At every turn, Prague is brimming with history — unearthed by simply looking up. One can gape at the gorgeous mix of architecture here for an entire day. Not a fan of building structure? How about royalty? From a distance and up close, Prague’s Castle District dates back a millennium and guarantees a stunningly opulent visit. Multi-tasking is in demand here because there is cold Pivo waiting to be drank in a traditional Czech Tavern. Or even on the Vltava Riverfront during the summer; whose water shimmers in the sunshine. Immerse yourself in Prague’s vibrant culture and it’s healthy dose of bohemia, sublimated after years of oppression under the Iron Fist.
ARRIVE:
Welp. We arrived to Prague in a fashion that I’m not so sure that I wish on many people. We took the sleeper train from Poland. If you want a thorough explanation of the sleeper train from Krakow to Prague, a post will be created for you in the near future.
I was deflowered as this was my first time on a sleeper train. Or maybe I should say de-plucked. First, I want to clarify that I did not expect some lavish royal carriage to scoop me up from the Krakow platform, but I definitely thought my pumpkin carriage would be a littttttle cozier.
When we slide open the glass door to our compartment, the reality of the next 8 hours really soaks in. We find that there aren’t just two beds, not just four, but SIX beds; 3 stacked on each side with no room to stand unless you are climbing to your bunk. Apparently these carts are called couchettes. Cute. We ask the ticket agent if anyone else will be joining us. He shuffles through his paperwork and says that there should be 2 more and they have about an hour to hop on the train at different points. After one hour of waiting for our forever friends, they never show.
We are then able to pop out the 2nd row of beds so that we can actually sit on the bottom bunk. After this change, we make ourselves comfy. Looking back, the uneasiness of it all was mostly due to the “unknown” factor in the beginning of our journey. Once the absence of our bunkmates was confirmed, we settled in pretty nice and even caught about 6 hours of beauty rest!
STAY:
We chose to stay in the neighborhood of Zizkov. It is far-removed from the tourist areas and seemingly residential. We are walkers, so we enjoyed the 20ish minute stroll to the attractions each day.
Funky art and an exposed brick wall, our Airbnb was a cozy, yet modern one-room studio.
- The clean-line IKEA kitchen was stocked with equipment for cooking.
- The bed was comfy, but had no top sheet. What’s up with that, Europe?
- The bathroom was amazing compared to standards in our price-range…it had a glass door which really blew our mind.
The only downside to this apartment is the “4” floor walk-up. It is 8 floors. Don’t remember that you forgot your phone when you hit the bottom step. You won’t want to climb back up to get it.
EXPLORE:
STROLL AROUND
I will never stop recommending a healthy stroll in a new city. Per usual, we took a free walking tour to get acquainted with the city. New Europe meets in Old Town Square and guides your wandering through essential Prague spots. Pavel was the most theatrical guide we’ve had yet…at one point, he even reenacted a whole scene from The Bourne Identity. Always on and hilarious.
**Prague is quite a large city, so I’ve broken down the exploratory options below by area.**
Area: Old Town
I ran into a good deal of people while strolling around Old Town…and what I mean is I physically ran into them. Not because I am a texting-and-walking millennial, but because the architecture in this part of Prague is truly unreal. Everywhere you turn, you will find a stunningly detailed rendition of a lost architectural era; from Art Nouveau to the Renaissance.
It goes without saying that this area caters to tourists, complete with segways and living statues. However, getting lost in the winding corridors and discovering off-the-beaten path pubs is a must.
Below are a few sites to check off your list in this area:
Old Town Square
Bustling with energy and a very original name, this main square is the hub of activity in Old Town. Here, you can people watch from a pub or cafe and soak in the architectural skyline of St. Nicholas Cathedral and Kostel Panny Marie Pred Tynem.
Vtlava River
If it was socially acceptable, I could stand and stare at this shimmering waterfront all day long. The best angle can be found on a dock with a cold Czech beer in your hand and a local acoustic band jamming out.
If you want a more active route and you don’t mind playing the part of tourist, rent a paddle boat from the island of Zofin. It’s admittedly a blast and offers an uncommon view of the city coastline.
