified.
social media and it's trends have been the most destructive phenomenon to any tourist attracting place.
i get terribly annoyed at this point of tourists in my little country for being disrespectful to our local culture and historical sites
even here in the US a lot of our nice small cities get absolutely overran by tourists from out of state...
Hawaii as a whole is rough
Not all culture should be respected tho. Ones that don't hurt anyone tho should be respected
@@Rose333X what kind of an altruistic reddit retard answer is that? It has nothing to do with what i said. When you're a tourist, respect the culture and customs of the natives. Simple as
No thanks, i'd rather remove myself from this earth then follow certain rules
@@Rose333X then dont visit those places as a turist. Simple
Janek and Honza, just popping by with a comment to say thanks for all the great guides to Prague. Was there a couple weeks ago and had a great time, ate lots and drank plenty at some of your recommendations, had a coffee at Linda's coffee shop and stayed away from all the tourist traps!
I remember going up and down with the Paternoster elevator back in 2002, when I visited Prague on a school trip. People working there used to be kind of enjoying the tourists back then...they even gave mini tours of the building. The other favourite "up and down place" for us, was the Duplex Discotheque and those were some pretty hard ups and down 🎉🍻😵💫
Tom Scott did an excellent video on these elevators well worth checking out.
I hate those computer read fake TikTok’s. I love honest guys who actually go there. Give us their honest opinions and show first hand footage. Love your videos. Thank you for sharing.
I do appreciate going to more "legit" and "historic" places when traveling abroad. But I do also enjoy just doing to dumb fun places like the sex machine museum. The way I judge it is, if its a reasonable price for the experience then it is worth going to for me. Of course, I would first want to hit all the major historic spots first then do whatever I want after.
You’re not allowed. This guy says you’re only allowed to do what Czech people do and if something costs more money than his cheap ass is prepared to pay for it, it’s a scam or trap.
another reason why tiktok should be banned
The whole trdelník thing is weird. People from Prague say it's not local - true. But they also say it's not Czech - false. Absolutely, trdelník was never a thing in Prague, but it it a local thing in some parts of Moravia (particularly around borders with Slovakia, where it's a well-known local food in Záhorie region) and indeed offered in many non-touristy locations over there.
In a way it demonstrates how diverse Czechia is and how even people from Prague are somewhat detached from the rest of the country. Good reason to explore more than just the capital!
I would say it’s traditional like guláš which also didn’t originate in Czechia but it’s considered Czech.
I don’t think trdelnik is a tourist trap per se, it’s just the whole TrdloKafe thing and all the other shops that sell overpriced trdelnik with ice cream and whipped cream on top. Desserts like věneček and špička feel definitely more Czech and you can get them for a reasonable price. 😀
@@adriana_cern Agreed, the whole ice cream thing is weird and not very traditional. But I could name some non-touristy locations in Brno where it's served and they've been in business for years so obviously locals eat it too :)
The john lennon wall is a real shame because the original art looks amazing and I wish it still stood, but I personally also really like the vibrant lively look of what it has now, I wish there was a timeline where these were separate walls that coexisted in some way.
indeed, but most people here value their selfish personal freedom to do things without consequences, so what can we do?
That elevator seems like a tragedy waiting to happen
They were actually quite popular throughout Europe and older Civic buildings and even hospitals. So next time you're waiting for an elevator think of how different things would be if these elevators were still installed in new buildings!
@@IntriguedLioness but they're also extremely inaccessible not just to those with disabilities, but anyone that has to push a cart or a stroller.
@@raptorshades Yes, but now, on many places, they have both paternoster, and normal elevator. So no worries :). But it's awesome for better flow of people. We have it on our university and it's much better for flow and waiting than normal elevator.
Looks like, but isnt. It´s actually very safe.
Unlike America the people of the czech Republic have common sense, which results in v ery few injuries per year
I've had trdelniks in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Delicious.
Prague should be proud to have them! They are traditional, like money scammers and love locks... ❤🔒
😂😂💛
@@HONESTGUIDE leave journalism & go into politics.
They had us in the first part, not gonna lie.
Don’t get me wrong, I used to enjoy a good trdelnik back in the day when it was a thing you could only get at a Christmas market, now when it’s everywhere, I think it lost its charm 😐😄
They are just traditional for Prague tourists
Janek: I won't show you where the building with the Paternoster is.
...
3 seconds later also Janek: (shows map where you can find them all)
That's by design - so people go to any one of those and not just everyone to that one particular location.
You making fun of how the Tiktok’ers prance through the location is killing me right now 🤣
He should definitely prance through the streets and buildings like them in all future videos.
Putting a combination lock somewhere as a love lock is... Not really a sign of commitment, is it?
The Lennon wall is like Banksy, sometimes people will just randomly say graffiti is good with no discernable pattern
vandalism is usually always bad in general, but with Banksy at least theres a political message behind it (and its actually good).
