Guide

May 28,2018 | 1067 1

Prague… in the heart of Europe. The city of a thousand spires, the golden city, the city that Hilter spared.. Or so they say.

Prague, the fairy tale city that I have been lucky to call home over the last 6 years, the city where I met Honza, fell in love, and our story began… which now has led to this blog.

I thought I’d start with Prague as our first travel itinerary in this new venture because it’s a city which has captivated my heart to such an extent that I consider myself privileged to live here. Surrounded by golden illuminated buildings, reflective cobblestone streets and hundreds of baroque spires reaching up into the night sky that take you into another world, into a different time and a different place, if you let it. Prague entices you, and I’d like everyone to fall in love with this city just as much as I have.

You can adjust this guide for 1 day, 2 days or longer as you wish. Suggestions for extended trips outside of Prague given below!

The ultimate itinerary for 2 perfect days in Prague

Day 1

I always say to everyone who visits that you should start your day at Prague Castle, why is this? Its at the edge of the old town, and when you start here, it provides you with the perfect vantage point to see what the city has to offer and find your way there along the winding paved streets. Tram 22 is your best bet to get you there, and since its on a hill, if you get yourself up there by tram, you can just continue walking all day. Prague is extremely walkable and public transport is efficient and affordable, if you need it. Generally, this list of good travel apps maybe useful to you before you start your trip as well.

Pro tip no 1 : If you are in Prague for 2 – 3 days the most affordable option would be getting a daily pass for 100 czech crowns (kc) which are valid for 24 hours from when you stamp them. They are valid for the trams, buses and metro all over the city of Prague. Its completely worth it! Or you could buy a few  single tickets for 24kc which are valid for half an hour if you expect to mostly walk.

Pro tip number 2: Change money after double checking the rates. Many exchange places have one rate as the buying rate and another as a selling rate altogether. Our favourite and the most local exchange place in Prague is https://www.exchange.cz and it is located here. 

Once inside Prague castle – the biggest medieval castle in the world, be stunned by the façade of the St. Vitus Cathedral which sits right in the middle of the complex, and by the stained glass paneling inside. Also, a little known fact is that you can go up one of the towers of the cathedral which gives one of my favorite views of the city. I took Honza here for his first time even though he’s afraid of heights and he loved the view so much he almost forgot his fear.

The facade of St. Vitus Cathedral

I personally wouldn’t be able to recommend going inside the Prague castle on a tour, having never done it. But there is so much to see outside that I don’t think it’s necessary. The main courtyard may look familiar to you because it’s where the “Kremlin” was shot for the Mission Impossible 4 movie.

Exit the Prague castle complex and be treated with stunning views of the city showcasing the seamless meshing of cultures; Gothic, Bohemian, Habsburg and Communistic existing side by side. Walk down the stairs into the colourful streets of the Mala Strana area. See the elegant green dome of Kostel sv. Mikuláše in Malostranske namesti.

Pass the souvenir shop filled lively streets to get to Charles Bridge. Built in the 14^th century and flanked at both ends by fortified towers, Charles Bridge was once the only bridge across the river Vltava, connecting both sides of the city. The bridge is a continuous alley of mostly baroque statues. At the start of the bridge, if you look to your left, you will see stairs going down, through which you could take a detour to go see the John Lennon Wall.

After having your picture-perfect moment on Charles Bridge with the castle in the background, get yourself a meal in one of the many Czech restaurants around. But beware of ‘touristy prices’, I will put some of my personal favourite places to eat below.

Pro tip number 3: If you have only one day or would like to get all the typical touristy stuff done in one day, continue now with the first half of day 2.

Or if you want to spend some time off the beaten path, and experience Prague like a local. Head to Strelecky Ostrov, an island with beautiful views in the middle of the Vltava, just a 10-minute walk away from Charles Bridge. If the weather is good, take paddle boats on the river.

See the Dancing House, also affectionately known as ‘Fred and Ginger’, built after the accidental bombing of Prague at that location during world war II. It remains the only modern building on the river bank. After this, see the National Theatre, a grand structure which serves symbol of Czech identity and cultural heritage.

Head to Petrin hill, take the funicular going up the hill (it’s quite a climb, you’re better off walking down. The normal public transport tickets are valid here!), and go up Petrin tower – the mini Eiffel tower of Prague – and see the city sprawling beneath you. If you’re lucky, you just might catch a beautiful sunset. And on the way down, sit on the grass in Petrin park, you’ll have Prague castle to your left, and you’ll see the spires of Prague as the city lays out in front of you. You can’t pay for this view!

And thus ends your 1^st perfect day in Prague.

Day 2

Ready to continue being intrigued at every street corner? Start your day at the Wallenstein Palace Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada), this old Baroque palace now houses the Czech senate.

