Tourist guide: what to do and see in Prague
Magic and mystery under red-tiled roofs
Not even the hordes of tourists have managed to taint the intrinsic charm of Prague, one of the most delightful urban centres in the world. The Cathedral of St. Vitus, high above the city on the Prague Castle hill, watches impassively over the fifteenth-century Astronomical Clock, the famous statues of the Charles Bridge, and Wenceslas Square, a place capable of writing its own history. In its traditional taverns, you’ll be able to savour a delicious goulash and wash it down with a legendary Pilsner beer or one of the increasingly acclaimed wines that are now produced in the city itself. Whether you like it or not, this “city of a thousand spires” will capture your heart.
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- Sights
- Shopping
- Leisure
- Dining
- Open air
- Museum
- Sights
- Shopping
- Leisure
- Dining
- Open air
- Museum
Botanicus
Locally and organically produced soaps, creams, fragrances, and more.
Czech natural cosmetics.
The Prague flagship of a Czech natural cosmetics chain is located in a pretty little space behind Old Town's Týn church, selling products made entirely in the Czech Republic including honey balms, rose water and other natural fragrances, herbal soaps, creams, and lotions, as well as some chutneys and preserves. The brand was born in the Bohemian town of Ostra in 1992, 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Prague, where the plants are raised that produce all the products you see here and where Botanicus also runs a recreated medieval village.
28 Řijna Street
Right off Wenceslas Square, the local latest in pricey and trendy goods.
Prague's top luxe shops.
Looking for something a little more high-powered than the usual souvenirs? The top addresses for the city's most upscale shopping is found these days along a stretch of street called 28 Řijna in New Town, just off the lower end of Wenceslas Square, including many international brands. Here, too, you can find the cool multi-brand space The Address Idea, at number 27. Another similar street for high-end shopping can be found by following 28 Řijna across Wenceslas Square into the pedestrian street Na Příkopě.
St. Wenceslas Square
This long New Town rectangle is home to some of Prague's top shopping as well as hotels, restaurants, clubs, and cultural sites.
Prague's shopping ground zero.
The hub of Prague's New Town, Wenceslas Square is a mix of hotels, restaurants, historic sites and institutions such as the National Museum, and plenty of shops large and small. Particularly noteworthy is a large shopping centre at the bottom of the square called Koruna Palace, an early 20th-century Art Nouveau landmark once the headqurters of an insurance company, how housing fancy boutiques.
Havelská open-air market
Rub shoulders with locals while shopping for traditional sweets, handicrafts, leather accessories, and more.
A lively Old Town outdoor market amid traditional surroundings.
Held daily over several blocks of Havelská Street, between Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, the lively Havelská market is the city's oldest outdoor market, and a great place to buy not just flowers and produce but, if you're a visitor, typical local products including leather items, beer steins, paintings, wooden toys, traditional sweets, and various handicrafts.
Where to get typical drinks
In Absintherie you can buy and taste distilled and macerated absinthe... discover this drink that is as forbidden as it is adored!
Shop and bar at the same time!
In the heart of Prague stands this traditional shop, called Absintherie, where you can get all kinds of bottles of distilled or macerated absinthe and other derived products. The most curious thing is that it not only works as a shop, but also as a bar, so you can also enjoy your drink inside the premises. Look out for this curious liquor store at 5 Jilská street. To introduce you to the benefits and characteristics of absinthe (that drink that is prohibited in some countries, mythologized and adored by many artists, poets, musicians and writers from around the world).
Other typical products of Prague
Other good bets in Prague include traditionally crafted toys, antique pieces, and musical instruments.
A nation long known for producing a variety of fine products has a lot else to offer in the souvenirs department.
Handcrafted products are a specialty in Prague and throughout the Czech Republic. Besides Bohemian crystal and puppets mentioned elsewhere, other things worth looking out for include a variety of wooden toys, musical instruments, and vintage items/antiques. One good place we might suggest starting is a shop called, appropriately, Antiques, located at Pohořelec 9, across the river from Old Town not far from Malá Strana and Petřín Hill. Here you'll find vintage crystal, porcelain, jewelry, watches, coins, Art Nouveau and Deco pieces, toys, and musical instruments.
Becherovka
From the spa town of Karlovy Vary, a powerful herbal brew that's ubiquitous, and very distinctive tasting.
The typical local liqueur par excellence.
In many food, liquor, and gift shops you'll spot the distinctive green bottles with the yellow-and-blue labels that hold Becherovka, the 76-proof herbal bitters manufactured in the spa town of Karlovy Vary, and if you want to know what Czechs are drinking besides beer, this is it, with a very distinctive taste with strong notes of juniper and ginger. It also makes a distinctive gift for any drinkers on your list, as it is exported in very limited quantities.
Bohemian cystal
Bohemia's centuries-old glassmaking tradition produces some of Prague's most highly sought-after baubles.
Some of the world's most famous cut crystal, right from the source.