Love your videos and always suggest them to friends before going to Prague. I think a big problem with the John Lennon Wall is, that spraying/painting on it is advertised as an activity for tourists. When I visited Prague in 2018, we stopped there with a guided Tour and they told us a story about how spraying there was legal. They also gave us the paint to spray there and some cardboard and knives to create templates
Thanks for your help, thinking of going to Prague in a couple of months
At the University of Sheffield, UK and there is a lift in the Arts Building like the one you describe as a 'nonstop running elevator'. It is called the paternoster lift. So that's the correct term for them in English too.
The name is derived from the Lord's Prayer (pater noster meaning our father in Latin), because it resembles a rosary...
It grinds my gears that tourists think they know better than the locals. The Prague police should make it clear to them that the wall is private property and their Tick-tock art is a criminal act.
It’s so sad to see people destroy art. Like if that was in a museum the wouldn’t do that.
That's so shitty with the wall being destroyed like that, especially since the city is trying to stop it by hiring local artists...
I am leaving Prague tomorrow and everything you listed in the video is 100% right. These sites were honestly the least interesting parts of Prague. It has so much better to offer.
On that note, I would like to recommend Speculum Alchemiae in Prague. I don't see it listed anywhere, but it was the coolest tour of the history of alchemy in Prague. I found it by accident and was the best surprise during my trip.
Nice to avoid this, just arrived today :)
Would love a version of this channel for every major city. Cheers from Brooklyn.
Must be sad to live there
Tourists: Imagine walking in Prague : O
Yes, that's the Czech way to admire places, highly recommended.
The paternoster lift was also used in a Dutch TV show, that might explain some of its popularity
Aren't there paternosters in the Netherlands?
One frame: Janek saying that the wall is colorful
Next frame: Close up to the word 'Govno'
I've been actually stuck with a friend at the bottom of the paternoster elevator at the Prague university during a study trip to Prague. A bit terrifying not having any cell service at the basement surrounded by concrete.
Sounds really scary. For how long we're you stucked at the bottom?
@@ChicaTiquita luckily just a few minutes. An alarm goes off and someone closeby just restarted the elevator
@@100tijs okay, that sounds acceptable. If used a PaterNoster a few times and was quite scared about happening. So good to know.
A better translation for povrchni is "superficial"
4:39 "I am not really gonna tell you where it is"
*Proceeds to show the building with the name "Nová radnice" clearly visible hahahahaha I love you!
For everyone being mad about the wall. Soo Graffiti or streetart is and always was a form of public negotiation of space. Everyone can make a proposition on how to design the wall and everyone can neglect that proposition and propose something new. And this ever changing character of walls in cities is the appeal about it. It is one of the last places where not one person or one committee decides on the structures faith but the people do and they do it over and over and over again. Something a piece is there for decades because it is so good, or it have stecial meaning sometimes it is gone within houres but the change just added more history to a place. Is it a bit different when folks of tourist do it? Yeah but if it is just one spot, isn't it what makes that spot then special in it's one way?
nice perspective!
people scribble on the art, but then new art is painted on top. it's like the art is... alive.
it's moving, constantly changing over time -- it sort of reminds me of that "r/place" thing.
Honest guide being tlhonest about their past mistakes is awesome
From where can I get that hoodie?
Tbh, as an artwork, the book spiral looks interesting and would pique the interest of any tourists. However, I disagree with your invitation to "just read the book in the library" since we are talking about tourists here and they often have tight schedule.
Your contents are so great that others watch them and retell the things they found from you. Those locations are unique by themselves but thank you for telling us more bits about the reality of Prague!
And most of the books are probably in czech, so most tourists won't understand them.
@@MyRegardsToTheDodo right, this one too
Sometimes its just fun to be a tourist and do touristy things when travelling - keep that in mind. When we travelled to my husbands hometown I wanted to do the more touristy things aswell as the things he would show me and that also showed him something he had never seen before in the city he grew up in :D
Agree! I don’t see the harm in doing touristy stuff. Why should I hide I’m a tourist and try to look like a local? I’m not!!!
I know I am a few months late to this video. I am a dual citizen between the US and Czech, and so when I was a child, we went to the Ministerstvo Zemědělství in Hradec Kralove for some paper work. Some government office. And guess what was there? A paternoster lift. It was WELL before the tourist popularity of the lift, like 2007 or 08. The office was mostly empty on that day, and so I just spent most of the time riding the lift up and down. As a kid, it was fun.
Fun fact: The number 180448 on Janek's hat is a number of a gas lamp from a middle of the Charles bridge.
Man, I love Honest Guide videos! Can't wait for my visit to Prague next month!
