Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic beckons visitors from all over the world with its world-class infrastructure and stunning medieval architecture.
It's rightly called the City of 100 Spires.....no where else in the world will you find such an eclectic mix of old Gothic cathedrals, Baroque palaces and Romanesque chapels all standing in sync with the Art Nouveau structures, rendering the city its famous skyline full of spires.
Some quick tips on Prague for you ....
1. First things first! Toilets throughout Prague and the entire country of Czech charge for use, so keep aside 10 or even 15 CZK for that, except in dine-in restaurants where they are free. In some places, only cash is accepted, no credit cards are welcome.
2. Prague is a medieval paradise waiting to be explored. But mind you, the best way to do it is on foot since Prague is well connected by buses and trams. So, be prepared to walk on and on, looking at artwork at every nook and corner of the city.
3. Prague is a compact city. So, when you're in one part of the city, you can see all the attractions in one go.
I have divided the attractions in Prague not on day-based itineraries but rather based on their location because once you reach a particular point, it's best that you cover that entire area on a single trip to save time and money.
4. While researching Prague before our trip, I repeatedly came across these three terms, Old Town, New Town and Lesser Town.
When visiting Prague, I realised that moving around is easier if you know which is where along with their Czech names.
5. So, let me start by putting things in order.
Prague is divided into 4 Quarters-
- Castle Quarter
- Little Quarter
- Old Town and
- New Town.
I have elaborated on each of these quarters in separate blogs with links pasted for each one for easy reading.
6. While in Prague don't miss the Naplavka Waterfront on the river the Vltava River, as it meanders its way through the heart of the city with beautiful bridges like the iconic Charles Bridge offering amazing vistas of the city.
7. You must try Trdelink, the yummy dough pastry that has its origins in Romania. It's filled with ice cream....you cannot leave Prague without tasting it!
8. Prague has a lot to see and experience, so an ideal vacation should last about 3 days. More days are always a bonus.
9. Also, visiting the city on a weekend in summer can be great, if possible, because a lot many art festivals are held around the city squares over the weekends in summer.
Dancers from neighbouring countries of Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovenia and more dress up in their traditional costumes and perform live on stage. The performances are a treat to watch! We were greeted with one such performance the moment we reached the city.
10. Prague is tourist-friendly. A lot of travel options are available, like the Prague Travel Card that you can buy for 48 and 72 hours or more.
Prague Cool Pass also allows you unlimited travel on all kinds of public transport with entries to many attractions included.
Please refer to the Prague Tourism Official Site for more info https://www.prague.eu/en
If you're reaching Prague by train, then your sightseeing will start from the Railway Station itself!
There is so much to do and see in Prague that despite my best efforts, this blog about Prague attractions is the longest I've ever written!
It was running into six pages I last checked, so, I've divided this narrative into many parts for easy reading.
We had 6 nights in Prague. I know that sounds like a lot but believe me, we spent each day doing something new.
We had planned two one-day trips from Prague and an evening at the World's oldest Black Light Theater of Czech.
You can click on the links below to read more about these here -
Day trip to Bohemian Switzerland, the largest natural arch in Europe. Click on the link below to read more about this natural mountainous paradise and tips on how to get there from Prague -
Day trip to Kutna Hora, the famous Bone Chapel. Click on the link below to find out more about this iconic chapel -
An evening at the World's oldest Black Light Theater of Jiri Srnec in the erstwhile Czechoslovakia. Click on the link below to read more about this amazing experience -
I have listed 41 attractions in all......phew! 41 sounds like a formidable number of things to see but most of them in one part of the city are quite close to each other and can be easily covered on foot.
Also, I have tried to give you input about the attraction and whether making an effort to see it is worth your time.
As I've stated earlier, they are divided area-wise.