World-famous for its quality, Bohemian crystal is the product of a local decorative glassmaking tradition that dates back to the 13th century and began to be exported and gain its international reputation as of the latter half of the 19th century. Styles vary greatly from traditional to avant-garde, but regardless of style, crystal items from small (ashtrays) to large (chandeliers) are among the most sought-after items by visitors to Prague. So unsurprisingly, you will find scores of shops selling sklo; one which is especially worth checking out is the well-known Celetná Cristal, at Celetná 596/15 near Old Town Square.
Marionettes
Puppetry is a long and still vibrant tradition in the Czech Republic, and whimsical handcrafted puppets are among its most popular souvenirs.
A beloved local art form makes a prized memento.
The artisanal tradition of handcarved wooden marionettes and the theatre performances that feature them are both still quite popular not just in Prague but elsewhere in the Czech Republic, and that, plus the charisma of these delightful characters, makes these one of the top choices of many of the more than six million visitors to the capital when it comes time to buying mementos of their trips. As you make your way through the city, you will pass by more than a few shop windows filled with these whimsical figures; one particularly special one is called Truhlář Marionety (U lužického Semináře 5, Malá Strana), which sells a mix of popularly priced models, limited editions, antique reproductions, and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Kampa Museum
On Kampa Island, top works of the 20th century
Czech and Central European modern art.
This private foundation fine-art museum, housed in one of the prettiest buildings on Kampa Island, Sova's Mills, focuses in its permanent collections on the works of 20th century Czech artists such as František Kupka (avant-garde painter and pioneer of abstractionism) and Otto Gutfreund (one of the country's most influential sculptors of the century thanks to his Cubist creations), among many others. There's another section dedicated to the art of Central Europe of the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, there are interesting temporary exhibitions of more contemporary works and artists, as well as those from beyond Central Europe.
Franz Kafka Museum
You won't find it a trial to experience this well-designed exhibition examining the relationship between Kafka and Prague.
A museum dedicated to Prague's most famous writer - and one of the giants of the 20th century.
One of the 20th century's most influential writers, Franz Kafka is also one of Prague's most iconic figures of all time. The museum in Malá Strana at Cihelná 2b focuses on the special link between this writer, who died in 1924 at age 41, and the city, and is divided into two parts, "Existential Space" and "Imaginary Topography." It includes a soundtrack created especially for the museum.
Wax Museum
Sixty of the top figures of Czech and world history and culture.
It's not Madame Tussaud's, but it's pretty interesting!
Some 60 wax figures from Czech history and the country's cultural/sports worlds, as well as others of more international interest are on display here. There are two wings: at Mostecká 18 is the Wax Museum of Czech History, while the Wax Museum of World Personalities is at Melantrichová 5.
Toy Museum
A fascinating angle on society through its toys - plus a boffo Barbie collection!
Up at the Castle, two floors full of classic toys!
The world's second-largest toy museum is right here in the Prague Castle complex, a two-story building at Jiřská 4 next to the Loblowicz Palace and around the corner from Golden Lane. The seven rooms and seventy displays show off an impressive collection, mostly from Europe and North America, dating back more than 150 years. Most of the items come from the collection of the reknowned Czech-German caricaturist/director Ivan Steiger, including wood and tin soldiers, animals, dolls and dollhouses, teddy bears - and if you're a Barbie girl, check out the Barbie world here, with everything from the first model to some of the the latest (e.g. pregnant and "Catwoman").
Villa Bertramka, Mozart Museum
If you find yourself in the Smíchov district, stop for a look at the villa where the great Mozart stayed when in Prague.
A monument to Mozart in Prague.
A gracious 18th-century house in Smíchov (across the river from Old Town and New Town), Villa Bertramka is where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was hosted during visits to the city in 1787 (for the premiere of Don Giovanni) and 1791. Unfortunately, all you'll be able to do at the moment is look at the exterior, because the interior museum has been closed for several years. But if you happen to be in the neighbourhood, it's worth a look, at 169 Mozartová.
Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague
Crystal, porcelain, costumes, tapestries, toys - the art and artisanry of decorative and everyday objects.
The object as artwork through the history of the Czech lands and Europe.
Founded in 1885 to preserve examples and document the history of artisanry and applied arts both historical and contemporary, the museum is housed in a neo-Renaissance palace designed by Josef Schulz. Items on display include Bohemian crystal, goldwork, historical costumes, antique porcelain, tapestries, embroidery, ironwork, toys, and much more.
National Technical Museum
A fascinating temple to the considerable Czech achievements in science, engineering, and architecture. And kids love it!
An undersung gem focusing on a Czech strong point.
This part of Europe has been home to no small amount of technical and scientific innovation, and this museum next to Letná Park, originally founded in 1908, is impressive testimony to that fact. Notable artifacts include a meteorite more than 5,000 years old, as well as automobiles, aeroplanes, and locomotives from the dawn of self-propelled transportation history in the Czech lands. Astronomy goes back to the 16th and 17th centuries, when the world's most famous astronomers, Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, were based in Prague. Here, too, you'll find extensive displays on architecture, including forms whose Czech proponents were world-reknowned, such as Art Nouveau and Cubism. This museum is an undersung gem, and one with aspects that kids especially will love.