Get to the beautiful Rudolfinum theatre and head from there into Staroměstské náměstí – Old town square. This wide square, which showcases a memorial to Jan Hus at it’s centre, has on one end the “Church of Our Lady before Týn whose Gothic towers look a bit like the Disney castle at night. While on the old town square, you can’t miss the Prague astronomical clock which celebrated its 605^th anniversary in 2015. If you get there at the turn of the hour, you could also see the 12 apostles moving as the clock chimes. From here, you could also head to the Jewish quarter/ Josefov where you will see the 6 synagogues and the Jewish cemetery, and Parizska Street, Prague’s most expensive street filled with luxurious and branded stores. I’ve never shopped there but it’s certainly something to see! (For normal shopping, there are many malls around Prague, Palladium, Novy Smichov and OC Quadrio to name a few)

After the old town square, make your way to Wenceslas Square, one large shopping street with the National Museum at the very end of the street. Just around the corner from the Museum, you should see the state opera.

Half way point! Have some food, you’ve already done a lot today!

The interior of Church of St. Ignatius in Charles Square (Karlovo Namesti)

Take a metro from Wenceslas Square to go to Letna Park (closest metro station would be Hradcanska), relax while being rewarded with panoramic views of the city and some of the 17 bridges that traverse across the river.

One of the many views from Letna

If you’ve still got energy and would like to do one more thing before your next meal or before you crash into bed, take a walk along Naplavka, the river bank and see Prague castle and the city light up in golden hues as dusk falls. Naplavka is a hotspot in summer for couples such as ourselves to take a romantic stroll, or friends to hang out drinking beer by the river bank. Or on one of my many boats that sit along the river.

Another option would be to go by metro to Vysehrad, an old historic fort set on the right bank of the Vltava river and be rewarded by beautiful views of the city at night from a height. And remember seeing the city at night is a must! Prague takes on its own charm at night. So, make sure you see the Prague castle at night from somewhere along the river.

And there you have it! 2 perfect days in Prague

Too many view points and parks? Here are some substitutes! Also, people having more than 2 days, feel free some of the things below.

• Head to the National Theatre or the State Opera and see a performance.
• Go to the Prague zoo
• See the Zizkov tower, a modern tower with babies crawling up its walls, you have to see it to believe it!
• Have a beer at Riegrovy Sady and enjoy beautiful views of the city.
• Visit the Kafka Museum, or the National Museum.
• Go to Novy Svet, a lovely residential area behind Prague castle filled with narrow streets and beautiful houses.
• Find R2-D2, a street art covered old bunker in Folimanka Park.
• Climb up the Charles Bridge tower and be treated to an amazing view.
• See Franz Kafka’s head near Narodni Trida behind the MyNarodni shopping mall.
  

  The view from Riegrovy Sady

Where to stay?

Booking.com and airbnb could definitely give you some good options

Or if you are a super budget traveller, couchsurfing is a great option.

Day trips outside of Prague (there will be a whole other article on this coming soon!)

• Karlstejn castle
• Cesky Raj (Bohemian Paradise)
• Kutna Hora
• Karlovy Vary
• Cesky Krumlov

• 

  Velka Amerika (one hour from Prague) – an old quarry now a beautiful sight to see

Where to eat? (would you like a separate article on this? Let us know!)

Czech food

• Café Louvre
• Lokál U Bílé kuželky
• Restaurace Karlův sklep
• Potrefená Husa (there are more of them)

Other cuisine

• M’roll – Thai, Vietnamese
• Hanabi Sushi House – Japanese
• Lehka Hlava – vegan
• Bab rýže – Korean
• Da Tarquinio – Italian
• The K brothers – Indian
• Radost FX – Mexican / american fusion
• Klub Cestovatelů – Middle Eastern / Indian fusion

Best places for breakfast

• Marthy’s Kitchen
• Urxova 10 ( 3 course breakfast for 10 euros)
• Coffee corner bakery
• SmetanaQ (great waffles!)
• Globe cafe
• Hotel Don Giovanni breakfast buffet
• Radost restaurant

Ice cream

• Crem-de-la-crem
• Angelato
• Puro Gelato
• Ovocny Svetozor

Some of Honza’s favourite beer brands:

• Pilsner Urquell
• Svijany
• Bernard
• Poutník

Places to go for beer/drinks:

• Bar Cobra (we had our first date here so it’s kind of special to us – read the story here)
• Tiki Taky bar – amazing cocktails, great Hawaiian decor
• La Loca bar
• Vnitroblok
• Nebe cocktail bar
• Various pubs on “hipster” Krymská street
• Bars/ clubs around the Dlouha trida area

Czech food to try:

• Svíčková
• Guláš
• Rizek
• Olomoucké syrečky
• Smažený sýr (Fried cheese)

And if you want to Czech-out (check out/ Czech out, get it?) what events are going on you can visit:

https://goout.net/en/prague/events/

Want to read more about Prague? Check out our list of fun facts!