Downfall of Tiktok's recommendation system, most of them are eye-catching short clips without insight (as you mentioned), it is only for entertainment, it is also testing IQ of all human beings
Hey Honest Guide,
happy Halloween. Have you ever thought about making a supernatural guide to Prague?
When I was I kid, I remember a book about ghosts and other supernatural stuff in Prague. That would be great.
Great idea ! Old Prague is filled with these kind of stories. Especially old jewish quarter
tourists before tiktok: veni, vidi, vici
tourits after tiktok: veni, vidi, perdidi
There was one such non-stop elevator in the pilot episode of a British series called This Is Going To Hurt, it was in an hospital. Probably to show that the place was in need of renovation.
Díky za boží videa, jsem z Čech, ale do Prahy jezdím málo a když tak nevím kam jít, aby to za to stálo.. tedy nevěděla jsem kam jít. S Vámi si trénuju angličtinu a když pak vyrazím mám jasno. Ať se Vám daří, díky že to děláte tak hezky a ještě ke všemu dvojjazyčně ❤❤🙏🙏
TikTok is the last place I'd look for travel tips... Some books are not up to date neither though, especially if a bit exotic
Thanks
I'm now so ashamed to say I wrote on the Lennon wall... We got a history teacher as a walking tour guide from Airbnb experiences and he even brought markers for us to write on it.
Don't worry, at the end of the day it's just a wall. I'd say that having a place where people come together to have a bit of fun is more interesting than a plain wall - would would get dirty and gummed and spray painted on anyway.
@@x4iaw931 i think you're the only commentor that has made sense FOR the active vandalism of the wall. Yes, it is just a wall in the end.
@@nanifa6082 Exactly, in the end, it's just stones, it's just atoms. Every monuments and pieces of art should be vandalized, after all in the end it's just metal, it's just paper, it's just marble, it's just a medium for artistic expression, it's not what matters, what matters is that we are all here together, holding hands, singing songs, what matters is the moment we're sharing.
_if it's not obvious enough, I'm being sarcastic. Tomas didn't know any better but saying it's okay and justifying it like you did is truly moronic_
@@x4iaw931 You're advocating for a mural to be graffitied? Okay. Cool.
Very transparent, reasonable content
Your channel has taught me so much about tourist etiquette
I feel like they should play your videos on the plane instead of watching crap movies 🤣
Paternoster lift is awesome!
Also very unhappy with your explanation of the Lennon Wall. This was an important artefact from the struggle of Prague residents against the Communist regime using art and graffiti. Other movements around the world have adopted the "Lennon Wall" concept. My daughter was involved in a Lennon Wall at her university without realising where the name came from, so I took her to the original Lennon Wall when we visited Prague in early 2020. The whole idea of the wall is to make the authorities cranky. Long live the Lennon Wall.
Anne, we're Czech, we know the meaning of the Lennon wall. The problem with tourists tagging it and drawing nonsense on it is that it loses its meaning! No Instagram tag or conspiracy (in the video you can see someone wrote "bush caused 9/11") is meaningful to the city, or to the history of the wall. Not to mention it looks terrible and ruins the beautiful art underneath it.
@@Stephaniesmith4737 I was only commenting that Honest Guides did not provide the meaning of the Lennon Wall in the video, I certainly did not mean that Czech people do not understand the Lennon Wall. Of course they understand it, they made it! But it might now be beyond their imagination, because other people are using it to express their own struggles (not related to Czechia). I think it is a beautiful thing, but understand it is probably also annoying for the locals to see it being damaged/defaced
Paternoster is a very cool thing. We have one in our university at Miskolc, Hungary. I loved riding it when I was studying there. :)
Not sure what's wrong with the first one. Is the museum too small and not worth the price or is it just something that you dislike?
Ima be a bit off topic but. I remember my trip to Prague and I want to a store wanting to try Tridlo. Costed 3 euros , me being Lithuanian , I was expecting something not to big , with a bit of jam in it.
I proceeded to get a tridlo pretty much as big as my head , filled fully with Apple jam. I had to double check if this was legit. I left them 6 euros cause 3 euros for the amount of jam and tridlo itself I got felt like a scam.
Loved every bit of your country , my most memorable trip I have had. From my very first ride in a metro , to the very first mountains I saw in my life. And drives up the thin mountain roads , while fog covers the forests below you....A view I wont forget.
And that, my friend, is the difference between someone who travels to know places and learn new stuff and someone who travels only to post pictures on social media, to let others know that is traveling.
Can you rate the “hidden gems” tiktoks? And see if they’re actually hidden gems?
Me and my bf traveled to Prague this spring and I really have to say that the Vitus cathedral was absolutely F amazing to see. It was the most beautiful building. We also went on a guided tour to Kutna Hora to see the bone church along with st. Barbara.
The books in the tower can't be read, is that so ? How about the other books in the library are they all in Czech ? Don't expect any deep thoughts from tiktok.
