Welcome to Prague, the golden city! Anyone who walks across the Charles Bridge (probably the most famous sight in Prague) at dawn can guess why Prague has been given this nickname.
The old town of Prague is a Total work of art. Baroque palaces, Gothic churches, picturesque alleyways and, of course, not forgetting the great location of the city at the foot of the Vltava River – all this makes Prague so special.
However: This beauty has its price. Prague is an incredibly tourist destination. (Just a word of warning.) But that shouldn’t put you off a city trip to Prague.
So that you can plan and prepare your holiday perfectly, we have a detailed Prague travel guide with all our tips compiled for the best sights. Of course, as always, there are a few great culinary recommendations as well as our hotel tip.
1. Prague FAQs: First travel tips at a glance Exciting facts & interesting facts about Prague Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and has 1.3 million inhabitants. The center is nevertheless pleasantly manageable and almost all sights are within walking distance.The historic center of Prague has been around for 1996 UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cityscape of Prague is characterized by Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic . There are also some Art Nouveau buildings. Personally, Prague reminds us a lot of Vienna – maybe that’s why we like Prague so much.Prague is really very (!) touristy. You notice that at the latest when you make your way over the Charles Bridge. Of course, we will tell you our tips for escaping the crowds in the course of this blog article. Prague Bucket List: What can I experience in Prague? Before we introduce you to the most important sights in Prague later in this article, we would like to give you a quick overview of what awaits you in Prague. Here is our small but fine bucket list for your trip:
Get up early to see the sunrise to marvel at on the Charles Bridge.Look down from the town hall tower.Observe the astronomical clock on the hour.Walk up to Prague Castle and enjoy the view from there.Drink a freshly tapped beer . (Beware of excessive prices in tourist areas – beer is usually very cheap in the Czech Republic.)In the cafés of town to enjoy Czech sweets. How many days should I plan for Prague? If you two nights stay (and also have a few hours on the day of arrival and departure), then you can easily explore the most important sights in Prague. The city is comparatively manageable, so that you can see the most important highlights in about 60 hours you can visit well.
However: You won’t have much time for a relaxed stroll. So for those who like to take it easy, we would recommend three to four nights .
When is the best time to visit Prague? Of course, the best time to explore a city like Prague is during the warm season. Here we can particularly recommend the spring and the autumn .
Because Prague is really incredibly touristy, we would advise you to avoid summer holidays, public holidays and weekends. That’s when it’s the busiest – and believe us, it’s no fun.
We ourselves were in Prague during the week of March and it was the best decision ever. In general, we would definitely recommend a trip to Prague in the low season .
2. Our hotel tip for Prague Before we tell you the most important sights in Prague and our highlights, we would like to introduce you to our hotel tip. Because the perfect city trip naturally also includes the perfect accommodation – and we found it like that.
The BoHo Hotel Prague is a stylish boutique hotel right in the old town of Prague. We can only warmly recommend this feel-good hotel.
The rooms are surprisingly spacious and incredibly comfortably furnished. From the coffee machine to the bathrobe, you won’t be missing anything here. An absolute highlight is the bed – you can sleep incredibly comfortably here.
The breakfast (which, by the way, is served until 11 o’clock) is the next highlight. The selection for a city hotel of this size surprised us. Here really almost no wish remains unfulfilled.
The location could hardly be better: Prague’s old town is practically on the doorstep. In less than ten minutes you can walk to the Old Town Square. Parking is also very convenient thanks to the hotel’s own valet service.
The icing on the cake is the chic wellness area, in particular the whirlpool, in which we could wonderfully relax every day after sightseeing. Our conclusion about the hotel: Highly recommended! We will definitely be back.
You can book the hotel here: BoHo Hotel Prague
3. The most beautiful sights in Prague Charles Bridge Unwritten Law: Man must not leave Prague without walking across the Charles Bridge (“Karlův most”). The historic Stone Bridge crosses the Vltava and connects the old town of Prague with the districts of Lesser Town and Hradcany (here the Prague Castle is enthroned).
The Charles Bridge is (together with the castle) probably the most important sight in Prague and the symbol of the city. In this respect, it is not surprising that there is an unparalleled turmoil here during the day. On an afternoon in the high season you actually see little of the bridge, but are practically pushed through. Uff.
Important note: Pocket thieves have an easy job in the crowd. Please take extra care of your valuables around here.
Our tip: If you want to experience the magic of the Charles Bridge, we strongly recommend that you pull yourself together and come before sunrise. At dawn, when the first rays of sun bathe the city in a golden light, the scenery looks completely different. Highly recommended!
