Prague
Prague, Czech Republic
I love Prague! It’s a beautiful city, walkable, very clean, affordable, many parks and museums, and lots of good food and drink options.
When I Went:
May 2014 & October 2019
Itinerary:
2014: Prague (2 days) > Vienna (2 days) > Munich (2 days)
2019: Prague (6 days) > Salzburg (2 days) > Budapest (2 days)
Side note: Prague is very central in Europe and there are so many possibilities of where to go before or after your Prague visit. One of the most common itineraries is Prague > Vienna > Budapest.
How long:
2-6 Days (I’ll explain below)
Notes:
1) Czech is the main language, but everyone we encountered spoke English.
2) The currency is Czech koruna, but credit cards were pretty much accepted everywhere we went. We went to a farmers market and paid cash though.
3) I went in 2019 for work and for leisure in 2014. I hardly remember anything from 2014 though!
4) On Google Maps, the Czech Republic is now labeled as “Czechia”, but no one there calls it that.
5) The only time I ever missed a train was at the Prague train station. The platforms are very confusing. If you go up a platform and it is not your letter, go down further on the platform and see if you see the sign for your train. Get there with plenty of time just in case it isn’t super clear.
6) Prague is divided into districts. Most of the places you’ll probably go to will be in Prague 1, 2, 5, 7, or 8.
How I got there:
In 2014, I got to Prague via Dublin on Aer Lingus and in 2019, I got there from via Warsaw on LOT airlines.
How we got around:
In 2019 since I was going for work, we walked a majority of the time and took Ubers for anything that was far away or towards the end of our trips when we were really tired. I vaguely remember taking public transportation in 2014 and we were told by locals on my recent trip that Prague public transportation is super easy and one of the best in Europe.
Accommodations:
I stayed at a few places in Prague while I was there. I stayed at an Airbnb in 2014 and recently stayed at Alton Hotel and Design Apartment by Ruterra in 2019. Accommodations in Prague seemed to be very affordable and lots of apartment rental options. Both times I stayed in Prague, I stayed near the train station.
Staying in Prague 1 or 2 will put you in walking distance to many of the key places to visit.
Activities/Sights To See:
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) - the castle is very majestic looking. You can see it from the Charles Bridge and all around the city. It is free to explore the castle area, but go early to avoid the crowds.
If you start walking down from the castle towards the river, you’ll come across a nice view of the city and a small vineyard.
Malá Strana - This is the area in Prague 1 to the left of the river. It’s the area you’ll go through to get to the castle unless you go some weird roundabout way. There are a bunch of museums, gardens, and parks to wander through. Kampa is a small park that is technically an island. It’s a super cute area and I wish I had spent a little more time here!
Petřín Gardens - so beautiful! This garden has a great view of the city. It is between Petrin Tower and Prague Castle. I recommend walking down from the tower cause it goes downhill. You’ll end up back in the Malá Strana area.
Petrin Hill and Petřín Lookout Tower - there is a fee to get up and down the tower. I believe you can pay to do round trip or just go up in the elevator and walk back down. The view from the tower is really lovely and gives you an amazing view of the city.
Charles Bridge (Karlův most) - the iconic bridge is popular and always crowded. If you go during the morning it’s not as busy, but you’d be amazed how many people are already there by 9am. There’s a nice view of the Prague Castle from the bridge. If you want a relatively people-less pic, go early or late at night. It’ll be pretty jam-packed by the afternoon.
Old Town Square - quite touristy and also busy, but stop by and see the pretty buildings. There are a bunch of restaurants in the square and you can also get some street food like Old Prague Ham, Halusky, hot wine, etc.
Astronomical Clock (Staroměstská radnice s orlojem)- also in Old Town Square. The twelve apostles appear every hours from 9am to 11pm. It’s so crowded that it can get hard to see though.
Letná Parks (Letenské sady) - large park in Prague 7 across the river from Prague 1. There’s an outdoor beer garden that has a great view of the city and we’re told is very popular during the summer.
