Meeting People in Prague

Maybe you’ve just arrived in Prague or you’ve been here for several months, even a year or so, and you still really don’t know anyone besides your flat mates. Time to open your eyes and ears to the world around you—you’re in Prague and you need to take full advantage. Prague is the kind of city where people come and go on a daily basis, literally, some staying for a few days, some for a few years–some forever. The kinds of people you will meet in this enchanting city can change your life forever—or at least for a few weeks. So stop downloading unaired episodes of Dollhouse, get off your IKEA couch and start spreading your social butterfly wings!

·    Start up a language exchange (tandem) with someone. Check out university bulletin boards and online classifieds for ads—you’ll quickly find that there are many people out there looking for help in a wide variety of languages, not just English and Czech. Or, if you can’t find the specific exchange you need, put up your own ad.

·    Volunteer! An excellent way to participate for free in major events and festivals in Prague, or to help out local NGOs is to volunteer your time and skills. At the same time, you’ll benefit too by meeting plenty of people who more than likely share your interests and passions for the same cause. Contact an NGO like People In Need or try various events throughout the year, like the annual Prague Writers Festival held each June.

·    If you’re working with Czech people, make the move from colleagues to cohorts by agreeing to or suggesting outings after work or on weekends.

·    Meeting people is really just a snowball effect—make one friend who introduces you to some other friends, who might each introduce you to a whole different group of people, and on and on. BUT, you’ve got to take initiative if you’re not getting the invites that you seek. Get numbers, get emails, become friends on Facebook. If you agree to attend a concert or exhibition, don’t flake out.  

·    Sign up for newsletters. Anytime you find yourself in a cafe, club, gallery or store, take their business card, stash the brochure/program/catalog in your pocket (you can always use them to make a kitschy collage or just recycle them later), or write down your email on their newsletter sign-up sheet. The more open you are to opportunities, the more you will find yourself on the receiving end of invitations to parties, gatherings, exhibitions, concerts and the like.

·    If you see an interesting poster or flier, don’t just walk on and say ‘Oh, that’s probably going to be interesting’ and then never think about it again. Stop, write down the date and location info, and look it up online later. And most importantly–go there! By attending events and festivals that really excite you; you’re more likely to find other people who are excited about the same things.

·    CouchSurfing meetings and parties are a good way to connect with other travelers who are either passing through, have traveled in the past, or just enjoy hosting travelers in Prague. Sign up for a free profile on CouchSurfing.org to receive updates about local meetings and events. HospitalityClub.org is a similar organization, although maybe not as visible in Prague.

·    Pay a visit to any of the language centers in town according to your favorite language–including the German Goethe-Institut, Spanish Instituto Cervantes, Institut Francais or the Centro de Lingua Portuguesa–for films, lectures, exhibitions, parties and more.

·    Take a walk through “embassy village” of Bubeneč in Prague 6, and you’ll find that some of the embassies have display cases right outside the gates with fliers detailing information about upcoming cultural events.

Have other ideas for how to get out and meet people? Please share below! or come and tell us on our facebook page