Highlights of Prague

In recent years Prague has become a popular tourist destination, and with good reason. Having much less damage from World War II than other European cities, much of the architecture in Prague was left intact. And with the Old Town and Castle District so centrally located, visiting all of the main attractions is very easy for the first-time visitor.

So, join us as we take a look at some highlights of Prague, the city of 100 spires. These are the spots that you won’t want to miss on your visit.

A Little Bit of History

Prague (the Czech name is Praha) is the capital of the Czech Republic. Over its thousand year existence, there have been many ups and downs for Prague, as many wars and rulers have come and gone. These include Charles IV, the Habsburg Era and both World Wars. At the end of World War I, Czechoslovakia was created and Prague was chosen as its capital.

By the end of World War II, Czechoslovakia was under the Soviet Union’s rule which lasted until the late 1980’s. In 1993 the Czech Republic was born with Prague as the capital city.

Location and How to Get There

Prague is bordered by Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland. The Vltava River flows through Prague and the Elbe River is nearby.

The international airport that serves the city is the Václav Havel Airport Prague. It is a busy airport, serving over 1 million passengers every month. With its large selection of carriers and flights, it is easy to fly there from just about anywhere in the world. The airport is located about 9 miles from town and is only about a 25-minute drive to the city center.

The cheapest way to travel to the city center is by public transportation. While it is clean and reliable, it can get very busy during peak times. The bus ride will cost about $3.00. However, if you are carrying a lot of luggage it can be a bit cumbersome to handle on the bus, so this option might not be your best choice.

Taxis and Uber are also available and costs will vary, but will usually start at around $20.00 for a taxi and $10.00 for Uber. As with any large city, take care when using taxis. Always verify the rate with your driver before you get in the vehicle.

An alternative is to use a private driving service, such as WelcomePickups.com. They offer all sorts of transportation options including personalized pickup (and drop-off) service at the airport. Knowing that your driver will be waiting for you upon arrival can do a lot to help reduce your stress after a long flight.

Lastly, check with your hotel, many offer a shuttle with a pickup/drop-off service. The cost is usually a little more than a taxi, but it is definitely more convenient.

Currency

The currency of the Czech Republic is the Crown (CZK). The current exchange rate is about .043 US dollars to the Crown. So 1000 CZK is about $43. Some businesses might accept Euros, but do not count on it. Credit cards are accepted at many places, but surprisingly they are not universally accepted, even at some tourist locations. Before you go to any tourist site requiring tickets, check online to see if credit cards are accepted. Definitely check with each restaurant before you order, otherwise you might be running to the nearest ATM in order to pay for your meal.

ATMs are ubiquitous throughout the city, so it’s easy to exchange currency. However, always try to use ATMs in a bank or hotel. Just using a standalone ATM along the street could result in higher transaction charges, and may not be as secure.

Overall, Prague is very inexpensive as compared to other cities in Western Europe. Beer and wine are especially reasonable. Be careful of some touristy restaurants which can overcharge, so check the prices and your bill carefully. While tips are happily accepted, they are not necessarily expected. When you do tip, 5% to 10% is the norm.

TIP: Prague is generally a very safe place for tourists, but pickpocketing in the large crowds could be an issue. Stay aware of your surroundings and keep your valuables secure. If you don’t need them, leave them in your hotel safe.

Places to Stay

There are many hotels in the area of Old Town and New Town, so you will have a large selection from which to choose. From big name chains to small, boutique hotels, Prague will have something for you. Here are a few that we can recommend.

• Corinthia Hotel Prague – The Corinthia is really a beautiful hotel and we stayed there on our first visit to Prague. It is very modern, has great views from the rooms and the food is very good. There is just one downside. It is more than 2 miles from Old Town and is not really walkable. It is only about 10 minutes to Old Town by taxi, but it could be a little expensive when making multiple trips. There is a Metro stop right next to the hotel. So, if you are a little more adventurous, then this would be a more cost-effective option. Here are the details on the Prague Metro system.

• Art Nouveau Palace Hotel Prague  – Built in 1909 and beautifully restored in 1989, this hotel is quite nice. All of the rooms have been updated and the restaurant is great. We loved staying in this lovely, quiet hotel. The huge plus of the Art Nouveau is that it is only an 8-minute walk to Old Town Square. Shops and other businesses are right outside its front door, so you never need to worry about transportation. We were able to walk almost everywhere and we were easily able to return to our hotel for breaks during the day.

• Hilton Prague –  The Hilton is a nice hotel that is just outside of Old Town, but is still very walkable. This hotel is very popular hotel and people we talked to really liked it.

• Prague Marriott Hotel –  Like most Marriott hotels, the rooms are nice and the amenities are great. Best of all, it is close to Old Town.

Places to Eat

There is no shortage of wonderful restaurants in Prague. As with most large cities, there are of course all types of cuisines. But we would encourage you to try some local Czech cuisine. Following are a few of the restaurants that we can recommend. All of these are within walking distance of the hotels near Old Town.

• Koleta – This restaurant is just off the Old Town Square and has great outdoor seating. The menu has many local dishes and excellent service. Take a look at the pork knuckle they served me; I think it could have served a family of four!

