Lying on the crossroad that divides Central and Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic has seen many political and cultural upheavals throughout its rich history: from invasions and annexations by different foreign powers, ruling the Holy Roman Empire, World War I, independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the formation of Czechoslovakia, World War II, the Communist Bloc establishment, the Soviet Union’s breakup to the breakup of Czechoslovakia.
Prague, the picturesque capital that inspires the names “Paris of Eastern Europe,” “Golden City,” “Handsomest City of Europe,” and “City of 100 spires,” will leave short-term tourists, long-term nomads and business travelers alike in awe of the magical quality that exudes from the many bridges, churches, cobblestoned streets, and the fairytale Old Town.
Once upon a time, travelers who made their way to Prague and the Czech Republic could brag to their friends that they had gone down the unbeaten path. It’s no longer the case. Prague has fast become a top tourist destination in Europe. Prague ranked in the top 4 of Tripadvisor’s best destinations to visit in Europe.
Prague has plenty of things to see, so you should plan at least two days here. However, you can do the city in one day if you don’t mind walking a lot and leave your break until you’re on your way out of here. There are three must-see areas in Prague: the Old Town, the Castle District, and the New Town Quarter.
The New Town
Wenceslas Square, named after the Good King Wenceslas and the patron saint of the Czech Republic, is the center point of the New Town Quarter. The statue of the King and his horse at the top of the square is a popular meetup for tourists and locals. You can’t go wrong by telling people to meet you “by the horse” at Wenceslas Square.
The Old Town
Walking down to the end of Wenceslas Square past a New Yorker shop and continuing on Melantrichova street, you’ll enter the Old Town Quarter. There are a few souvenir shops worth checking and a small open-air Havelská Market where you can find Czech handicrafts like marionettes, witches, and toys.
The Old Town Square is only a short walk from the open market. Left unscathed after the recent war, what you see now is pretty much how it was in the past, perhaps cleaner and brighter. Get ready to be dazzled by the many grand buildings of various architecture styles such as Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Art Nouveau.
The most famous sight of Prague is Charles Bridge, adorned with 30 large statues of saints. The bridge is always packed with tourists, locals, artists, and street performers, especially during the summer. If you like the entire space for yourself, come here during the early morning to catch the sunrise.
Another popular sight to visit is the Jewish Quarter in Josefov that comprises of fix synagogues, the old cemetery, and the Jewish Museum. Prague has one of the most extensive collections of Jewish arts in the world because Hitler chose Prague to establish a “Museum of an Extinct Race.” Please expect to spend a few hours here because there is a lot of ground to cover. If you’re here for only one day, visit Josefov and explore the neighborhood, but don’t do the entire museum package.
The Castle District
The Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the word. Situated on top of a hill, it takes some walk to get to the top of the castle from where you’ll have a fantastic view of the city below. The castle is reachable by metro, tram followed by a walk.
Czech Central European cuisine places a lot of emphasis on potatoes, meat, and beer. Tourists who want to eat traditional Czech food can’t go wrong with dumpling, goulash, roast pork, schnitzel or fried cheese.
Czech cuisine has influence from Central European countries such as Germany, Austria, and Hungary. At the same time, you will find signature dishes from neighboring Eastern European countries like Slovakia and Poland to countries as far as Ukraine and Russia make their way into a Czech dining table. Most Czech meals have meat (beef, chicken, pork, rabbit or duck) together with potatoes (mashed, boiled, baked or fried) or dumpling (bread or potato). Since the Czech Republic is a landlocked country, fish and seafood are not commonly found in a traditional Czech dish except at Christmas. If you happen to be in the Czech Republic during this time, you will see fish, dead and alive, everywhere on the street. Eating carb at Christmas is a custom here.
Vegetarians will not find a lot of options here unless they don’t mind side salad, fried cauliflowers or fried cheese being considered vegetarian dishes.
Appetizers & Snack food
Soup
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Main meals
Desserts & Drink
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Prague Vaclav Havel Airport (formerly Prague Ruzyne) is the home of Czech Airline (CSA) and SmartWings. You can use the same public transportation ticket that costs only €1.5 euros to go to/from the airport. Take bus no. 119 or 100 to the nearest metro stop and then continue to your final destination. Use the website listed below (dpp.cz) to check the timetable and how to get your destination from the airport.
The main train station (Hlavni Nadrazi) is to the metro and tram station with the same name. Prague is well connected by trains to domestic and international cities. Popular international destinations are Berlin (4.5 hours), Budapest (7 hours), Krakow (8 hours) and Vienna (4 hours).
Long-distance coaches connecting Prague with the rest of Czech Republic, neighboring cities in the Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Poland and other big cities in Europe as far as London and Paris. The Main Bus Terminal is at the bus/tram/metro stop Florence. Traveling by bus is usually cheaper and faster than by train.
Prague has a reliable night transport operation having night buses and trams (using a different numbering system that starts from 50) run every half an hour. The metro stops at midnight.
| Accommodation – Hostel: from €20 per person in private room (double or twin) with shared bathroom. ~ €10 per person in a dormitory. During the off-season, you can find a bed with much lower price. – Apartment: from €30/night for a room in an Airbnb apartment – Budget Hotel: from €30 per room per nightTransportation – Prague Taxi: from €1 to €2 starting fee and then about €0.40 to €1 per km – Shared airport shuttle: up to €11 per person, more people, less cost – Prague Public Transport tickets – €1.5 for a single-ride, €4 for a one-day pass, €12 for a 3-day pass |
Food – Hot dog: from €2 – Big Mac or KFC meal: €6 – Beer: from €1 to €2 for 330 ml (domestic beer) up to €5 at tourist-oriented venues. – Cappuccino: from €2 to €4 – Cheaper restaurant: from €5 per meal -Pricier restaurant: from €15 to €30 per personMisc – Gallery and museum entrance: from €5 to €12 – Prague Vintage car tour: from €27 to €50 per ride (1 hour). Prices depend on season and your negotiation skills. – Bike rental: €6 – |
My name is Cindy, also rhymes with travel junkie. A friend said I was probably a gipsy in my previous life. One of my many secret missions in life is to convert you to run off every once in awhile.
