Prague, this beautiful place in the heart of Europe, is not just a city of native Praguers and Czechs. Possibly even you who read this article belong into the varied and colourful group of expatriots living in Czech’s capital city. Maybe you moved here for work, maybe you followed someone you love. Or have you just happened to visit the city and it cast such a strong spell on you that you just couldn’t leave?

Czechs are a curious nation by nature. They often wander what those expatriots think of their way of living, customs, what they like and what they would prefer to eliminate.

That is where our section, aptly named Through Expat’s Eyes, comes in. Each month, we will be asking one of you to share with us your impressions of life in Prague and Czech Republic in general. We strongly believe that the ‘look from the outside’ not only brings new and interesting information but it also benefits mutual understanding and improves tolerance because it can draw our attention to the issues we may have been overlooking or taken for granted.

We hope that our section will become a source of enjoyment for you.

Latest articles

  • Apr 16, 2013 Czech fear of “the Other”
    Thorarinn Ingi Jonsson is a visual artist born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland. He studied art at The Ontario College of Art and Design, The Icelandic Academy of Art and lastly at The Academy of Architecture, Art and Design in Prague.
  • Mar 20, 2013 Don’t forget your ticket!
    Here I am, another foreigner in the Czech Republic, Prague, trying to survive, have fun and be productive at the same time. I’m a 24 years old Turkish design student and I’ve been here for 1.5 years by now. I’m living with my boyfriend and having a pretty good life in this city full of art and design.
  • Feb 15, 2013 Beginnings and cultural differences
    I arrived in Czech Republic as a student in 2005. It was my first time to travel in Europe and this country was my first destination. After an 8-month intensive Czech language course in Podebrady, a small but beautiful spa town, I moved to Prague to study in the university and lived in the dormitory.
  • Jan 15, 2013 Prague needs Pantomime
    There are many aspects of western culture that are slowly creeping into, or even invading, the Czech calendar, to be met with a mixture of curiosity and animosity: Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Santa Claus have all made it, whether they are welcome or not. It seems inevitable that anything that ever features in an American film, TV series or pop song will eventually have to be absorbed into Czech consumer lifestyle.
  • Dec 17, 2012 Starting a new life
    I came to Czech Republic to study chemistry at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, I applied for a scholarship and I got it, so I am living here around 6 years already, these years have being full of emotions.
  • Nov 16, 2012 From Sardinian sea to the heart of Europe
    My life in Prague started two months ago, when I graduated and decided to leave Italy to try to find a job in this fantastic city. It has not been easy to leave my Sardinia and its sea to settle in a country characterized by different climate and different culture. Therefore the question is: “Why?”
  • Oct 10, 2012 Czechs, good spirited people
    I really don't know where to start… maybe, I will just repeat what thousands of other people say, Prague is awesome!!!
  • Aug 29, 2012 Prague a Charming City
    The first time I visited Prague was in June 2008, it was a totally new experience for me and curiously without thinking too much about it, the experience that would change my entire life. It was just a matter of time to decide that I would be living in this gorgeous city.
  • Jul 25, 2012 All the fun of the festival – without Wellies!
    I wouldn’t dare to say that it doesn’t rain in the Czech Republic, far from it, but it may come as a surprise to British visitors to learn that it’s possible to enjoy a musical experience at a weekend festival without investing in a pair of Wellington boots! In fact, if you choose your festival carefully, you can avoid contact with mud altogether.
  • Jun 12, 2012 The Exchange Program
    Well .. I was supposed to finish High School in 2008, when I just decided to do an Exchange Program with the Rotary Club. I took the necessary tests and was chosen to go to Czech Republic. In the beginning I was afraid of going to a foreign country at only 17 years old. But I did it! I lived in Jindřichův Hradec for one year and, actually, it was one of the best years in my life. Living the Czech life, going to High School every day, eating dumplings, learning how to speak Czech and making a lot of friends made me fall in love with this country. The experience I had made me grow up but, unfortunately, I went back to Brasil in 2009, when the Exchange Program ended.
  • May 9, 2012 A City Free (to Ban Smoking!)
    As a foreigner I’m willing to accept almost anything Prague has to offer, however, if I could offer one tip for the future, banning smoking indoors it would be. The long-term health costs of smoking and second hand-smoke inhalation have long been proven by scientists, whereas the rest of what I’ve written is only my personal opinion.
  • Mar 13, 2012 Lessons from Czechland
