Traveleriences
Charles Bridge and the towers of the Old Town over the Vltava in Prague

Prague, Czechia

Ideal: 3 daysBest: Apr–Jun, Sep–OctPrice: Moderate
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In 60 seconds

Prague in 60 seconds

Prague's centre survived the twentieth century almost intact, which is both its glory and its problem: the Castle, Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square are as beautiful as promised and as crowded as feared. See them early. Then do what the city does — cross to Letná or Vyšehrad for the views, eat in a tank-beer pub, and spend an evening in Vinohrady, where Prague lives. The centre is compact enough to walk end to end, and trams fill the gaps — the 22 climbs to the Castle the easy way. For lunch, a canteen-style jídelna serves classic Czech cooking at local prices; for dinner in summer, book. Three days is a good visit.

Budget

Best for

  • Architecture
  • History
  • Nightlife
  • Weekend

Known for

  • Prague Castle
  • Charles Bridge
  • Czech beer

Skip if

Crowds spoil a place for you. The historic core is among the busiest in Europe between late morning and evening.

Your match

Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Prague fits them. Choose interests

See

Must experience

The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.

Prague Castle

Moderate

Castle complex · St Vitus Cathedral

Arrive at opening and do St Vitus first. Golden Lane is better after the tour groups leave.

HradčanyHalf dayMorning

Charles Bridge

Gothic bridge · Baroque statues

Walk it at dawn, when you can see the statues and the river rather than the crowd.

Malá StranaEarlyFree

Old Town Square & the Astronomical Clock

Medieval square · 1410 clock

Watch the square, not the hourly show; climb the Old Town Hall tower for the view instead.

Staré MěstoCentral

Eat

Where to eat

A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?

Local

Where to eat the food this city is actually known for.

Lokál Dlouhááá

Inexpensive

Czech pub food · Tank Pilsner

A seventy-metre beer hall pouring tank Pilsner and cooking the Czech classics properly.

Staré MěstoBeerClassic

U Pinkasů

Inexpensive

Czech pub · Since 1843

The first Prague pub to pour Pilsner Urquell, in 1843, still serving Czech classics over three floors.

Nové MěstoBeerClassic

Kuchyň

Moderate

Czech cooking · Castle terrace

Pick from the pots on the stove, then eat on a terrace by the castle with Prague below.

HradčanyBeerView

Casual

No booking, no ceremony, reliably good.

Kantýna

Moderate

Butcher's counter & canteen

Choose your cut at the butcher's counter in an Art Nouveau bank hall and they cook it for you.

Nové MěstoMeatNo booking

Sisters

Inexpensive

Chlebíčky bistro

The Czech open sandwich, remade with farm spreads, in the gourmet arcade on Dlouhá.

Staré MěstoBreakfastQuick

Naše maso

Moderate

Butcher & counter

A butcher's shop on Dlouhá that cooks: burgers, meatloaf and tartare from Czech-farmed meat.

Staré MěstoMeatStanding

Special occasion

Worth planning the evening around.

Field

Very expensive

Modern Czech · Seasonal

Precise, seasonal Czech cooking near the Jewish Quarter, and one of the most approachable starred rooms in Europe.

Staré MěstoBook ahead

La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise

Very expensive

Czech tasting menus

Tasting menus based on 19th-century Czech cookbooks, with an open kitchen. Michelin-starred since 2012.

Staré MěstoBook aheadTasting menu

Levitate

Very expensive

Nordic technique, Asian spice

Christian Chu's seasonal tasting menu in Vinohrady, combining Nordic technique with Asian spice. Michelin-starred.

VinohradyBook aheadTasting menu

Coffee & fika

Mornings, and the slow hour between things.

EMA Espresso Bar

Inexpensive

Specialty coffee

One of Prague's first specialty bars, near Florenc, with single origins rotated regularly.

Nové MěstoEspressoFilter

Beyond the obvious

Hidden gems

Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.

Vyšehrad

Fortress, cemetery, river view

Smetana, Dvořák and Mucha in the cemetery, and the Vltava from the ramparts. Locals' Sunday walk.

VyšehradQuietView

Letná beer garden

Inexpensive

Park terrace above the river

Plastic cups, chestnut trees and the best view of the bridges. Summer evenings only.

LetnáSummerView

Vrtba Garden

Inexpensive

Terraced Baroque garden

A small terraced Baroque garden hidden behind a Malá Strana courtyard, with statues and a view of the rooftops.

Malá StranaGardenView

After dark

Bars & nightlife

U Zlatého tygra

Inexpensive

Pilsner pub · Hrabal's local

Bohumil Hrabal's pub. Regulars hold the tables; reserve, or arrive at opening and share.

Staré MěstoBeerBusy

Hemingway Bar

Expensive

Cocktails, rum and absinthe

A dark, speakeasy-style room near the river with a deep rum list and careful cocktails. Reserve at weekends.

Staré MěstoBook aheadCocktails

U Fleků

Moderate

Brewery tavern · Since 1499

Dark lager brewed on the premises since the 15th century, served in long halls and a garden.

Nové MěstoBeerHistoric

Orientation

Neighbourhoods

How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.

Vinohrady

Squares, cafés, wine bars

Tree-lined Art Nouveau blocks where Prague actually lives. Start at Náměstí Míru.

Holešovice & Letná

Galleries, markets, DOX

A former industrial district of galleries, the market hall and the DOX contemporary art centre.

Karlín

Rebuilt riverside district

A grid of 19th-century blocks by the river, rebuilt after the 2002 flood and now full of cafés and restaurants.

Stay

Where to stay

Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.

Malá Strana

Expensive

Below the castle

Baroque palaces under the castle, beautiful and quiet once the day crowds go home.

AtmosphereQuieter at night

Vinohrady

Moderate

Residential, on the metro

Better rooms for less, a few metro stops from the centre.

MetroValue

Nové Město

Moderate

The New Town

Wenceslas Square and its side streets, on all three metro lines.

CentralMetro

Practical

Know before you go

Getting in
Buses connect the airport to the metro; Praha hlavní nádraží is the main station.
Getting around
Walk the centre. Trams and the metro cover everything else on one ticket.
Money
Czech koruna, not the euro. Pay in koruna if a card machine offers a choice of currency.
Beer
Tank beer (tankové pivo) is unpasteurised and delivered fresh. It is worth seeking out.

Context

History in 5 minutes

Enough to make what you are looking at legible.

  1. 1346–1378

    Charles IV makes Prague an imperial capital and founds the university, the New Town and the bridge.

  2. 1618

    The Defenestration of Prague sets off the Thirty Years' War.

  3. 1989

    The Velvet Revolution ends communist rule without a shot fired.

Further out

Nearby escapes

Worth a day if you have one to spare.

Kutná Hora

Silver town · Sedlec Ossuary

St Barbara's Cathedral and the bone chapel at Sedlec. A medieval mining town at the scale of a cathedral city.

By trainFull dayUNESCO

Karlštejn Castle

Gothic castle in the woods

Charles IV's treasure castle above a wooded valley. Walk up from the station.

By suburban trainCastleHalf day

Terezín

Fortress town and ghetto memorial

An 18th-century fortress the Nazis made a ghetto and transit camp. A sober, important day.

By busHistoryMemorial

Go further

Routes through Prague

Multi-city trips that stop here, with the transport between them.