Museum of the City of Prague
If on your visit you truly wish to understand this city's past and how it informs the present, this museum is an excellent place to start.
A good overview of Prague's past.
What better way to get up to speed on the history of the Golden City than to visit the Museum of the City of Prague, which offers a pretty good overview from prehistory through the present day via artifacts, paintings, graphics, pottery, furniture, and various and sundry multimedia displays. The jewel in the crown is the Langweil Model, a scale model 20 metres (66 feet) long built between 1826 and 1834 which depicts the city around the beginning of the 19th century down to an amazingly minute degree of detail. You'll find the museum at Na Poříčí 52.
Mucha Museum
Much ado about Mucha in this gallery dedicated to the Czech artist whose graceful work is famous the world over.
Homage to a giant of Art Nouveau.
This modest museum is dedicated to commemorate the life and work of the celebrated Moravian artist Alfons Mucha (1860-1939), considered one of the world's foremost exponents of Art Nouveau (which arose almost by happenstance after he found himself in the right place at the right time to produce a publicity poster for the famed actress Sarah Bernhardt in Paris). It brings together more than one hundred items, including paintings, photos, charcoal drawlings, pastels, lithographs, and the artist's personal belongings.
Museum of Communism
An interesting exhibition of memorabilia from a grim 41-year period that still has echoes today.
Documenting a key time in the country's recent past.
To learn about four 20th-century decades that shaped today's Czech Republic - the Cold War period when Communist rule was imposed in 1948 till it was toppled by the Velvet Revolution in 1989 - this suite of rooms off Wenceslas Square at No. 10 Na Příkopě is a revelation. Through photos, documents, mock-ups and multimedia displays curated by historians, the Museum of Communism does a good job presenting not just political and historic events but also some sense of what everyday life was like under this system.
National Museum
An excellent overview of the Czech nation, people, and the land they inhabit, in an iconic building overlooking Wenceslas Square.
The country's foremost historic, ethnographic, and natural history collection.
At the top of Wenceslas Square is one of Prague's most imposing buildings, the National Museum, designed by Josef Schulz, architect of the National Theatre. Its entrance hall greets visitors with a pantheon of the country's greatest historic figures, and its halls are filled with distinguished temporary and permanent expositions on all aspects of national and European history, natural history, archaeology, the arts, and ethnography. It should be noted, though, that this particular building is closed for renovation till mid-2015, and its collections can be seen at various other buildings in the National Museum system. Details at www.nm.cz
Karlovy Vary
If you have enough time to get out of Prague, the thermal baths and 19th-century architecture here will thoroughly charm you.
A legendary spa town.
Besides beer, Bohemia has long been known for its thermal spa towns, and the most famous is Karlovy Vary (aka Karlsbad), in the western part of the Czech Republic about 100 kilometres (67 miles) outside Prague. If you have enough time for an overnighter, pay a visit to the gracious, mostly late-19th-century historic spa area, with 13 major thermal springs and nearly a hundred smaller ones, and with a warm river running through it called the Teplá (which means, unsurprisingly, "warm"). The town is also known for an herbal liqueur extremely popular throughout the country, called Becherovka.
Letná Park
On a plateau overlooking the city, it's a leafy, scenic getaway - have a beer, go to a museum, check out a splendid city panorama.
Leafy acres with a long history and a spectacular view.
A 52-hectare (128-acre) park offering beautiful panoramic views from a plateau over the city, Letná is popular with locals for outdoor activities (unsurprisingly, you'll find scores of skaterboarders), and wooded with an abundance of firs, plane trees, poplars, and willows. It's of some historical interest, as well; given its strategic location, the area was used as a military training camp, and later it would be used for, among other things, vineyards and quarrying. As of the end of the 19th century, different exhibition pavillions were built up here, such as the Hanavsky Pavillion (1891) and the Expo 58 Pavillion which represented Communist Czechoslovakia at the Brussels World's Fair. Speaking of which, Letná was also an important spot for demonstrations during the Velvet Revolution that toppled Communism. Also up here are playgrounds, a beer garden, and the National Technical Museum.
Vrtba Garden
On the slopes of Petřín Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage garden with sumptuous city views.
Historic horticulture.
Built in Baroque style on the slopes of Petřín Hill between 1715 and 1720 according to a design by František Maxmilián Kaňka, these UNESCO World Heritage Site gardens laId out over terraces connected by steps and adorned with sculptures by Matyáš Bernard Braun and frescos by Reiner, is open to the public.
Kampa Island
On the Malá Strana side of the river, this islet is not just a pretty little oasis but offers some great dining choices.
A lovely island retreat in the middle of the Moldau River.
One of Prague's most romantic corners, Kampa is a little island snuggled up to Malá Strana, its tip crossed by the Charles Bridge, and has been called one of the world's three most beautiful city islands. Strolling its picturesque streets you'll pass restored medieval watermills such as the Grand Prior's Mill, with a waterwheel eight metres (26 feet) in circumference, and some of the most inviting and special restaurants in the city. And by the way, once you're ready to head over into Malá Strana proper, just a couple of blocks away, at Velkopřevorské Náměstí (Grand Priory Square) is a cool landmark of more recent vintage, the so-called John Lennon Wall, which became a symbol of pacifist resistance against the communist dictatorship in the 1980s and is still filled with inspiring artwork and graffitti inspired by the "give-peace-a-chance" Beatle.
