Review: “Interactive Prague Guide” by Martin Schulz

I love history and I love travel. There are a lot of cities that would be intriguing to me based on that but throw in a love of classical music and Prague jumps to the top of the list of places I would love to visit. Unfortunately, that won’t happen soon. For me, travel guides are the next best thing. I was especially interested in a book written by locals. “The Interactive Prague Guide” ebook had my attention.

I really liked the layout of the book. It starts with a “Quick Start” chapter that is a great overview of the highlights of the city. It includes top sights (with beautiful pictures!), Transportation, Food & Drink, Entertainment and Practical Info (this includes currency, climate and health care information).

After the sneak peak of the intro, the authors delve into facts and history of the Czech Republic and Prague specifically. From there we go to Maps and Traveling, which gives a nice overview of the neighborhoods that comprise the city of Prague. There is also a full map of the Metro public transportation system. This is the first example of the “interactive” part of the book. When you double tap the map it opens in full screen mode and you can enlarge and reduce as needed and it stays pretty clear. There is also one of the daily tram lines, along with the running times. Other transportation options are also mentioned. There is no mention of driving yourself, so I assume this is not a good idea in the city.

There is a top 10 things to do in Prague chapter that feels like a nice combination of touristy and local insight. This includes a beautiful photograph of each item on the list. These pictures can also be double tapped and enlarged.

Museums, Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping and Parks are all given their own chapters. These are all full of details of the recommended destinations and beautiful photographs. Just about every recommended location has a link to an online map. This would be handy if you are on a web enabled device and could then get directions to your destination. However most of the time I was reading the book I was away from Wi-Fi and unable to use this feature.

I want to call special attention to the chapter called “Curiosities.” This chapter highlights ten more unique things to see in Prague that are not necessarily your typical tourist attraction. The chapter also includes background information on each of the attractions listed

I found that this book had the potential to be very useful to a potential visitor to the city of Prague. However I would be remiss if I did not mention what I saw as a serious drawback to this guide. The English that is used is awkward in many places and confusing in some important areas. While I think I understood information such as opening and closing times, admission information, etc., there were many times I wasn’t completely sure about what I was reading. There were a few instances that I skipped a section because I couldn’t follow it at all. While I appreciate the feel of a book written by locals, a better translation is necessary.

Disclosure:  A free copy of this ebook was given to a volunteer with the understanding that a fair and honest review would be written of it.