Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

cafés, galleries, clubs, and bars, the nearest of which is found in their brick cellar basement. Whether you’re participating in a nightly event (game nights, beer tastings, BBQs) or enjoying the 25Kc per beer happy hour, you’re guaranteed to meet fellow guests. The Prague Castle and Old Town are just 10 to 15 minutes away by tram.

       i Dorms from 250Kč, singles and twins from 768Kč; reservation recommended; BGLTQ+ friendly; wheelchair accessible; lockers provided; linens included; laundry facilities

       ADAM AND EVA ($$)

      Zborovská 497/50, Mala Strana; 733 286 804; www.adamevahostelprague.com; reception open 8am-10pm

      We have two theories about how this hostel got its name. 1) It possesses the peace and tranquility of the Garden of Eden. 2) It was built using a man’s ribs. But then again, these are just theories—why don’t we look at the facts? Composed of just two floors, Adam and Eva is as cozy as a cloth you drape over your nether regions. Each floor has a small balcony area that overlooks a courtyard, the reception has a map that points out all the best things to do in the area, and each bottom bunk bed is fitted with a curtain, which gives a sense of professionalism to any puppet shows you might want to put on for fellow guests.

       i Dorms from 312Kč, twins from 390Kč; reservation recommended; no wheelchair accessibility; Wi-Fi; linens included; laundry facilities

       AHOY HOSTEL ($$$)

      Na Perštýně 10, Stare Mesto; 773 00 4003; www.ahoyhostel.com; reception open 24hr

      Everyone always talks about how “size matters,” but we think location matters more. After all, a penis on an elbow is not sexy. Ahoy Hostel understands this, with its location in the swankier region of Stare Mesto. Wenceslas Square is a five-minute walk away. Charles Bridge is only double that. The proximity is prime, and while there aren’t too many landmarks in the immediate vicinity, tram and metro stations are practically on the hostel’s doorstep. Although the hostel’s dorms are scarce on charging outlets, its rooms are big on cleanliness and comfort.

       i Dorms from 492Kč, twins from 1378Kč; reservation recommended; no wheelchair accessibility; linens included; laundry facilities

       CZECH INN ($)

      Francouzská 240/76, Vinohrady; 267 267 612; www.czech-inn.com; reception open 24hr

      Check in at the Czech Inn and you’ll be overwhelmed with things to check out! The only Prague member of the prestigious Europe’s Famous Hostels group, Czech Inn boasts 36-bed dorms (a budget traveler’s dream), a large and vibrant bar downstairs, as well as a series of nightly events. Every week, the basement bar hosts live music performances as well as one of the few English-language comedy nights in Prague, the latter of which is worth checking out even if you aren’t staying at the hostel. While Vinohrady is a 15min. tram ride away from the city’s main attractions, the hip and trendy area is littered with less-touristy restaurants and cafés.

       i Dorms from 125Kč, twins from 975Kč; reservation recommended; BGLTQ+ friendly; no wheelchair accessibility; linens included; laundry facilities; breakfast 150Kč

       MOSAIC HOUSE ($$$)

      Odborů 278/4, Nove Mesto; 221 595 350; www.mosaichouse.com; reception open 24hr

      “Mosaic House” doesn’t just refer to the assortment of sculptures and installations that adorn its façade and entrance, but also its myriad purposes. A hostel, hotel, restaurant, trendy barlounge, and green building all in one, this place is truly the Swiss Army knife of accommodations (by the time this is published, we assume Dunkirk will have launched Harry’s acting career and he’ll be recognized for versatility). Mosaic House has the feel of a chic hotel, and as such, prices higher than those of your average hostel. While there’s a common area in the main building for hotel and hostel guests alike, you have to exit the building to access the kitchen/common room specific to the hostel, which remains open until 9pm.

       i Dorms from 416Kč, twins from 3126Kč; reservation recommended; wheelchair accessible; Wi-Fi; linens included; laundry facilities; breakfast buffet 40Kč

       SOPHIE’S HOSTEL ($)

      Melounova 2, Nové Město; 246 032 621; www.sophieshostel.com; reception open 24hr

      Although the name may indicate otherwise, this place is really a hostel of the people. With nightly events, a 24hr bar and a 25Kč per beer happy hour, it’s almost impossible not to befriend fellow guests, which makes it perfect for solo travelers and a nightmare for misanthropes. The rooms, like the rest of the hostel, have a modern and chic feel. They come mercifully equipped with a fan, making hot summer nights bearable. Located in the center of Nové Město and thus in the center of Prague, the hostel is near tram and metro stations.

      i Dorms from 250Kč, double from 1200Kč; reservation recommended; BGLTQ+ friendly; no wheelchair accessibility; linens included; laundry facilities

       SIGHTS

      CULTURE

       BIO OKO

      Františka Křížka 460/15, Holešovice; 233 382 606; www.biooko.net; show times vary

      People get homesick in different ways. While some tend to miss their mother’s home-cooked meals, others long for their country’s independent cinema. Bio Oko primarily caters to the latter, but its café might just have something to offer the former as well. Screening three films a day during the week and five a day on weekends, the movie theatre showcases local, international, and American art-house films. When we visited, Bio Oko was holding a Christopher Nolan retrospective (or maybe we just dreamt that it was?) as well as outdoor summer screenings at the Prague Exhibition Grounds. Even by Czech standards, the tickets are extremely affordable, and your options for reclining are leather chairs, beach loungers, or giant bean bags.

       i Tickets from 100Kč; wheelchair accessible

       JATKA78

      Jateční 1530, Holešovice; 773 217 127; www.jatka78.cz; open M-F 10am-midnight, Sa 9am-midnight, Su 6pm-midnight

      A circus in a slaughterhouse. While it could be the name of some angsty emo band you liked as a teen, it’s actually a pretty accurate description of Jatka78. In 2015, a group of performers successfully crowdfunded the conversion of an abandoned slaughterhouse into two theatre halls and a gallery-café space. Throughout the year and more intermittently during the summer, Jatka78 puts on performances as often as once a day. But even if you can’t make it to a show, the space alone is worth a visit, with its large snake-like wooden structure that twists and coils itself around the inside of the building.

       i Tickets from 250 Kč; wheelchair accessible

       MEETFACTORY

      Ke Sklárně 3213/15, Smíchov; 251 551 796; www.meetfactory.cz; open daily 1pm-8pm, evening programs run later

      A night at MeetFactory will drive you up the wall. Not just because of the two red cars vertically hanging above its entrance, but also due to the frustration you’ll feel that your middle-of-nowhere hometown doesn’t have a concert venue-art gallery-theater space-outdoor cinema as cool as this. The brainchild of “the Czech Banksy” David Cerny, MeetFactory is an industrial space that consistently attracts the biggest names in indie and electronic