Petřín Hill
Gardens, vineyard, restaurant, and a lookout tower with fabulous aerial views over Prague. Great for families and/or outdoors-lovers.
Rising over the city, a bucolic getaway.
If you'd like a spot of peace and quiet in nature and/or you're traveling with little ones, Petřín is a lovely choice. In Malá Strana across the Moldau from central Prague, you can climb its gentle 140-metres (460-foot) slope on foot through its pretty gardens (there's a vineyard up here, too), or via funicular (on Ujezd Street) and do the strolling on the way down. At the top is a 60-metre (197-foot) observation tower which offers probably the best bird's eye view over Prague going; inspired by and resembling the Eiffel Tower, it was built for a big world's fair in 1891. There's also a nice restaurant up here on Petřín called Nebozízek.
Old Jewish Cemetery
It's a modest space, but some 100,000 mortal remains lie in cinematically picturesque surroundings in Prague's Jewish Quarter.
One of the most visually atmospheric graveyards you'll ever see.
In use between 1439 and 1787, this compact graveyard is a cinematically atmospheric jumble of 12,000 headstones, many of them at chaotic angles and piled one atop the other - due to the limited space and the fact that Jewish law forbids removing graves and tombstones, the layers run at least 12 deep. Some of the more prominent personages buried here are Mordecai Maisel, David Gans, David Oppenheim, and especially Rabbi Judah Loew and Avigdor Kara, a poet and also a rabbi whose tomb dates back to the cemetery's first year.
Terezín Concentration Camp
A sobering reminder of the terrible suffering brought to Czechoslovakia by World War II, especially its Jews.
Northeast of Prague, a monument to a dark chapter of the 20th century.
Just 60 kilometres (36 miles) northeast of Prague lies a grim site that is nonetheless highly recommendable for history buffs, and especially of World War II. This is Terezín (Theresienstadt), a fortress that was turned into the principal Nazi concentration camp in then-Czechoslovakia. Taken over by the Gestapo in June 1940, it became a ghetto and labour camp for the region's Jews and other "undesireables" from November 1941 until May 1945 when it was liberated by the Soviet Red Army. Its entrance marked, as at Auschwitz, with the slogan "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Makes You Free), the camp is divided into two zones, and had capacity for more than 150,000 inmates. Your visit will take you through barracks, courtyards, cells, a dark underground tunnel, the crematorium, the cemetery, and other areas. Moving and unforgettable.
Josefov, Prague's Jewish Quarter
Not just for fans of Jewish history, this evocative medieval quarter will touch your heart and your spirit.
One of the most atmospheric parts of Old Town, with 6 synagogues, an amazing cemetery, and more.
Prague's smallest quarter, surrounded by Old Town, is also one of its most picturesque, the former ghetto of a Jewish community that has existed in Prague since at least the 10th century. Smaller than in centuries past, it still offers a fascinating look into the architecture, traditions, and history of a bygone era through visits to sites such as its six remaining synagogues (the Pinkas, Maisel, Old-New, Klaus, Spanish, and High Synagogue), as well as the Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery - this last in particular possibly one of Europe's most evocative spots. The state of preservation here is remarkable, and ironically, it survived World War II intact in part not just because Prague escaped Allied bombing but because the Nazis wanted to preserve the quarter as a "museum of an extinct race."
Wenceslas Square
In many ways the city's commercial, cultural, and social epicentre, you'll find yourself here more than once.
Downtown Prague's historic nerve centre.
Named after Bohemia's patron St. Wenceslas, the commercial heart of downtown Prague dates back to the founding of the city's "New Town" in 1348 ("new" in relation to Old Town, that is). It's more of a boulevard than a square, some 625 metres (2,050 feet) long and 60 metres (197 feet) wide, leading up to the National Museum and below it, an equestrian statue of St. Wenceslas (a 10th-century Bohemian duke). Lined with various shops, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, it has also been the site of a number of historic events and in particular mass celebrations, demonstrations, and protests.
Golden Lane
Paging the Brothers Grimm! Up at the Castle, this atmospheric little lane will totally charm you.
Tiny but fairy-tale adorable!
Zlatá Ulíčka, Golden Lane, is probably Prague's single most famous and delightful street, a short cobblestone lane tucked into the Prague Castle complex with a handful of tiny colourful houses built in the early 16th century for castle marksmen and their families. Over the centuries many different types of people lived here, but the street got its name because it was rumoured that in the early days, under the reign of Rudolf II, there were also alchemists living here who were trying to turn common metals into gold. In the early 20th century, however, writer Franz Kafka lived here for a time, as did other writers (Nobel prizewinner Jaroslav Seifert used to come to meet with his colleagues here). Many of these now house shops selling souvenirs and other cute items.
Restaurant Bellevue
Creative international fare, a superb wine list, and a lovely dining room overlooking the Charles Bridge.