Castle of Prague The Prague Castle towers unmistakably on a round 70 meter high hill above the Vltava. A walk in this district called Hradschin (“Hradčany”) is an absolute must on a city trip to Prague.
Don’t worry: the ascent is less difficult than expected. For example, you can choose the route via the Alte Schlossstiege (“Staré zámecké schody”). Here you will also be rewarded with a beautiful view down towards the city.
Arrived at the top, the largest closed castle area in the world awaits you. Prague Castle includes several sights.
St. Vitus Cathedral: This Gothic masterpiece is the most important church in Prague and the largest in the Czech Republic. A highlight is the view from the bell tower of St. Vitus Cathedral.Golden Lane: Franz Kafka (house number once lived in this picturesque alley ). The appearance of the Golden Lane with the low houses that 16 . century is very special. Old Royal Palace: If you are interested in history, this is for you a visit to the Old Royal Palace may be of interest. The Old Royal Palace was the scene of the Prague Defenestration. The heart of the palace is the 60 meter long Vladislav Hall.St. George’s Basilica: This basilica dates from 10. Century, making it one of the oldest areas of Prague Castle. To enter the Prague Castle area, you need to walk a short Pass security check. Some areas (e.g. the entrance area of St. Vitus Cathedral or some courtyards) can be reached free of charge, but you need a ticket for many sights (including the Golden Lane).
More information about opening times & prices: Prague Castle (official website)
Old Town Square: Old Town Hall & Tyn Church We continue on the other side of the Moldau, in Prague’s old town. The most important square far and wide is the so-called Old Town Square. If you walk through the winding streets of Prague, you will almost inevitably end up here at some point.
The Old Town Square is a true Gesamtkunstwerk: One row of houses is more beautiful than the other. There are also several important sights in Prague on the Old Town Square, above all the Old Town Hall and the striking Tyn Church.
Old Town Hall with astronomical clock One of the most important sights in Prague is the Old Town Hall, a Gothic and Renaissance masterpiece. An you will always (especially on the hour) find a crowd of people on its southern wall. That is where the world-famous astronomical clock is located.
The clock comes from the 15. Century and was repeatedly expanded or restored over the centuries. Every hour on the hour (between 9 and 15 o’clock) a kind of carillon sounds here . First the figures of the twelve apostles appear, then a rooster crows. Our conclusion: In our eyes, the watch itself is the greater spectacle.
Our tip: You shouldn’t miss the view from the town hall tower. We will tell you more about this vantage point further down in this blog article.
Jewish Quarter: Jewish Cemetery & Synagogues In the northern area of Old Town Prague, about five minutes walk from Old Town Square, you get to the Jewish Quarter. In immediate vicinity there are several sights.
Old Jewish Cemetery: Probably the highlight in the Jewish quarter. Around .000 Tombstones are crowded here. A tour takes you through the area.Spanish synagogue: In our eyes the most impressive synagogue in the Jewish quarter. It was built in the Moorish style and we were quite surprised inside.Old-New Synagogue: Europe’s oldest synagogue and one of the earliest Gothic buildings in Prague.Maisel Synagogue: A rather plain synagogue inside, which houses an exhibition about Jewish history in Bohemia. Pinkas Synagogue: Here is a memorial for the Victims of the Holocaust.Klausen Synagogue: A rather simple one Baroque style synagogue. For the Jewish Quarter there is Combo tickets, each of which includes different sights (depending on whether you also want to visit the Old-New Synagogue).
Our tip: We recommend you to focus on the Old Jewish Cemetery and two synagogues, otherwise there will be quite an “overload”. information and impressions. If you plan about two hours , you can explore quite a lot, because the sights are all just a stone’s throw away from each other.
Wenceslas Square Wenceslas Square is more politically relevant than touristically. Wenceslas Square was the scene of many historical events, for example when the student Jan Palach set himself on fire as a sign of protest against the suppression of the Prague Spring.
Wenceslas Square looks more like a wide boulevard than a square. No wonder – after all, Wenceslas Square measures a length of 750 meters. It is lined with turn-of-the-century buildings.
Unfortunately, the flair is spoiled a little by car traffic and the countless shops of international brands (and the numerous building mistakes associated with it).
More sights in Prague for more time Although you have already explored a lot of highlights with the sights listed above, that was of course by no means all. We will therefore briefly introduce you to a few other sights that are also worth visiting.