1. Castle Quarter - Prazsky hrad - Prague Castle Complex
6 sights to see in the Castle Quarter
a. Old Royal Palace
b. St. Vitus Cathedral
c. St. George's Basilica
d. Lobkowicz Palace
e. Golden Lane
f. Permanent Exhibitions of Prague Castle
Click on the link below to learn more about the largest ancient castle complex in the world
2. Little Quarter - Mala Strana - Lesser Town
15 sights to see in Mala Strana
a. Charles Bridge
b. St. Nicholas Church
c. Lesser Town Square
d. Old Town and Lesser Town Bridge Tower
e. Petrin Hill
f. Memorial to the victims of Communism
g. Petrin Tower
h. Lennon Wall
i. Devil's Channel and Water Mill
j. Kampa Island
k. Kampa Museum
l. Giant Crawling babies
m. Kinsky Garden
n. Narrowest street in Prague
o. Franz Kafka Museum
Click on the link below to learn more about Mala Strana, the medieval touristy part of Prague
3. Old Town - Staré Město pražské
10 sights to see in Old Town Prague
a. Staromestske Namesti, Old Town Hall Square
b. Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock
c. Church of our Lady before Tyn
d. St. Nicholas Church
e. Kinsky Palace
f. Jan Hus Monument
g. Prague Meridien
h. Jewish Quarter
i. Spanish Synagogue and Jewish Museum
j. Powder Gate and Obecni Dum, Prague Concert Hall
Take a walk in the stunning Old Town of modern Prague and relive history in its architectural marvels. Click on the link below to learn more
4. New Town - Nove Mesto
6 sights to look out for in New Town Prague
a. Wenceslas Square
b. Statue of St. Wenceslas
c. National Museum
d. Dancing House
e. Rotating Head of Franz Kafka
f. Prague National Theater Opera
Click on the link below to learn more about New Town Prague
5. Vyšehrad Castle and Cemetery
The splendid castle of Vyšehrad is an oasis of calm amidst the busy touristy Prague. Click on the link below to learn more
6. Letna Park
If you're tired after a day full of watching touristy sights all over Prague, then head to Letna Park on Letna Hill. You will get glorious views of the Vltava River from here.
Access to the park is free. You just have to walk for about 15 minutes from the Old Town Square over Charles Bridge.
7. Naplavka Waterfront on Vltava River
This waterfront is the most popular site for taking pictures of the iconic Charles Bridge.
There are bars and restaurants along the river. Even if you have just a day in Prague, plan to spend the evening along the Naplavka Waterfront. The whole city comes alive here in the evening in the backdrop of a beautifully lit Charles Bridge.
8. Zizkov TV Tower with crawling babies
Zizkov TV Tower is a transmission tower in Prague located in the Zizkov District of Prague, 2 kilometres away.
Who goes to see a TV Tower in the centre of a city?
Well, this tower is special because it has these giant crawling babies sticking out from its sides.
We had seen similar grotesque-looking babies in Prague Lesser Town too, if you remember.
I'd read somewhere that the babies represented stunted growth in the communist era, babies crawling but unable to reach adulthood.
The tower is a high-tech engineering marvel 216 metres tall with an observatory, a hotel and a restaurant along its vertical column.
My Tip -
The tower is nothing spectacular to look at, on the contrary, it looks grim and out of place in an otherwise beautiful city unless you decide to go to the top to see Prague's skyline. But then there are far better ways to see that skyline, from the Vysehrad Castle for instance.
Also, locating the tower was a nightmare. You can start seeing its metallic pillars jutting out into the sky from a long way off but getting to the base of the tower was quite a task. No signages or indications were leading to the tower.
I would not rate this as a must-see attraction in Prague.
But this is my opinion solely as a tourist. I believe that this TV tower holds a very special place for the people of the Czech Republic since it's a symbol of the communist regime and the hardships that came with it. I'd like to mention here that I do not wish to undermine the significance of this tower.
So, that's Prague for you. To learn all about this beautiful city, just keep clicking on the links pasted above and take a virtual tour of the city with me right here!
Do share your experiences with me if you happen to visit Prague and also if you found this blog useful.
And if you're interested in getting some practical and useful travel tips, click here