Perhaps Prague's most refined cuisine of the moment.
Right along the Moldau with lovely views of the Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle (hence the name Bellevue, yes?), this is widely considered the city's most refined restaurant of the moment, with creative international dishes such as fennel-dusted grilled monkfish, accompanied by chorizo-and-piquillo-peppers couscous, octopus, violet potatoes, in a light bouillabaisse, or Jerusalem artichoke risotto with winter vegetables, cooked in black-truffle nage. The international wine list is impressive as well. A meal here would run you some 50 to 70 euros per person, not including wine. Smetanovo nábřeží 329/18.
U Kroka
Sometimes it pays to get off the tourist track. Here you'll see the Vyšehrad neighbourhood and dine well for less.
A sure thing for great Czech flavours at great prices, a little outside downtown.
For authentic Czech cooking at great prices, it's worth hopping the metro a couple of stops away from downtown to Vyšehrad to Vratislavova 12, where U Kroka serves up the likes of traditional soups, goulash, rabbit, pork with beer sauce, and roast duck with apples. Open daily from 11am to 11pm.
Hemingway Bar
This classy watering hole inspired by the famous literary barfly is regularly included on lists of the world's best bars for a reason.
Take a break from beer at this amazing cocktail bar.
Ernest Hemingway had no particular connection to Prague, but no matter - this cozy, classic Old Town watering hole inspired by the writer and the love of booze he shared with Czechs does an appropriately amazing job with cocktails, with more than 300 impressive cocktails on the menu, and rum, champagne, and absinthe ruling the roost. It's open every night till 1 or 2 am. Karoliny Světlé 26.
Strelecky Ostrov Restaurant
Special and charming place with an exquisite menu and unbeatable views. Can you ask for more?
romantic option.
If you are looking for a charming place to spend a romantic or special evening in Prague, the Strelecky Ostrov café, bar and restaurant could be a great option. To make matters worse, it stands in a beautiful and quiet setting: a park in the middle of an islet in the Vltava River, which offers unbeatable views over the city. Although its price is higher than average, the quality of its culinary proposals and the decoration of the place, which takes care of even the smallest detail, more than justify the expense. It has different rooms, each with its own style, and in the summer months, its terrace overlooking the river is highly recommended.
Café Savoy
A lovely spot especially recommendable for its breakfasts.
19th-century elegance with an elegant 21st-century following.
A classic 19th-century hangout for fashionable types in a neighbourhood just over the Moldau called Smichov, it makes a charming stop on a stroll through town for a cup of coffee or chocolate, accompanied by a roll or pastry. If you're up early enough, its breakfasts (juices, cheeses, fruit, soft-boiled eggs, aforementioned pastries) are considered among the best in Prague restaurantdom. For heartier fare later in the day the menu ranges from Central European to international (including, for example, foie gras or steak tartare). Vítězná 124/5, just across the Most Legii bridge.
U Krále Brabantského tavern
A pub in operation since 1375, it's open 24/7 and is quite the time-tripper.
A medieval-style tavern and show.
Perhaps a spot of meade before or after visiting the Prague Castle? Or maybe just a regular old beer. In any case, this pub right by the steps that lead to the castle, at Thunovska 15, is one of the city's oldest pubs (since 1375), whose stone-vaulted interior will vault you back centuries instantly. There's a menu of items such as smoked sausages, grilled trout, and duck, and five nights a week there's a traditional medieval feast with music, dancing, and juggling. Yes, juggling. And guess what? It's open 24/7.
U Rudolfina beer restaurant
The menu's in Czech only, but the waiters will help. Just do reserve ahead!
Popular and authentic in the Old Town.
Very near the famous Charles Bridge at Křížovnická 10, one of Old Town's most popular and authentic beer pubs features friendly service and tasty Czech dishes such as goulash, sausages, a variety of meat options - and pigs knuckles, anyone? All washed down, of course, by generous mugs of beer, drawn from tanks rather than kegs. The menu is in Czech, but explanatory waiters and a menu translator should help take care of that. It's also a good idea to reserve ahead, by the way, because the place tends to be full every day of the week.
Hrom do Police beer restaurant
Non-touristy, with cheap but excellent beer and food.
A good local option just outside downtown.
A little ways out from Old Town in the still central Vinohrady district, Hrom do Police is a great place to mingle with locals (it seats over 100) and enjoy a good variety of excellent, inexpensive local beer, as well as a good wine selection. Its menu features traditional Czech dishes, salads, and even some vegetarians options, and the price is right.
U Medvidků hotel/restaurant/beer hall
The suds at this pub-brewery are considered the world's strongest - so not for the faint of stomach!
Have a care with the brew here!
Prague's only combination hotel/restaurant/brewery lays claim to brewing the world's most potent suds - with 12.6 percent alcohol - which it calls "X-beer 33." But even if you're not a drinker, there's plenty of tasty Czech cooking to enjoy here, too, including traditional roast duck and roast boar with potato dumplings - accompanied with a large choice of Czech beers besides the house speciality, as well as, quite often, a jolly Bohemian folk music band. Should you wish to stay overnight, the 33 comfortable rooms here offer modern amenities but Gothic details such as wooden beams original to this 1466 house. You'll find Medvidků at At Na Perštýně 7 in Old Town between the National Theatre and Old Town Square.
