The good, the bad, and the ugly of studying Art in Prague

Almost everyone who comes to Prague is blown away by how much the city has to offer. Just wandering home, on Prague’s very safe streets and looking at the architecture feels like a privilege. But at a certain point, those moving to Prague often are plagued by other less desirable aspects to living in the old city. Especially those coming from the US, in my experience who are used to a very particular expectation of life and interactions. In this article I’d like to look at some of the common complaints Americans have when visiting the city. I don’t mean this to disparage Prague in any way, far from it, however I’d like to let other Americans know what to expect if they’re coming here to study art.

“The Service is terrible”

Americans are generally used to friendly service, often times this service is over the top friendly. For instance if a Czech person is visiting a Denny’s in Toledo Ohio, and the hostess says “Hey, hows it goin today guys! Oh I love your daughters shirt, my daughter loves Paw Patrol too! What can I get for ya!” . Czechs find this type of service insane. They think that there’s something more nefarious at play, that it’s all “fake” and to a certain extent it is, but Americans also simply tend to be more casual and laid back with conversations. With Czechs, the formality is built into the language. You have a formal tense, and an informal tense. Often times Czechs will ask if they can speak to you in an informal tone, but only if they’re comfortable and feel like you’re both being casual. Otherwise, if you are getting a beer, or even worse, dealing with someone at a state office, you’ll be met with an absolutely emotionless approach. This formality and emotional shield can make some people accustomed to more casual environments lose their minds.

“The apartments are small”

If you’re accustomed to living in a large house in the US, Prague will immediately feel more cloistered. While some apartments can be ideally situated and quiet, many are quite loud and in some of the cheaper block apartments (popularised by your stereotype of communist living) you can hear your neighbor taking a piss at 3am. They’re also considerably smaller. Czechs are often used to living in smaller living spaces and closer with their family. They are smaller. So, if that bugs you, then maybe Prague isn’t for you. My best advice when looking for a place in Prague is first ensure you don’t have a lot of noise from the neighbors, by looking at the thickness of the walls with them. I’ve had two amazing places that were totally quiet, but I’ve also had to deal with noisy neighbors, and that sucks. Also, many of the basic accommodations you’re used to can be lacking as the housing market is extremely competitive. It is not a market which favors the renters. You take what you get and don’t complain about it much.

“small pond syndrome”

Czechs can be very humble, and often look down upon arrogant and loud displays in the art world. For this reason much of the Czech art scene sees itself as either seeking to get out (via art fairs), or living in relative obscurity within the small niche of people who care about it here. In some ways, this is similar to much of the rest of Europe, if not the world. There isn’t a major commercial scene here in the arts like there is in London for instance. So many can suffer from feeling as if they’re just a small artist, in a small land. This can be true of even internationally acclaimed artists. I don’t think this is a terrible trait, but it is a striking difference to the confidence that major American artists often display when they speak about, and get funding for their work.

“Czech is impossible to learn”

As noted in another article, Czech language is extremely difficult. After living here for twenty years, and listening and communicating I still have moments where my language abilities just fall apart. Yes, you can learn czech though! Czechs can be very protective of their language and they’re often surprised to hear foreigners speak it. Since it can be so difficult for Czechs to master, it seems completely impossible for a foreigner to do so. And they’re kind of right! Getting to real full fluency level is almost unheard of. But, there is hope, there are czech language intensive programs that can give you good conversational skills with some dedication and practice.

“Czechs are not Politically Correct”

This can come in a variety of forms, however they all vary. Imagine many of the social challenges in the US, and here you’ll hear a lot of language here which would be unacceptable in an American institution. There is not a lot of self regulation relating to the usage of derogatory terms. Regardless, American students should be aware that they may encounter opinions and statements they would find problematic in the US, and here they are often left unchallenged.

“The weather is terrible”

Some students coming from warmer climates can’t stand the dreary winter days. It can get cold and rainy, and yucky. To me, it’s not problem because I come from a much colder climate. I don’t even notice it. But it is certainly a deal breaker for a lot of people who wish to stay here and develop an artistic career in the long term. Spring , Summer, and Fall are all amazing. Winter is meh.

“Kafka was right!”

Czech bureaucracy can be extremely complicated and require you to use the services of an agency in order to get legal here. I can’t help you with any of this lol so don’t ask, I just paid someone else to do it. That’s what I recommend you do as well. Even if you research what you need online, there’s a good chance it’s changed in the last month, or week. A lot of people come to Prague to study art abroad, but end up having to go back early because of an inability to navigate the red tape within the country. I’d recommend some agency if I could, but I wasn’t very happy with the agency I used either. Maybe look around on expats.cz and find our what is recommended there.

“What’s up with all the dog shit?”

Czechs have some of the highest dog ownership rates in all of Europe. There’s a LOT of dogs here, and most are very well behaved. If you’re coming from the US, make sure your dog is well socialised otherwise you’ll not enjoy the parks and all that they offer dog owners here. With that being said, there’s a lot of people who don’t pick up their dog’s shit, and so you step in it-now you’re mad and you begin to curse the ancestors of Přemysl!

So keep these things in mind if you are looking to study art abroad in Czech Republic, or Prague. It’s a city of untold beauty and I really do love it so much, but a lot of people don’t see it through such rose colored glasses. Be aware of what you’re getting into, and set reasonable expectations and you’ll likely also have a more pleasant experience during your stay.