Prague – over 1000 years of history on the run
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is also the historical capital of Bohemia proper. The city has a temperate oceanic climate, with warm summers and chilly winters. Perfect for joining Radim and his team on a Sightrunning tour.
PRAGUE AND RUNNING
The beginning
Let Radim explain why he decided to start to offer guided running tours in his beautiful hometown:
“The idea of operating a small running agency dawned on me several years ago when I spotted a group of runners gathering every day on the seashore of Barcelona. I realized there definitely was a potential to offer a service to newcomers in my hometown as well. The candidates were many: the ones who prefer to run with companions, who are annoyed of organised group excursions strolling around and being dragged from one sight to another, those who dread the prospect of interrupting their regular workout scheme while on vacation, or just anyone else seeking a new fresh experience. I kept that piece of imagination for myself for a long time and finally I felt it was the right time to move forward with my plans and, indeed, my overall activities”.
Prague boasts Europe’s biggest castle, its best beer, the liveliest pedestrian-only bridge, the highest density of gothic and baroque buildings with their proverbial thousand towers. Once quite grey it has turned into one of the hottest cities on the continent offering itself as a playground for run-loving travellers to whizz though its doll-sized alleyways, along its grand boulevards, and in the fresh air of the Vltava River banks and numerous parks. Somewhat hilly but pleasingly compact, Prague doesn’t allow much traffic into its centre which makes the area ideal for runners. Both tourist and business traveller, smartphone in hand, can surely make it on their own without getting lost too often. However, asked to sum up the reasons for joining a guided running tour, we always reply:
• only locals will make their way through the maze of irregular streets;
• unfamiliar with the city amidst lots of sights you will miss the major ones;
• our guides know how to get around traffic lights and beat the crowds;
• participants save time by getting a taste and a feel for the basic layout of the city which they can subsequently examine more thoroughly by themselves;
• a guided tour is an incentive for a workout that would otherwise be skipped;
• most of our tours are very individual affairs with plenty room to individualize: modify the route, slow down or speed up, discuss your impressions of and needs in the city, learn about local life, the latest gossip, cultural events, politics;
• a snapshot of you in running gear at Charles Bridge (or wherever you choose) is a nice souvenir to bring home.
Visiting Prague is an experience in any form but for the travelling runners it’s never complete without putting on the trainers and challenging the city’s cobble-stone streets, pavements and soft paths.
BERGEN ON THE RUN