Street stalls to enjoy a good snack
Any snack is good, and if it is accompanied by a glogg, even better. A street must.
Eat in the street.
Sandwiches, sausages, hamburgers, fried cheese snacks, potatoes... Such is the offer that you will find in the dozens of street stalls that are spread throughout the most central streets of the capital of the Czech Republic. Remember that you can accompany your aperitif with a good svařené vino, the name given to the country's typical hot drink, which will undoubtedly help you cope with the colder temperatures if you visit the city in winter. Traditionally, svařené víno is made from red wine, vodka spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves and is usually served with peeled almonds and raisins. Some stalls are even open day and night, including those that are set up in the outskirts of Wenceslas Square, an area famous for its great nightlife. The best thing about these takeaway snacks is, of course, their price, sometimes as low as 1 euro.
U Fleků beer hall
Atmospheric and medieval, this place will make you very hoppy indeed.
Prague's most famous venue for some of Europe's best beer.
The only brewery in Central Europe to continuously make beer for more than 500 years, U Fleků is without a doubt a legendary local spot to enjoy a spot of suds. The old building has eight atmospheric salons which can accommodate some 1,200 guests, and serves not just beer but also some very good traditional Czech food (in recent years they've added entertainment, too).
Double Trouble Bar & Club and Club Temple [WE TAKE OUT CLUB TEMPLE]
Live music, drinks, cocktails, good prices... that's the Double Trouble Bar & Club!
![Double Trouble Bar & Club and Club Temple [WE TAKE OUT CLUB TEMPLE]](/wcs/imagenes/guias/PRAGA/PRAGA_OCIO_DOUBLETROUBLEBAR.JPG)
And we keep going!
The Double Trouble Bar & Club, located very close to Wenceslas Square and the Old City, more specifically, at 17 Melantrichova Street, is one of the oldest music bars in the city. Its rustic setting and its exposed stone walls will make you feel like you are inside a cozy grotto. It is ideal to enjoy a quiet evening of live music between drinks, beers and cocktails at a good price. Open until 4 in the morning during the week and until 5 on Fridays and Saturdays. Its DJ's usually play great classics from the 80s and 90s.
Popular Dlouhá Street
Live tunes at Bombay Bar & Club.
Prague's nightlife street par excellence.
Dlouhá Street is one of Prague's liveliest when it comes to nightlife, and apart from the famous Club Roxy we mentioned earlier, you'll find a number of other cool nightspots such as the Bombay Bar & Club, a short distance from Old Town Square. It's a great option for kicking back with a drink while taking in some live tunes, with the repertoire ranging from the 1980s to today. On weekends it's one of the most popular nightspots in town, with a clientele that's pretty international and a closing time of 6am (during the week it's just 4 or 5am).
Roxy
House, techno and cool visual effects in a popular Prague nightlife pioneer.
A longtime club powerhouse.
One of Prague's best known and established music clubs, the Roxy isn't just for dancing but also stages concerts and other special events, with something going on every night till 5am. On the dance floor the sounds tend toward the techno/house side of things, and they do groovy stuff with light and video projections. The address is Dlouhá 33.
The clubs and cabarets of Wenceslas Square
Downtown's Wenceslas Square has some of the capital's more popular nightspots. Several worth a look.
Some of Prague's most popular clubs.
Some of Prague's most popular nightspots these days can be found in and around downtown's Wenceslas Square, such as Duplex (www.duplex.cz), Nebe (www.nebepraha.cz), and Lucerna (http://lucerna.musicbar.cz). This last in particular, housed in the eponymous theatre, hosts various national bands during the week and on weekends goes all retro dance party with DJ-spun sounds and music videos from the 80s and 90s.
Partying on the Moldau
How times have changed - the nightlife scene in Prague these days can be wild, and here are two top choices.
Getting down with your bad self in Prague after dark.
Feel like letting loose on the booming Prague nightlife scene? Czech out the lively bars and clubs down near the Charles Bridge - and two names in particular. In a hotel of the same name, Zlatý Strom has a fun basement disco popular with the young set, along with several bars. Meanwhile, not far off on the banks of the Moldau River, Karlovy Lázně is an even bigger deal - Central Europe's biggest club, in fact, its five floors offering a variety of sounds and vibes including house, chill, trance, techno, blasts from the past of the 60s through 80s, and more.
Moldau River cruises
A narrated or lunch/dinner cruise on the Moldau River is one of Prague's loveliest experiences.
430 kilometres (267 miles) of charm
The Czech Republic's longest and most important river at 430 kilometres (267 miles) long, the Moldau - Vltava in Czech - originates in the Bohemian Forest near the border with Germany and runs to the town of Mělník, where it joins with another river called the Elba, along the way passing through the iconic Czech cities of Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and of course the country's capital, Prague. Seeing both Prague and larger parts of the country from this iconic river is a lovely experience worth making time for. You can catch various kinds of cruises - from guided tours to dinner cruises - from Kampa island (accessible from Charles Bridge) and other Old Town river embankments.
