Amsterdam certainly leads the way with its numerous attempts to curb noisy and unpleasant behaviour by tourists, but the city isn’t alone in its battle against unhinged tourists.
From Ghent to Galway, many European cities are taking action to clamp down on stag and hen weekends – and now local officials in Czech capital Prague are considering implementing a ban on the type of clothing these groups wear.
A ban on the ‘silly costumes’ donned by the (predominantly British) groups was proposed by the district council for Prague 1, the Czech capital’s historic centre and a Unesco World Heritage site. The district contains the mediaeval old town and Prague Castle, as well as Wenceslas Square.
It’s the bars around that area that are particularly popular with Brits for pub crawls and beer tours. Officials hope the ban would curb not only unruly behaviour but also noise pollution.
Bronislava Sitár Baboráková, Prague 1 councillor, told Prague Morning that the costumes ‘exceed generally acceptable social conventions’ and negatively impact locals, especially children and elderly people.
One resident, Štěpán Kuchta, is so fed up with the noise in the old town that they began a 10-day hunger strike – clearly, it’s grinding the gears of people who live in the city.
However, not everyone thinks a costume ban is going to achieve much. Jon Stainer, creative director of StagWeb, a UK stag do firm, told the Independent: ‘The majority of guys who dress up are very respectful and just having a bit of fun, so it seems like a strange measure if it’s a blanket ban.
‘I get they’re trying to placate the locals whilst still benefiting from the thousands of stag parties that head there, but I don’t see the measure having any impact.’
Other measures previously considered by the city have included a nighttime ban on cars in the old town area or limiting business hours, but so far, none of these proposals have actually gone ahead.
Are groups of blokes dressed as the Super Mario Bros and gangs of women dressed as cowgirls ‘just having a bit of fun’ or causing quite a lot of ruckus? And can local officials dictate what people can and can’t wear? That’s all tbd – we’ll keep you posted on how and if this measure progresses.
Here’s a roundup of all the European cities clamping down on stag dos.
More on Prague from Time Out
Prague is a go-to destination for a city break, whether you’re cutting about town in a juvenile costume or not. From shopping and nightlife to restaurants, the Czech capital’s got plenty to offer.
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