Charles Bridge
The quintessential image of Prague always includes a shot of the infamous Charles Bridge. Connecting Old Town with the Castle District, it’s arches cascade in and out of the Vtlava River. Feel free to walk across it, but the view from the Legion bridge grants you a impressive shot of Charlie next to the Prague Castle.
live JAZZ
Prague is actually home to the International Jazz Festival and known for it’s passionate commitment to the genre. So, we saw a Jazz show at one of the main clubs in Old Town; Agartha Jazz Centrum. This is a really unique and intimate space; set inside a 14th century vault! The musicians we saw were definitely first-rate, but in my opinion, they fell more into the category of “jam-band”. Regardless of musical style, the drink prices were friendly and it was a really enjoyable time.
Old Town Hall and the Astronomical Clock
When you do a bit of research on Prague, a lot of guidebooks point out this must-see “Astronomical Clock” in action. Now, don’t get me wrong…the clock tower itself is surely an architectural treasure; the intricate detail in each of the three clocks is pretty immaculate and the stories behind these details are fascinating. However, if you are waiting around for the clock to strike the top of the hour with the 1,000 other sightseers, prepare yourself for an ultimate visit to anti-climacticville. It reminded me of a cuckoo clock that your great Aunt Gertrude makes you watch and you have to feign excitement because you love Aunty G. Long story short, if you are there at the right time, check it off your list. If you aren’t, don’t stress.
Area: Mala Strana
A neat neighborhood section under the foothills of the Castle District. Here, you can stroll through streets brimming with cafes and pubs, visit modern museums, or stroll through the Wallenstein Gardens. I listed my two favorite attractions below.
John Lennon Wall
When John Lennon passed in 1980, young Czechs under Soviet rule wanted to memorialize him and his pacifist message. In “The Little Quarter” (Mala Strana), they began to paint images of Lennon, adorned with Beatles lyrics. While the Secret Police tried to white-wash it off over and over again, the artistic and political persistence always won.
Today, this wall is a graffiti artists dream and the best part is that vandalism is now welcome! Feel free to bring your paintbrushes and spray cans, ladies and gentleman. The wall still stands as a tribute to peace and politics…or anything else that a passing artist deems important. For example, Harambe. We had a lot of fun taking pictures against this vibrant backdrop.
Kampa Museum
A contemporary museum lounging alongside the Vltava River offering 5 small floors filled with unique art exhibitions. If you have more than three days to explore in Prague and find yourself on Kampa Island, I say go
for it.
Area: Castle District
Back at it again with the unique names, this district of Prague houses many star attractions dating back to the 9th century. From afar; the Palace, Castle, and Cathedral appear to be royally stacked around one another. They collaborate together to create a lavish-looking hill that gracefully looms over the Vltava River. It truly is a site to be seen.
To explore the area, you must walk up a long set of stone stairs located near the Malostranksa metro stop. Turn around throughout the ascent to catch sweeping views of Praha. Once you reach the top, there are only so many things you can do free of charge. You can explore the grounds around the perimeter of the palace which offer absolutely fantastic vista points of the city. You can also walk through the castle corridors to catch St. Vitus Cathedral and St. George’s Basilica from the outside.
Below, I’ve broken down some of the sites you can tackle in this opulent complex.
St. Vitus Cathedral
This is one of the most stunningly ornate Cathedrals that I’ve laid my eyes on. From the gothic trimmings that adorn every square inch of the massive structure to the myriad of jagged spires that pierce into the air, I recommend taking a seat to simply absorb the magnificence for a few minutes.
It may not seem as advertised, but to take a glimpse of the inside is actually free. You must buy a ticket to walk through. Unless you are a religious history or architecture fan, just take the peek! The grandiose arches over the vibrant stained glass is certainly a site, but nothing short of a typical European cathedral.
The best thing that we purchased in the Castle district was entrance to the South Tower of St. Vitus. You better pep up because it’s 287 winding steps to the top! Once your stair mission is accomplished though, the 360 degree views of gorgeous Prague are worth it. I highly recommend this glute work-out.