Prague State Opera/Národní Divadlo
Extraordinary opera and ballet amid extraordinary surroundings, at affordable prices.
One of Europe's top opera venues.
The Prague Státní Ópera (State Opera) is one of Europe's most prestigious operatic companies, based in downtown's imposing Národní Divadlo theatre, built in 1888 as the "New German Theatre" according to the design of the Viennese architectural firm Fellner & Helmer. In addition to opera it also stages ballet, all at prices for all budgets, and theatre tours can also be arranged. Information/tours/schedule: http://www.narodni-divadlo.cz/en/state-opera.
Black Light Theatre
A unique stage experience impressive even in the golden age of special effects.
Czech-pioneered stage psychodelics.
One of the more unusual cultural experiences a visitor to Prague can have: taking in a performance of a company using the techniques of black light theatre, which was pioneered as a dedicated stage subgenre by Czechs in the 1960s. The performers come onto a darkened stage dressed completely in black or in fluorescent costumes. By strategically illuminating the stage with UV light, all sorts of special visual effects can be created. This form of theatre has become an extremely popular draw for visitors, both because of its instrinsic novelty and aesthetic merits but also because it is not dependent on knowledge of any particularly language, as the shows consist of music, gestures, and imagery but do not include spoken dialogue. There are a number of companies working in this idiom; three good ones are Black Light Theatre Image (www.imagetheatre.cz/en), Black Light Theatre Animato (www.blacklighttheatreprague.cz), and Wow Black Light Theatre (www.wow-show.com/en).
Strahov Monastery
Among its highlights are amazing frescoes and an organ played by the great composer Mozart in 1787.
A venerable and fascinating Prague abbey.
In the slightly outlying Strahov district, this abbey, called in Czech the Strahovský Klášter, was founded in 1143 by two local bishops along with Duke Vladislav II of Bohemia, and belongs to a small, relatively obscure Catholic order known as Premonstratensians (aka Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré). It was originally fairly modest - a wooden monastery with a Romanesque church - but in 1258 was rebuilt in more imposing if still fairly sober Gothic style after a fire. Still one of Bohemia's oldest monasteries, its most notable feature is the Basilica of Our Lady, whose frescoes of the Virgin Mary and St. Norbert are quite impressive to behold. Its organ is also famous, not least because the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played it on a visit in 1787. Learn more at www.strahovskyklaster.cz.
Loreto
A famous carillon, a "holy house," and a distinguished collection of liturgical items.
A famous Baroque pilgrimage site.
Built over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries and located near the Prague Castle in the Hradčany district on Loretánské Náměstí (Loreta Square), Loreto is one of the Czech Republic's and Central Europe's top Catholic pilgrimage sites. The complex is comprised of a church, a cloister, a pair of chapels, a carillon tower, and a "Santa Casa," a replica of the house of the Virgin Mary, and flanking the central courtyard, a pair of lovely sculpture groupings, "The Resurrection" and "The Assumption." There's also a valuable collection of liturgical items. More information: http://www.loreta.cz/en.
St. Vitus Cathedral
An enormous, artistically important cathedral within the Prague Castle complex.
Prague's top Gothic church.
A major element of the Prague Castle complex, the mostly Gothic Katedrála Svatého Víta (Cathedral of St. Vitus) was begun in 1344 but took a breathtaking nearly 600 years to completely finish. Apart from being of incalculable artistic value, the cathedral is historically notable also for being the spot where all the kings of Bohemia were crowned. More information: www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle/st-vitus-cathedral.
Prague Castle
This is the postcard shot you always see - the world's most humongous Gothic castle. Don't leave Prague without it.
Fairytale enormity.
There is absolutely no way you can possibly leave town without climbing up to the Hradčany district to visit the Pražský Hrad, this city's great symbol, and considered the world's largest Gothic castle, 570 metres (1,870 feet) long and 130 metres (427 feet) wide. Dating back to the 9th century, it was the residence of the kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors, Habsburg emperors, rulers of Czechoslovakia under democracy, Naziism, and Communism, and now the presidents of the Czech Republic. In its interior you'll find, in addition to the crown jewels of Bohemia, St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George's Convent (where you can enjoy some wonderful antique Bohemian artwork), the Old Royal Palace, and galleries of Baroque and Renaissance art, among much else. The Prague Castle was renovated between 1920 and 1934 by architect Jože Plečnik at the behest of the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Masaryk, whose statue you will also find inside. More information: www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle.
St. Nicholas Church
An exercise in grandiosity meant to attract the faithful will no doubt impress you, too.
A masterpiece of European Baroque.