Dancing House (Tančící dům) - designed by architects Vlado Milunić and Frank O. Gehry. It’s a cool looking building with a gallery, restaurant, and hotel.
Prague City Hall (Nová radnice) - we were shown something very cool at the City Hall. There are moving single-person elevators that don’t have any doors. It looks like something straight out of Harry Potter (picture below).
Strahov Monastery - we didn’t go in, but they have a brewery and beer garden. Walking around the area is nice and relaxing!
City Library - we only stopped by briefly, but there is a cool book art display and it’s very “Instagrammable”. I didn’t get a pic, but here’s are some on Instagram.
Food & Drinks:
We had a lot of good food and drinks in Prague! It is all pretty affordable too.
Malá Strana (Prague 1)
Restaurace Malostranská beseda - to be honest, I had this back in 2014 so my memory is a little foggy, but the pictures of the food looked good! Haha. It is right in Malostranské Square.
Lokál U Bílé kuželky - there are multiple locations, but this is a popular restaurant spot amongst locals and tourists. The one we went to is near the Charles Bridge and kind of tucked away. They’ve got beer and essentially have all you can eat sides! We went here a couple of times and I got schnitzel and we shared fried cheese and goulash.
Ristorante - this restaurant was really cute. We only stopped for drinks and dessert, but the atmosphere was really nice. Felt a tad touristy though.
Cafe Savoy - cute and classy looking restaurant. I had wiener schnitzel here and they have a nice selection of desserts.
Nové Město (Prague 1)
Cukrárna Myšák - clean and classy looking cafe with delicious pastries. We has the kremrole (cream roll) and větrník (pinwheel-shaped choux pastry) that are popular Czech desserts.
Tonkin Kafé - cute cafe near one of the places we were staying. The chai latte and banana bread were delicious.
Červený Jelen / Red Stag - this restaurant is so beautiful and well designed. It has multiple floors, an open kitchen, and beautiful desserts on display.
Kavárna Velryba - we just stumbled upon this place, but I had some tasty risotto here.
Staré Město (Prague 1)
Choco Café U Červené židle - I filmed here for work and they have chocolate everything, baked goods, and some real thick hot chocolate. It’s more like drinking chocolate, but it’s delicious. They have over 50 kinds of hot chocolate variations you can get.
Good Food Coffee & Bakery - you can get trdelník (chimney cakes) all over the city and this place has them as cones served with ice cream. Traditionally they are not served with them. I also learned that locals hate them! They don’t like them cause they are all over the city, but they are not a Czech dessert. They are from Transylvania.
Grand Café Orient - very cute spot that looks like a Parisian cafe. They have a balcony and it’s very close to Old Town Square.
Home Kitchen - cute spot that had some good breakfast spot. Close to Old Town Square.
Sisters Bistro -they do a modern twist on traditional open-faced sandwiches called chlebičký. You can get a full size one (which isn’t too large) or a sampler that has one of everything.
The Alchemist Bar - Also I filmed here for work, but it was cool and would go there for fun. It’s really close to Wenceslas Square. They have a special menu where you can pick a tarot card and get a mystery drink corresponding with it.
Old Town Square - they have some street food like mulled wine, trdelník, and old Prague ham.
Vyšehrad (Prague 2)
Náplavka Farmers' Saturday market - if you’re here on a Saturday, stop by for some cheap and tasty food. We only paid by cash so I’m not sure if card is an option. It’s right along the Embankment, so on a sunny day this is really pleasant.
Karlín (Prague 8)
Dva kohouti - this brewery is very hip/modern looking. They have an indoor and outdoor area and you can also easily see the brewing tanks inside.
Pivovarský klub - many places is Prague don’t have a TON of beers on their menu compared to the US, but this place has TONS. You are surrounded by a variety of beers that you can try. You can also get dishes made with beer.
Enough time?
You can do two jam-packed days, but I think three days would be better. I also wish I had more time to see other parts of Czech Republic. I’ve heard great things about Český Krumlov!