    As an American expat and teacher embarking upon my second year in Prague, I’ve been reflecting on some of the experiences and lessons I’ve learned in my time in this fascinating, exciting city.
  • Feb 13, 2012 How my experience started in Prague
    My life in Prague started when through my university I participated in Erasmus Program. At first I was afraid because my level of English at that moment wasn't good like almost all Spanish people. But fortunately I have improved.
  • Jan 6, 2012 Prague: the crossroad between east and west
    I was waiting with big excitement to move to the historical city of Prague. But hearing so much about it and visiting a couple of times isn’t the same thing as actually living here. But it feels like home after only one month, thanks to the people and the amazing adventures.
  • Dec 9, 2011 Rewind
    I would like to take you back, back to  August  1989 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, I arrived in that month to carry out an electrical refurbishment  contract in the British Embassy in Prague.
  • Aug 30, 2011 Do I Count as Expat?
    ‘Do I really count as an expat?’ I ask myself sometimes. We – and by we I mean our nations – used to share emperors, presidents, our people used to fight besides or against each other. Not that I had any reasonable memory about those times, of course not, but you know, historians ‘say so’...
  • Jul 19, 2011 Prague Must Do’s
    Most visitors to Prague will do the usual tourist “thing”. This includes a visit to Prague Castle, Old Town, Winsislaus Square and so on. A little more time or another day could allow a leisurely walk along the Vltava, lunch at the café near Charles Bridge where one can watch fishermen and local folks enjoy virtually every kind of water sport from kayaking, sailing etc.
  • Jun 13, 2011 My experience in Prague
    When I first came to Prague to study I did not know exactly what to expect as I have never lived in other cities apart from my hometown Tbilisi, in Georgia.
  • May 13, 2011 Ups and Downs of Being a Foreigner
    Being a foreigner living in a different country can be both exciting and very scary, as living in a foreign country for an extended period of time is completely different than throwing on your back pack, stopping at the hot tourist spots, packing up and leaving a few days later.
  • Apr 7, 2011 The Experience
    The week before Christmas I went to the Foreign Police to collect my visa that was supposed to be ready by December 25. I didn't have much hope that it would be ready, but I thought I'd try because I had some free time.
  • Mar 1, 2011 Lost in Prague
    We have all heard the common expat male theory: if you are lost in Prague, find a Czech girl between the ages of 19 and 25 and ask them for help. Chances are they speak English due to having worked abroad and may even go out for a coffee with you.
  • Feb 3, 2011 Arts and Acceptance
    Soon I will have been living in Prague for 4 years, but the city hasn’t stopped surprising me yet, comparing how similar but different the people are from what I’m used to.
  • Jan 10, 2011 Job Hunting In Prague
    Job hunting can be one of the most stressful, emotional and satisfying rollercoaster rides many people will experience at some point or another in their lives. I have come to live in Prague the capital of the Czech Republic and after three weeks of enjoying new cultural experiences, my wonderful new environment and long lunches I realize my job search must begin soon.
  • Dec 7, 2010 Different Walks of Life
    The other day I was walking up Rumunská, when two young boys, about 6 years old, raced past me on their bikes. They both had grins from ear to ear, basking in the simple pleasure of playing in the autumn sun.
  • Nov 1, 2010 Mushroom Hunting
    Life is great here. Great friends, great fun, great hobbies. Hobbies and sports are something that has entertained societies for centuries. But today I want to mention a hobby that is not so typical in most other parts of the world.
  • Oct 4, 2010 Why Prague?
    My answer is simple. Almost six years ago, I found a job opportunity through a friend and decided to move to Prague in order to experience life in Europe.
  • Sep 1, 2010 My dear friend
    Here I am in Prague for 7 months already... You remember my hesitation last year about choosing the right place to go, and also my discouragement because of the erasmus paperwork. But this is far from now, and I do not regret my choice for one second. I'm starting to feel like home, (it is about time), and I often amuse myself thinking about the clichés we had about this country.
  • Jun 21, 2010 The Spring of Prague
    I met my girlfriend in Lima, Peru, when I was attending to a presentation about exchange opportunities abroad in my college. I still remember it as it was yesterday.
  • May 26, 2010 Metamorphosis
    When I arrived in Prague for a week’s holiday back in the summer of 1993, it was grey, grey and cheap. From that first week in the Thirsty Dog to following years in the Chapeau Rouge, through a name change to the Chateau Bar and back again, Prague has continued in many ways to feel like a holiday.
  • Apr 27, 2010 Using Czech Opens Doors
    “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” this quote from Maya Angelou reflects my outlook on home and I am pleased to say that I feel at home in Prague. However, this was not always the case.