I really enjoyed the honest take on all the povrchní information videos. I'd be super disappointed to just walk through a narrow space for a tourist trap restaurant, or walk into someone's place of work while they're working.
3:42 Instead of trying the elevator in the City Hall, go to YMCA - also in the city center. They have exactly the same thing :)
Why is he hatin on the sex machine museum? I haven't been, but looking at the photos it looks like a proper museum with a lot of interesting and historical stuff. That stuff may not be for everyone I get it, but for 10 euros I wouldn't act like it's a scam or something, I'm a very sex positive person and I'd pay 10 to go see it
i saw you on tiktok and found your yt and have been binge watching
As a Czech, I never even heard of the wall before. And now I am so angry about all those tourist vandalists!!!
Sex Machine Museum? They could have at least asked me before making a whole museum about me.
I love your confidence man :D
In Denmark we also have those kind of elevators.
We need a ,,zákaz sprejování na zeď pod pokutou do 5 000 000kč nebo doživotním vězením" sign at the Lennon wall.
Maybe it would work
Something that was done in our city to avoid vandalism to art was moving the art upwards, away from reachable heights. Obviously they also charge like 300 eur to those who vandalism the wall
It's not nearly as prominent, but there is a problem with people visiting National Parks and historic sites in the US and tagging things. It's not as bad when they do it to signs or added infrastructure, but when they do it to the natural surroundings or the historic structures, it's just atrocious. "Oh, this rock outcropping has been on this mountain for 500 million years, slowly shaped by the forces of erosion and freeze cycles, but I can't help but imagine that I can improve it by writing name in bright spray paint."
I love this channel! Always informative and full of rich culture and beautiful buildings. I love it!!❤
Last time I was in Prague (22 years ago) there was this museum where you could drink unlimited red wine for free. It was filled with more or less bad fantasy paintings, but the owner was a fantastic man. We had sooo much fun in there. I wonder if it still exists…
Honestly it’s like a small “attraction guide” this video. Loved the approach with tiktok btw
Advertise means they pay you to show that place, not that is a good place. Don't go advertised places, they crave and pay to more people to come there. Good places doesnt need advertisement 👍
Another good thing about the library is that there is a free restroom there.
The Lennon wall is worth visiting due to the historic value it represents. It is worth understanding why it is called Lennon's wall, on the first place and why the graffitis are allowed. It is about freedom of expression over censorship.
More like TikToxic. Keep up the good work as always. Your channel is the reason why I decided to visit Czech for the first time.
find me a fully restored ww2 bunker and i’ll fly halfway across the world in 2 minutes
Lol, my mom used to have a government job in Brussels, and the building she worked in also had these paternoster elevators. She hated them 😂
Apparently it was a common prank amongst coworkers to prevent a new coworker from exiting the elevator, they would freak out because many assumed that they flip over at the top and bottom lol
Imagine traveling to Prague and wasting time filming yourself going on an elevator lmao
I visited Prague a couple of times around 20 years ago, great city but there's so much to see in the rest of the country.
I really despise mass tourism because it's is just fast food tourism, fast tourism, you're not exploring or enjoying a new place you're just quickly shoving it down your throat.
ive been to prag with a czech girl. she showed me around and was completly into this monastery called loreta. also plays chimes. and ... most importantly ... theres a nice place next to it where you can get beer. czech beer is the best.
every time I travel I order lonly planet book guide and I check every thing online for local comments
Having seen the John Lennon wall in the mid-90s, I'm horrified as to what's been done to it. If the tourists can't respect it then maybe knock the thing down? Because what's replaced the original is one big splat of a mess.
Ima be honest I don’t know what’s wrong with a Beer Spa - I went to the website and there’s a thorough historical explanation for why bathing in beer soaks can be good for you and which ancient civilizations pioneered that. Anyway, love your videos. You are blessed by Hermes, and you’re a hero to travelers and tourists!
"I'm not going to tell you where it is"
*shows picture of the building*
Tiktok casually ruining society with every metaphoric breath it takes
If they could only make something actually traditionally Czech, like buchty, into a show when it‘s baked, like by baking it in an oven where you can watch them rise, I bet they would be incredibly popular street food.
I love your passion and the style of your guide videos to CZ / Prague. Can you please expand your business and create clones of your business model for other Cities around the world :) I've been watching your guide for years now and still think you do it better than anyone else
Paternosters in Germany are to dangerous to use without a guide but also protected as historical "landmarks" 😂
I remember your advice not to buy trdelnik, but I still did and loved it
Wow, I had no idea we had the original artwork of a Czech/Slovak artist just nearby in São Paulo. Nice!
Thats absolutely disgusting they wrote over the art. There should be police close by at all times with pictures of all the arrested tourrists
I feel like the paternoster elevator video isn't available anymore.