• Taverna Toscana –  Taverna Toscana is one of our favorite stops on the Old Town Square. You can sit outside and people watch while enjoying a local Czech beer and appetizer. We stopped in a few times for a quick bite at lunch, but we recommend you try it for dinner and ask to sit downstairs. The restaurant’s basement was constructed in the 13th century and the architecture is incredible. It makes for a romantic spot for a fantastic dinner. The food is excellent and the service is friendly and welcoming.

• Pushkin –  This restaurant is just a short walk from the square. Pushkin offers an extensive menu of local dishes along with a great atmosphere.

• Mlynec – This restaurant is a little pricey for Prague, but it is near the Charles Bridge on the river. They have a fantastic dinner menu and amazing desserts. Both the food and location are very enjoyable. If you want to splurge a little one evening, this is the place to do it.

• Bellavista Prague –  If you are looking for a great lunch spot with a fantastic view of Prague, Bellavista is the place for you. Located next to the Strahov Monastery and not far from Prague Castle, the tables outside look out over all of Prague. You will have to order a meal to get the best tables, but the food is good and the views are even better. Go on a clear day and you will be rewarded with some of the best pictures of the area. By the way, this is one of the restaurants that only accepts cash, so get your Crowns before you get there!

There is a seemingly endless number of wonderful restaurants, cafes and bars from which to choose, but do make sure to try the great local cuisine.

Above all, don’t forget dessert! The traditional dessert you will see all over Prague is called trdelník. Trdelník is very popular among both tourists and locals. It is made from a semi-sweet pastry dough that has been wrapped around a cone shaped stick and grilled over a charcoal spit. It is frequently coated in sugar and cinnamon, chocolate, or even filled with ice cream or fruit. Any way you have it, don’t miss trying it at least once while you are here.

TIP: Don’t be afraid of a language barrier. Menus typically have English descriptions and many, if not most, servers speak some English.

Things to Do

• Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti) – Old Town Square is probably the most iconic spot in Prague, and is often the first stops for tourists. There is much to see in the square, with its many shops, cafes and street performers. All around you are fantastic examples of Gothic and Baroque architecture and there are many opportunities for stunning photos.

o Astronomical Clock – This beautiful clock has been in place on the Old Town Hall since 1410, and is the oldest astronomical clock that is still operating. At the top of each hour the clock chimes and various sculptures, including a skeleton, move about on the clock. It is an interesting site and one that is very popular with tourists. During most of the day and evening, there is a very large crowd in place to watch the clock. However, if you stop by in the morning hours, you will get a better view and not have to compete with the crowds to get some good photos.

o Church of Our Lady before Tyn – This magnificent Gothic church was built in the 14th century. Its spires tower more than 260 feet and are the dominant feature on the Prague skyline. It is especially picturesque early in the morning or at sunset. The interior of the church is equally impressive with a huge central altar and an amazing number of artistic objects. There is an entry fee to visit the interior and no photos are allowed. In addition, the church has frequent concerts, especially during the holidays.

o St Nicholas Church – This church is located on the opposite side of the square from the Church of Our Lady. Built in the 18th century, this church is one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in central Europe. Although the church is open to the public, the times seem to vary quite a bit. So, check their hours on their website.  If you have the chance to attend one the concerts held at the church, try to go. Mozart himself played on the organ and its 4,000 pipes sound amazing!

Be sure to venture off the square to explore the streets that branch out in all directions. The quaint, narrow streets offer surprises around every corner. It is easy to get a little turned around in the maze of passageways, but just follow the crowd and you will end up back in the square or down by the river.

Once you have explored the Old Town Square area, make your way toward the river and the Charles Bridge. Don’t miss all of the unique shops along the way.

• Charles Bridge (Karluv most) – The bridge was built in the 15th century and is a pedestrian-only bridge which connects the Old Town with the Castle District. Take in the many statues of the saints along the bridge and be sure to take a lot of photos of the castle district that rises above the opposite side of the bridge. The bridge is also a favorite place for local craftsmen and souvenir stands.

TIP: Be wary of some of the street vendors on the bridge and other tourist areas. Many appear to be painting the cityscape, but are in fact only pretending to be painting. If you take note, you will see the exact same ‘paintings’ being produced by every artist. Some of them may be making a few paint strokes on existing prints, to make themselves seem more realistic. Be judicious and don’t be taken.

• Old Town Bridge Tower – The tower is located on the Old Town side of the Charles Bridge. Built in the 14th century, the tower is flanked by sculptures of St. Vitus and Charles IV. The tower is open to the public and visitors can climb a narrow stairway to the top. This spot is perfect for taking pictures of the Charles Bridge and the river.

• Prague Castle – Prague Castle is more than a thousand years old and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built in the 10th century, Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the world and currently houses the office of the Czech president.
This area can get extremely busy by midday. A good strategy is to make this your starting point for the day. Most of the sites open at 9 AM, and tickets go on sale shortly before that time. There are different types of tickets, known as circuits. We purchased Circuit B for about $10 per person and it included everything below. More information can be found here. Using this strategy, we were able to walk into every site, virtually by ourselves.

o St. Vitus Church – This church is the main attraction in all of Prague, not just the Prague Castle area. If you are not there early, then you will be in a very long line and you will likely be shoulder-to-shoulder with your fellow visitors. Try to avoid this situation by visiting early in the day. Originally built in the 8th century, this is the third church to be built on this same site. St. Vitus is the resting place of numerous Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors.