The St. Nicholas Church (Kostel Svatého Mikuláše) in the main square of the Malá Strana district is considered one of the great masterworks of Baroque architecture - not just in Prague, or even Bohemia, but all of Europe. One of three churches in the city dedicated to St. Nicholas, it was built during the first half of the 18th century according to a design by Christoph Dientzenhofer and his son Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, with an imposing cupula and a bell tower some 80 metres (262 feet) high. The church was inspired by the campaign to re-attract faithful to the Catholic Church in Prague and Bohemia after the defeat of the dissident Hussites at the battle of White Mountain in 1620. More information: www.stnicholas.cz/en.
Clementinum
A fascinating maze of libraries, churches, and more. A must-visit.
A huge Baroque complex of note.
This impressive, mostly Baroque complex in the heart of the Old Town dates from 1232 and has housed a number of institutions, including a Dominican monastery, a Jesuit college, an annex of the University of Prague, an observatory, and a part of the National Library. Occupying two hectares (5 acres), as an architectural complex the Clementinum is exceeded in size in the Czech capital only by the Prague Castle. Within the Clementinum are the churches of St. Clement and St. Salvator, as well as the Czech National Library, originally built in 1781 and holding some 20,000 antique books and manuscripts. Its interior is organised around five courtyards where you'll find 15 sun dials attributed to Jesuit astronomer Valentin Stansel. Other highlights include the Astronomical Tower and the Mirror Chapel. More details at www.klementinum.com.
Municipal House
An impressive masterpiece which hosts some of Prague's most prestigious cultural events.
An Art Nouveau icon.
Designed by architectects Antonin Balšánek and Osvald Polívka, the Art Nouveau-style Obecní Dům (Municipal House) was built between 1905 and 1912 on the site of the onetime palace of the kings of Bohemia. It hosts prestigious exhibitions and concerts and is very popular with visitors thanks in part to its elegant interiors, which include artwork by the famed Alfons Mucha and a lovely café. Behind its imposing façade, important events such as the proclamation of the Republic of Czechoslovakia on October 28, 1918 and the meetings between the Civic Forum and the Communist régime in 1989 took place. The building is a mere 4,214 square metres (45,360 square feet) in size, and includes one of Prague's best known concert halls, the Smetana Salon, with a capacity of around 1,200. Get more information at www.obecnidum.cz/en.
Powder Tower
Climb the 186 steps of this dark Gothic tower for an impressive view.
Keep your powder dry at another impressive Prague icon.
Known in Czech as the Prašná Brana, this dark stone Gothic gem at one of the entrances to Prague's Old Town can lay claim to being one of the Czech Republic's most famous towers. Overseen by Matěj Rejsek, its construction dates back to 1475, though was rebuilt in the 19th century. Originally intended to be an entrance to the city, it got the name Powder Tower from a 17th-century stint as a gunpowder depot. Sixty-five metres (213 feet) tall, it's adorned with statues of rulers of Bohemia as well as religious figures, coats of arms, and heraldic symbols. You can enjoy some nice views from the gallery if you're willing to climb 186 steps; check opening hours at http://en.muzeumprahy.cz.
Charles Bridge
One of Prague's most memorable monuments, and its most photographed.
Baroque history over the Moldau.
Connecting Old Town with the also historic Malá Strana quarter across the Moldau River, the Karlův Most (aka Charles Bridge) is considered by many to be Prague's most famous landmark. Finished at the beginning of the 14th century and named after King Charles IV, the city's oldest bridge (and the second oldest in the country) is more than 500 metres (1,640 feet) long and 9.5 metres (31 feet) wide, and is distinguished especially thanks to its 30 statues, mostly in Baroque style. Originally known simply as the Stone Bridge or the Prague Bridge, it served as the main link between the old town and castle district of the capital and the outlying areas, as well as an important element in trade between eastern and western Europe. These days it is closed to vehicular traffic.
Old Town Square
The lively centre of Prague's Old Town, with several of its key sites.
Ground zero of Prague's picturesque medieval quarter.
Prague's Staré Město (Old Town) is without a doubt one of the districts which gives the Czech capital its star power, and its epicentre of public and daily life has been here in Staroměstské Náměstí (Old Town Square) since the Middle Ages. The old city hall is here, with its famous astronomical clock and tower offering a panoramic view over much of the city. Not only is it a must for any first-time visitor to Prague, but it's a place you'll probably find yourself returning to more than once over the course of your stay. It's a mix of styles including Gothic (such as the distinctive Týn church) and Baroque (St. Nicholas), and in its center you'll see a statue to Jan Hus, a religious reformer who was burned at the stake in the 15th century.
Prague Astronomical Clock
One of the city's most colourful wonders, with an hourly parade that invariably attracts a crowd.
A magical medieval icon.
One of the city's most beautiful, striking, and beloved attractions, the famous Prague Astronomical Clock is the defining feature of the Old Town City Hall, built in 1490 by a master clockmaker named Hanuš. There are three basic components: a circular calendar, an astronomical dial, and a series of animated figures. Its lower sphere holds the city coat of arms and the calendar, with paintings by Josef Mánes illustrating the months of the year and including four sculptures of an orator, a philosopher, an astronomer, and an angel. The astronomical quadrant on the upper section represents the orbits of the sun and moon. And above it all - and for many, the best part - every hour on the hour, animated figures of Christ's 12 apostles show themselves.
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