Klementinum Library: WOW! The baroque library of the former Jesuit College Klementinum is without a doubt one of the most impressive libraries we have ever seen. Unfortunately, there are two downsides: on the one hand, it can only be seen as part of a guided tour, on the other hand, you are not allowed to enter the library, but only take a look from the side. Too bad.
Head of Franz Kafka: Sculptures by Czech artist David Černý can be found throughout Prague, including the futuristic-looking head of Franz Kafka next to the Quadrio Shopping Centre.
John Lennon Wall: This street art wall is a tribute to John Lennon. We personally think it’s a bit overrated, but if you’re in the area, you can definitely stop by here.
Dancing House: One of the most famous buildings of modern architecture in Prague is the Dancing House, which was built in 1996 was built on the banks of the Vltava. In our opinion, not a real must-see in Prague, but if you pass by, it’s worth a short photo stop at this rather unusual sight.
Wallenstein Garden: This baroque garden is located below Prague Castle. Perfect for a short break from sightseeing.
Klementinum LibraryFranz Kafka Head John Lennon WallDancing House 4. Prague from above: The most beautiful viewpoints Tower of the Old Town Hall You can enjoy probably the most iconic view of Prague from a bird’s eye view from the tower of the Old Town Hall. The ascent is quite strange: you don’t go up the classic stairs (except at the beginning and end), but instead go up a spiral.
Once at the top, a view in all directions awaits you. We personally found the view down to the Old Town Square particularly spectacular. The Tyn Church is also very impressive from this perspective.
Our tip: We came before sunset and found this time great in terms of lighting mood. However, we fear that the rush at this time in the high season is particularly large.
The ticket price also includes a visit to the historic halls of the town hall. We only walked through them briefly. In our opinion, the highlight here is clearly the view over Prague.
Entry: 250 CZK per person
Old Town Bridge Tower You probably have the best view of the Charles Bridge from the Old Town Bridge Tower. This Gothic gate tower (city gate and tower in one) is located directly at the entrance to the bridge and is hard to miss.
Once the 138 Stages defeated, you can look forward to a magnificent all-round view. The viewing platform at the top is very narrow and crooked, so you actually have to bend over a little the whole time. The view – especially in the direction of the Charles Bridge – is fabulous.
We decided to visit just before sunset. Since we were traveling in the off-season, there was surprisingly little going on. Otherwise you have to be prepared for some visitors.
Entry: 250 CZK per person
Letna Park A free vantage point, which is also very popular with many locals is the Letna Park. It is located on a hill north of Prague’s Old Town and is a popular destination for jogging or walking.
From Letna Park you have a nice view over Prague including the bridges. (Too bad Charles Bridge isn’t the most prominent, but good – you can’t have everything.)
You can walk to the park from Charles Bridge in about 20 minutes. You have a good view from the historical Hanavský pavilion (there is also a café here) or from the viewpoint around 100 meters east of it.
Klementinum Observation Tower You can enjoy a beautiful central view of Prague from the lookout tower of the Klementinum, a former Jesuit college. Astronomical measurements were once carried out in the tower – which is why it is also known as the Astronomical Tower.
Small downer: The clementine around (and thus also the lookout tower) is only accessible as part of a guided tour. The time on the tower is therefore limited (approx. 03 minutes). The rest of the time you will learn a lot about the (astronomical) history of the Klementinum and you can take a look at the (very spectacular) baroque library.
Although the view is fantastic, we think the price is a bit high considering the (rather mediocre) guide. If you have enough time, you can definitely stop by here.
Entry: 150 CZK per person
Castle of Prague There are numerous points in the Prague Castle area from which you can always enjoy a wonderful view down towards the city. We briefly introduce you to the most well-known.
East of the castle, at the end of the old castle staircase (“Staré zámecké schody”). This is where our photo was taken.West of the castle, at the end of the castle staircase (“Zámecké schody”) at Starbucks . Not quite as impressive, but still worth seeing. Last but not least from 99 meter high tower of St. Vitus Cathedral, whose viewing platform you can climb over 287 reach stairs. 5. Eating & drinking in Prague: Our culinary tips Specialities in Prague The Bohemian cuisine is one thing above all: meat-heavy. And hearty. But we can reassure you: In the meantime, there are also incredibly great, modern-inspired restaurants of the highest quality. In any case, we ate excellently (vegetarian) in Prague.
An absolute highlight are the Czech desserts, which of course are very reminiscent of the Austrian classics, including curd dumplings, pancakes, buns or golatschen (thus junk luggage that is filled with curd cheese, for example).
