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Discover Places to Go and Things to Do
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Prague, Czech Republic
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The Czech Republic lies at the heart of Central Europe and at its centre is the beautiful and historic city of Prague. With a population of some 1.3 million residents, the city lies on either side of the Vltava River in the middle of Bohemia that is one of the three historic Czech territories; the others being Moravia and Silesia. The city has seven "Chapter Divisions" or districts.
North and Western Suburbs:
This is mainly an area of residential buildings and parkland, containing Prague's largest park—  Stromovka .
North and Western Suburbs:
This is mainly an area of residential buildings and parkland, containing Prague's largest park— Stromovka . The park was originally a hunting ground and is now home to many attractions including the Vystaviste Exhibition Grounds , the Prumyslovy Palace , the Planetarium , and the Lapidarium .
A walk to the west of the park brings the visitor to the Royal Summer Palace (Letohrádek královny Anny) , a neo-Gothic building where the National Museum stores some of its treasures.
To the south of Stromovka lies Letna Park . A walk farther south brings one to a plateau overlooking the main city and river. Here, you will see the large Metronome that replaced the monument to Stalin—the largest in the world, which was destroyed on the orders of Krushchev in 1962. Other places of interest are the National Technical Museum and the National Gallery Collection of Modern & Contemporary Art . Walks through the residential areas will expose you to many styles of architecture here.
Hradcany:
Situated on the hill overlooking Prague, Hradcany is made up of Prague Castle , St Vitus Cathedral and the Strahov Monastery —all places that are steeped in history. The Army Museum , the Royal Gardens and the Toy Museum are also nearby.
St Vitus' Cathedral was commissioned by Charles IV (1316-1378) and its foundation was laid in 1344. However, work on it went on for nearly 600 years before being finalized in 1929, which means that the architecture is from many different periods and in different styles. Attractions inside include the crown jewels, the crypt and the South Tower. The Strahov Monastery was founded in 1140 by the Premonstratensian Order, although its present day baroque appearance dates from the late-17th and 18th centuries.
Mala Strana:
Covering the area just below Hradcany and bordering the river, Mala Strana is just across Charles Bridge from the main city. Now home to many foreign embassies occupying a number of buildings built by the Catholic nobility, the area is full of palaces, gardens and baroque churches including the Church of St. Nicholas (Sv. Mikulas). Open daily, this is an example of Prague baroque architecture; it was built between 1702 and 1753 by Christoph Dientzenhofer and later also worked on by his son. Frequent concerts and recitals (both at lunchtime and in the evenings) are held here featuring the works of Mozart.
Josefov:
Prague's Jewish Quarter can be reached by a short walk from Wenceslas Square or by taking the metro to Staromestska, Line A.
Dating back to at least the 13th century, this area is rich in history. Places to visit include the Jewish Cemetery , its five synagogoues, the Jewish State Museum and the Jewish Ceremonial Hall with its Hebrew clock dating from the 15th century. The narrow cobbled streets lend a unique atmosphere to the area, especially at night. The Kafka Museum is located on the border of Josefov and Stare Mesto.
Stare Mesto
Prague's Old Town is centered around Old Town Square , the Jan Hus Monument and the Old Town Clock Tower featuring its astronomical clock dating back to the 15th century. The Old Town Hall is open daily. It is only a short walk away from Wenceslas Square.
There are several churches of note here including the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn as well as courtyards and numerous cafés, bars and restaurants catering to every taste.
Nove Mesto
This is Prague's main commercial and business district. It is based around Wenceslas Square at the top of which is the National Museum and the two main commercial streets—Na Prikope and Narodni. Running from these streets are many smaller streets and courtyards. Hotels, bars and restaurants abound in this area.
Walking along Legerova or Ke Karlovu (where you will find the Dvorak Museum ) will bring you to the Police Museum from where you can take a walk along the top of the Botic Valley towards the river.
