Prague - "Paris of the East": CNN/TripAdvisor

If you're browsing the CNN.com travel section today, you might spot this:
"Prague's charming touches a winner"

Based on a recent survey "TripAdvisor's Best European Cities in 2009," Prague won first place! ...well, first place as the "best bargin city." (And in 2007 & 2008, by the way.)

Scanning through the results, it seems London or Paris is the real top rated city, for good or bad. But Prague comes out of nowhere to be the blue-light special of tourism.

Here are the TripAdvisor survey results:

Best Bargain European Cities: 1. Prague 2. Budapest 3. Lisbon
Most Expensive European Cities: 1. London 2. Paris 3. Rome
European Cities with the Most Friendly and Helpful Locals: 1. Dublin 2. Amsterdam 3. London
European Cities with the Best Cuisine: 1. Paris 2. Rome 3. Florence
European Cities with the Best Shopping: 1. Paris 2. London 3. Rome
European Cities with the Best Night Life: 1. London 2. Amsterdam 3. Paris
European Cities with the Best Public Parks: 1. London 2. Paris 3. Barcelona, Amsterdam (tie)
Most Romantic European Cities: 1. Paris 2. Venice 3. Rome
European Cities with the Most Attractive Locals: 1. Rome 2. Paris 3. Stockholm
Cleanest European Cities: 1. Zurich 2. Copenhagen 3. Stockholm
Dirtiest European Cities: 1. London 2. Paris 3. Rome
European Cities with the Most Unfriendly Hosts: 1. Paris 2. London 3. Moscow
Most Boring European Cities: 1. Brussels 2. Zurich 3. Warsaw

Bottom line...Prague may not come to mind for great food, great service or great night life, but hey, we're cheap. So, we got that going for us, which is nice.

Crossing over Letna Park to peer down to Charles bridge, we can see a sea of tourists' heads nodding in agreement.

So, if you're considering it, our calendar in the autumn is empty and the spare 'bedroom' is available.