Available on almost every corner, but definitely not a Czech specialty is Trdelník, known in German as “Baumkuchen”. This pastry originally comes from Slovakia. It still tastes good.
In terms of drinks, the Czech beer is of course the number one specialty. No wonder, after all, the Czech Republic is the beer world champion – nowhere is as much beer drunk as here. Beer is very cheap in the Czech Republic. However, you have to be careful in tourist areas. Excessive prices are often asked there.
Our tips for cafés & restaurants in Prague Café Café: One of our favorite cafés in the Old Town of Prague. Here you sit very nicely and there are the most delicious cakes and tarts. Highly recommended.
Ema Espresso Bar: Excellent coffee is served in this hip coffee bar, which is extremely popular with young people. Perfect for a short coffee break.
The Eatery: By far (!) our favorite culinary discovery in Prague. In this stylish, industrial-style restaurant we have eaten better than we have had in ages. The menu is small but fine and includes something for every taste (meat, fish, vegetarian). The restaurant has been awarded by Michelin for its excellent value for money. We can only follow that. The food was poetry. Highly recommended!
Bistro Monk: Very close to the Old Town Square, this hip bistro is great for breakfast or a light lunch offers perfectly. The prices are on the high side for what’s on offer, but we ate really well. The menu includes avocado toast, salads or sandwiches/burgers.
Maitrea: Probably the best-known vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Prague is in the middle downtown. The menu features dishes from all over the world. Personally, we were a bit lacking in spirit, but the restaurant is still recommendable.
Cafe-Cafe Trdelník The Eatery Bistro Monk 6. Don’ts in Prague: Just don’t! Never shop in the countless candy shops in the historic old town. The quality is bad and the prices are outrageous – pure rip-off. If you want to buy Czech sweets, you can stock up on them in any supermarket. Always take good care of your valuables – otherwise pickpockets have an easy job. Unfortunately, Prague rightly doesn’t have the best reputation in this regard. This applies in particular to places frequented by tourists such as the Charles Bridge or in the metro. Never ever should you change your money on the street. Unfortunately, this is a known scam in Prague. They will try to sell you almost worthless bills. If you change, then necessarily in the bank. You can also easily withdraw money from ATMs or simply pay by card. Beware of excessive prices around the Old Town Square. Here you get rid of your money faster than you would like. 7. Practical tips for arrival & local transport Arrival: How do I get to Prague? By car Prague is situated away from many cities in Austria and Germany is only a few hours away by car – from Berlin, Munich and Vienna it is about 4 hours each. In this respect, of course, arriving by car is a good idea.
The downside: On site, the car is pretty much useless and has to be parked. Parking fees in the center of Prague should not be underestimated. If you park your car in a garage (which we would recommend) you will have to pay around 22 until 35 Calculate euros per day.
Important tip: In order to use the motorways in the Czech Republic, you need a vignette, which is now only available as a digital e-vignette . You can buy them before crossing the border. (Beware of excessive prices and dubious stalls.)
By train The Prague Main Railway Station is quite close to the Old Town of Prague. (To our hotel, the BoHo Hotel Prague, for example, is just 03 Minutes on foot.) In this respect, arriving by train is an option worth considering.
With the Airplane Rather unusual, but it is possible to arrive by plane. The airport in Prague is approximately 35 minutes by public transport outside of the city center. You can easily research the fastest connection using Google Maps. We are happy to look for cheap flights via Skyscanner.
Local transport: Getting from A to B in Prague Almost all sights in Prague are very close together, so that they walkingreachable are. For example, we covered (almost) all routes on foot.
For longer distances there is a well developed network of public transport (metro, tram & bus). You can find information about tickets and a route planner on the official website of the Prague transport company.
Taxis unfortunately don’t have the best reputation in Prague. Exorbitant prices are often charged to unsuspecting tourists. We ourselves have had good experiences with Uber in Prague.
8th. Map: All sights & tips at a glance For better orientation you will find all important sights and highlights in Prague on this map at a glance. How do you get the most out of the card? Our tip: Simply click on the rectangle in the top right corner to open the map in the Google Maps app on your smartphone. So you can easily navigate from A to B on the spot in Prague.
Transparency: Affiliate Links This blog article contains our personal recommendations in the form of so-called affiliate links. If you book or buy something through the links, we will receive a small commission. For you, this does not change the price at all. A thousand thanks from both of us!
Have you been to Prague? Which sights impressed you the most? Do you have any other tips that you want to add? We look forward to your tips below this blog article.