Lobkowicz Palace
If you know my likes and gripes, paying for Palace exploration does not fall under my “likes” category. Even though I consider myself a slight history geek, I always feel that palaces can be somewhat of a let-down because they mostly focus on royal family history; which can be pretty mundane.
However, I had read fabulous things about “Golden Lane” within the Castle District and in buying the entrance to it, we had to buy a bundle ticket which gave us access to the Palace.
Yes, I learned a few things about Czech Royalty, but I stand strong with my personal Palace philosophy (PPP). If you are a Palace Person and choose to wander the Lobkowicz halls, I would strongly recommend the audioguide because the written placards leave a lot unsaid.
Golden Lane
Maybe I skimmed a little too much while researching, but this “Golden Lane” kept jumping out at me. So, I naturally chalked the consistency up to a must-visit while in the Castle District. Visiting this lane will follow with a “Wait…is this it?” Then a “Wait…was that it?”
Golden Lane is a street of peddler houses and shops from the 15th century. You can peek into their insides for a time warp of sorts; to see what life was like for a shopkeeper or family during this time. Extending along the top of the bottom-floor displays, there is a small museum that showcases armory and weapons. And what would a tourist trap be if it didn’t have numerous souvenir shops?
If you have kids in tow, they will definitely enjoy this area, but if you are even slightly strapped for time, it isn’t a game-changer.
Area: Jewish District
In the Jewish District, you will find Prague’s Rodeo Drive and priciest zip code in the city. Intermixed with the Prada and Gucci, you will also find multiple Synagogues that have been preserved for centuries; including one of the oldest in all of Europe. Rumor has it that Adolf Hitler preserved most of the Synagogues through WWII because he wanted to use it as a future museum that showcased the former ways of the extinct Jews.
Jewish Museum of Prague
With a ticket to the Jewish Museum of Prague, you can visit many different synagogues and exhibitions. We visited the Pinkas Synagogue which housed a moving Holocaust Memorial, the Old Jewish Cemetery, and the Terezin Children’s Drawing exhibition.
Memorial to the Bohemian and Moravian Victims of the Shoah displays the most victims names I’ve ever seen aside from Yav Kashem in Israel. 80,000 to be exact. The minuscule font against the sheer size of the walls creates quite a moving memorial. I even found my family name – Levy.
The Old Jewish Cemetery is quite a site. With not enough room to lengthwise, Jews buried the dead one on top of the other, 12 graves deep. With that type of space-saving process, the headstones of the cemetery are pretty crowded.
Children’s Drawings from the Terezin Ghetto was what I was looking forward to most. Jewish Artist Friedl Dicker-Brandeis helped children leverage the therapy of drawing while in Prague’s Terezin Ghetto. Most of the drawings are not as dark as you would expect, which brings a little bit of joy to know that they held onto their childhood that much longer. The majority of the children were murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau, but their artwork was saved to help their memory live on.
Area: LETNA Park
Letna Park is situated on a steep hill that rises above the riverfront. The elevation gives you a seriously superior view of Prague and all of it’s glory. Aside from the vista points and green masses, you can visit the neat metronome, beer garden, and make-shift skate park.
AREA: ZIZKOV
Zizkov TV Tower
Many visitors take the ride up for a sky-level view, but we chose not to. Even from the ground, the tower is a pretty remarkable sight, especially since it has little human art scaling the side.
Mini-Golf
Hidden underneath the TV Tower is the most insane game of Mini-Golf I have ever played. At one point you had to drive it up in the air, through two gates, and across a grass pit. Magical. I WISH I saved a shot from this experience.
Grub: What To Consume
Beer geek / zizkov
Looking for hoppy, spritzy, or velvety beer? Beer Geek has an awesome variety of beer on tap, accompanied by a down-to-earth ambiance. Oh and wings that come glazed with a choice of 12 different sauces.
la bottega gastronomica / zizkov
An adorable gem of a restaurant that resembles an elevated italian market. Their wine selection is impressive and food is fresh.
Monarch / Old Town
Trendy ambiance and delectable Spanish tapas. Enough said.