Vysehrad and the Eastern Suburbs:
Centered upon the ancient rocky fortress of Vysehrad (the Republic's most-revered landmark) and containing the Vysehrad Cemetery , a Romanesque rotunda and the Gothic church of St. Peter and Paul, this area stretches to the working-class suburb of Zizkov. It is home to the TV Tower (from which you can enjoy panoramic views of Prague) and the ancient Zizkov Hill, atop which stands a statue of Jan Zizka (a 15th century army general) and the mausoleum in which the remains of the three Communist presidents of the Republic and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier can be found. The suburb of Vinohrady contains Prague's most modern church, the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord (Kostel Nejsvětějšího srdce Páně) , which was built in 1928.
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By azisling
6 days
This is a circular trip that starts and ends in Prague.
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By azisling
9 days
Budapest.Vienna, and Prague are the main highlights of most central European vacations. You can do it starting in Prague or Budapest, but I suggest ending in Prague.
This trip can be done with a rental car, trains, or as part of a more organized package.
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128 people reviewed Prague (1-20 out of 128)
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Top
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at 6:10PM May 28, 2008
Prague, in a word, is beautiful. It's a romantic, gorgeous, interesting city. So much to see and do. And compared with other places I visited, relatively cheap. Great place to just roam and take your time in.
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at 3:07PM November 29, 2008
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at 12:40AM October 14, 2008
It's like a city in fairy tales.
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at 1:58AM July 9, 2008
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at 9:21AM June 29, 2008
A beautiful city. It's very much geared up to tourists, but will be a great treat for any history architecture fans. The old part of the city is very beautiful, Czech traditional food is amongst the tastiest meals I've ever had, and the city is inspiring. Crack up Smetana on your Mp3 player and it's a feast for the senses.
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at 11:50AM June 19, 2008
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at 8:47AM June 3, 2008
A city full of culture and things to do!
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at 5:43PM May 29, 2008
Fantastic city!!! Loads to do, really good food, not super-duper expensive compared to other European cities
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at 5:22PM May 29, 2008
I am half Czech, so I still have relatives in Prague. It is my favorite city. I went for a day in 1992 and want to go back for longer and meet my third cousin in person and see where my grandparents were born.
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at 4:03PM May 29, 2008
A beautiful city with heaps of character. The most vibrant areas are in or around the two main squares, Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square which are only a few minutes walk apart. In this area, there are loads of restaurants, bars and clubs, some of which are of the more exotic kind if that's what you're looking for, although be very careful as some of these are thinly disguised brothels. There are also plenty of sights to see in this area. Charles bridge will take you over the Vltava where you can find Prague Castle another must see. Everything is quite compact so it's very easy to wander round.
If you're in Prague, I would definitely recommend a day trip to the Ossuary at Sedlec (Kutna Hora). This place is astonishing, on the outside it looks like an ordinary small church, then you walk in and see thousands of human bones made into various obects such as a huge chandalier. The train takes a couple of hours and costs next to nothing, the station is near the top of Wenceslas Square.
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at 10:59AM May 29, 2008
LOVE IT!
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at 7:10AM May 29, 2008
Prague is truely a loveable city. And a perfect place to bring a date, since it is very romantic there, for example to walk over the Charles bridge, while crossing the Moldau River. At the same time everything is cheaper over there, so you can act like a "big spender", and be a gentleman who pay for your date, wherever you go. I the past years prices have begun to rise though, beacuse of the European Union membership. Prague has a very exciting history, which makes it a very romantic and exciting place.
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at 2:05AM May 28, 2008
an interesting city and the charles bridge is a must see
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at 6:40PM November 3, 2009
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at 10:18PM October 28, 2009
Wonderful architecture. The food, well most things are boiled. Enough said.
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at 10:30AM May 7, 2009
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at 3:10AM April 1, 2009
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at 9:46AM March 30, 2009
I love this city! Would go back any day. And still a cheap place to stay.
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at 4:20AM March 9, 2009
A beautiful city with loads of character. Not to be missed the two main squares, Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square which are only a few minutes walk apart. In this area, there are loads of restaurants, bars and clubs. There are also plenty of sights to see. Charles bridge will take you over the Vltava where you can find Prague Castle another must see.
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at 7:30PM March 1, 2009
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