What’s it like to grow up in Prague? | Young and European

Whenever I'm crossing this bridge, I always have to look at the view and be in absolute awe, and I can't believe that this is the place where I get to live and actively see this amazing view every day. It's amazing. Prague, my hometown, is the capital of the Czech Republic. Most tourists come here for the historic buildings, red rooftops, cobblestone streets, and the strong beer culture. But today I'll be showing you my Prague. Ahoj, my name is Rosaria. I am 21 years old and I'm a student in Prague. I was born, raised, and I currently live here, and this is what a day in my life looks like. I live in a typical panoramic building, which are concrete apartment buildings outside of the city center. They were built during the communist era and are Hello, welcome to my apartment. Let me show you. So I live in a two-bedroom apartment with my boyfriend, but I only moved in a couple of months ago, so it's pretty new. I have my homemade mint from my grandma's garden. For breakfast, I'm having this pie that my mom made for me. The average age for Czechs to leave home is about 26 years, which is typical across the EU, according to Eurostat. I mean, if people live in the city where they also study at the university, I think they usually stay with their parents. I mean, I would stay with my parents if it wasn't for my partner. These days, one-person apartment in the city center can cost around 700 to 1,000 euros per month. Between 2022 and 2023, rent prices increased by 20% and continue to go up. So I was invited for a panel discussion and a lecture because of my work, so come with me. It's the Velvet Revolution week this week, so I'm already wearing my ribbon. The Velvet Revolution took place in 1989, where the Czechs protested against the communist regime, which eventually fell, and now we live in a democracy. We have one of the best public transport systems in Europe, with buses, trams, metros, and trains connecting the city and its outskirts. It is available 24-7 and it's incredibly cheap for students. I do have my driver's license. I got it when I was 18 years old and I think that's the norm for Czech people. You get your first official Czech beer and then you also get your driver's license. I don't necessarily use it. I just think it's a good skill to have, I guess, but I don't need a car in Prague. I'm a political science student, but besides that I'm also a full-time influencer or greenfluencer, if you wish. I post about sustainability and climate and science and I'm trying to get people involved in the talks about overcoming climate change and other sustainable issues. Czech youth generally do not care much for politics. The voting age here is 18, but voter turnout is generally low compared to other European countries. I'm very excited because I'm going to hear someone from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and I'm very excited for her keynote about the textile waste and industry and what the solution is. They can decide to meet their obligations individually or to join forces and establish a so-called PRO. So this is an event about circularity and circular businesses. It was how businesses are supposed to implement certain circular sustainable rules and laws and regulations and it was very interesting because there were a lot of Czech startups and businesses that I was very happy to network with and make business with. It's actually really interesting to me because I study environmental politics and my lecture this evening is going to be environmental law so very convenient. But now it's time for lunch. So normally on school days I'd eat at the university cafeteria. One meal is around four or five euros but today due to time constraints I have to go eat out in a bistro. It's really good but for about 10 euros that's quite expensive. I make my own money through influencing so besides my rent I pay for my coffees, going out and obviously groceries which are getting significantly more and more expensive. Groceries cost around 140 to 250 euros per month. Over 90 percent of Czech university students also work mostly to cover living costs or to gain experience. Prague is considered a top university city. In 2023 almost 40 percent of all students in the country studied here. This is my third year at the Charles University and I've been loving it so far. I love the variability that even though I study political science I can still take subjects from any other faculty so now I'm taking a law subject, I can take biology, anything I want basically. Programs in Czech at public universities are completely free so I don't pay any tuition fees. And I'm done for today so I'm gonna head out and have some drinks with my friends. Mass tourism in Prague can get annoying from time to time but as a local I know where to go and how to avoid the big crowds. I'd never go on the Charles Bridge in my free time. Czechia is known for its strong beer drinking culture and it's true. That's how most young people socialize and I don't blame them because Czech beer is the best. Thank you for following along. I hope you enjoyed my beautiful city and have a good day. Ahoj!