Some say this is one of the prettiest churches they have ever seen and we found it quite remarkable. There are many photo opportunities, but take the time just to admire the Gothic architecture.

o Old Royal Palace – The original wooden palace was built on this same site in the 9th century. It of course was reconstructed multiple times, as late as the 18th century. The palace was used for various state functions such as coronations and other ceremonial gatherings. It is interesting to walk through the place where so much history has occurred.

o St George’s Basilica – Originally built around 920, this is the second church of Prague Castle. It also went through several reconstructions and renovations over the years due to both natural disasters and design changes. Not as elaborate as St Vitus, it is still a remarkable church that you should definitely stop to see.

o Golden Lane – Located next to Prague Castle is the Golden Lane. It consists of many small, brightly painted houses, originally used to house the castle’s guards. It took its name from the 17th century goldsmiths that lived there at that time. Over the years, the lane housed different types of craftsmen and workers, including some historical figures. Today it consists of some interesting shops and museums. Take your time going through the houses and don’t miss the Dalibor Tower torture chamber that is connected to the lane.

• Petrin (Prague Eiffel Tower) – Petrín Hill, one of the largest green spaces in the city, is where you will find the Petrín Observation Tower. Built in 1891 to resemble a small Eiffel Tower, it is a very popular tourist spot. For a small fee and a 299-step hike to the top, you will be rewarded with amazing views overlooking the entire city. Most visitors take the funicular to the top and then walk back down the hill. This picture is taken from the top. Take a look in the distance and you can see the Žižkov Television Tower. Do you notice anything strange? We’ll talk a little more about that next, but first we have a cautionary tale for you.

We had walked up to the Castle District early in the morning and then afterwards returned to the Legion Bridge area. We then had the bright idea to walk back up to the Strahov Monastery (not far from Prague Castle), to have lunch at the nearby Bellavista Prague. Unsure of the shortest route, we consulted the mapping app on our phone. Well, the app plotted the shortest distance, but definitely not the easiest. After much tough uphill hiking in 90- degree weather, we finally arrived at the top of Petrin Hill and then hiked down to our lunch spot. So, although we were not really planning to visit the Petrin Tower, in retrospect we were glad to have seen it. But we were none too happy about how that happened!

• Žižkov Television Tower – The tower was completed in the early 1990s and is regarded as one of the ugliest structures in the world. It is 709 ft high and houses a few hotel rooms, a restaurant and an outstanding observation deck. Most of the pictures you see of Prague are taken from the Prague Castle side of the city. But the tower is on the opposite side of Prague, so you get some unique pictures of the city from the observation deck.

Now for the strange part. The tower is also home to unique sculptures called ‘The Babies’. These sculptures were originally installed in 2000 and taken down in 2017 for refurbishment. They were recreated and reinstalled in 2019. These babies are huge, faceless and crawling all over the tower. Some people really like it and find it artistic. Others, not so much. Personally, we thought they were very creepy.

• Jewish Quarter (Josefov) – The Jewish Quarter is located not far from Old Town Square. Over the centuries, with Jews banned from living anywhere else in Prague, and with even more migrating in from other countries, this area became very overcrowded. In addition, various rulers decreed that structures be destroyed and the streets within the ghetto were altered. Fortunately, many of the significant structures survived and are considered to be the most well-preserved grouping of Jewish monuments in Europe. Set aside some time to walk through this historical area.

• Terizen – We always like to schedule some activity outside of the main city, so we can get out in the countryside. We decided on a trip to Terizen, which was a World War II concentration camp, located 30 miles north of Prague. More than 150,000 Jews were sent there, including 15,000 children, before being sent by rail transports to their deaths at Treblinka and Auschwitz extermination camps in occupied Poland. Although Terizen was not an extermination camp, about 33,000 died due to the terrible living conditions in the Terizen ghetto. Less than 150 of the children sent to Terizen ultimately survived the war.

In addition to Jews, 32,000 political prisoners were also housed within Terizen, including 5,000 women. Most were imprisoned for various acts of resistance against the Nazi regime, and thousands died in the squalid conditions.

Although this tour was certainly not uplifting, it was educational and very moving. As painful as it is, it is important for everyone to understand history in the hope that it is never repeated.

After leaving Terizen we traveled a very short distance to the town of Litoměřice and visited the Microbrewery Labuť. This brewery was a pleasant surprise, as it was really a fun place. We enjoyed a few craft beers and a snack. The staff was very friendly and gave us a tour of their facility. If you travel to Terizen, take some time to try the local brew at Labuť.

Prague remains one of our favorite cities in Europe. The architecture, history, culture, food and friendly people make Prague a place you will want to visit many times.

Thank you for traveling to Prague with us. We hope this post was helpful and we welcome your comments. Please check back with us often as we are working hard to provide content that you can use on your next journe