Things we did in Prague | There is no doubt about it: Prague is one of those top 10 destinations on everybody’s itinerary. In many ways, this city has been a trend setter for at least 1,000 years. Prague is a treasure box for fans of Kafka and Mucha, for time travelers into Roman, Gothic and Baroque eras, for music lovers, historians, theologians. Be prepared for something very special, very unique. Prague is the fourth most visited city in Europe for a reason. It is ranked #6 in the Tripadvisor List of Best Destinations. We were lucky enough to tick Prague off our bucket list a couple of years ago. But to be honest with you: we’d looooove to go there again. Three days was not enough …
Before working off our Things-we-did-in-Prague list, let’s talk briefly about our preset: We did track down a cheap flight to Frankfurt via Google Flights. At Buchbinder we booked a rental car. Via booking.com we reserved our double bed room at the Residence Vysta in Prague Holesovice. This property is located in walking distance to the Expo Metro station. Means, we were able to tackle the ‘City of a Hundred Spires’ by foot. We’ll get back to the Residence Vysta at the end of this article.
Things we did in Prague: Charles Bridge (Karlův Most)
Strolling across the 700 years old Charles Bridge (Karlův Most) is a must for every tourist. And it’s actually unavoidable if you want to make it to the Prague Castle. Karluv Most is one of the most iconic bridges in Europe. And therefore it’s crowded all day and night. It connects the Old Town with ‘Mala Strana’ (Lesser Town). Charles Bridge is protected by impressive gothic towers. 30 baroque statues are lined up on each side of the bridge.
Prague Castle (Hradčany)
The area is vast! Prague Castle covers 45 hectares. Highlight: St. Vitus Cathedral – the center piece inside the Prague Castle walls. Don’t miss it. A trip to the Hradčany will keep you busy for an entire day.
Staroměstské náměstí and Astronomical Clock
The Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) and the Wencelas Square are the two major squares you will stumble into, no matter what. At the Old Town Square you find the famous Astronomical Clock. Every hour, 12 apostles pass thru a window right above the dial – and the crowd goes wild … If you are eager to get a nice view of Prague’s Old Town, climb up the city hall tower.
Bohemian Dinner
At the restaurant ‘U Fleku’ we went for our long anticipated traditional bohemian dinner: a pork knuckle and a goulash, served with Czech bread dumplings (knedlicky) and local beer. Portions were big. Try to arrive at the U Fleku with an empty stomach. You will need all your capacity.
Museum or River Cruise
There are 280 museums waiting for you in Prague. You choose. We didn’t. We preferred cruising up and down the Vltava river instead of crawling thru aisles and aisles of antique stuff. Wherever it is offered, we jump on a sightseeing steamer. We already enjoyed similar boat tours via boat in Paris, Bruges, Ljubljana and Dresden.
Municipal House (Obecní dům)
More or less by accident we stumbled into the Concert Hall of the Municipal House (Obecní dům), located somewhere between Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. The outside facade made us curious. We saw truly gorgeous stained glass windows, frescoes, and masterclass stonework. Jugendstil – Art Nouveau – Art Deco … whatever fits your definition. Inside, an impressive marble staircase took us to the Smetana Concert Hall. The Municipal House is home to the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
Old New Synagoge (Staronová synagoga)
The last site on our to-do-list is rather unspectacular but historically important. Prague’s Old New Synagogue appears to be quite basic. Well, what to expect from a 750-year old building? It is the oldest active synagogue in Europe. Construction was completed in 1270, making it one of the earliest examples of Gothic architecture in Prague.
The Jewish Quarter in Prague includes another five synagoges, a Jewish Town Hall, and a Jewish Cemetery. The Nazis left surprisingly little damage to the ‘Josefov’ (Jewish Quarter). It is said that they did so in order to convert the area into a ‘museum of an extinct race’. Luckily this attempt backfired.
Where to stay in Prague
As mentioned earlier, for 3 nights/113 Euros we stayed at the Residence Vysta in Prague Holesovice. This property is not the most fancy one. But we were happy with it. Lots of young fellas everywhere. We had a room right under the roof. Clean, basic breakfast, reasonably fast internet. We did not need anything else. Check out other vacation properties in and around Prague right here:
Book your hotel in Prague here.
Things we did in Prague. By Chili & Chirp | © International Destinations | Read more about destinations we traveled to -> Travel Alphabet
