With Baroque, Renaissance, and Gothic architecture, Prague is a highly dense and rich cultural city. Its juxtapositioned New Town and Old Town offers some incredible museums and galleries, as well as some seriously overwhelming historical monuments. Prague is somewhere you have to spend at least five days exploring if you want to capture the full scale of its beauty. But whether it’s two days or two weeks you’re visiting, you’ll need to know where to go and what to see. This article will break down some of those in general order of priority – although this is of course down to personal taste.
Walking Tour
Walking tours are a great way to explore a city. Not only will you get to see multiple monuments in a short space of time (a well thought out route), but it’ll be guided and commentated by an expert. A free walking tour in Prague with Guruwalk is highly recommended. For no upfront cost, you can visit Prague with a local expert. It is an excellent way to start the trip because they will be on-hand to ask any pressing questions which could impact the rest of your trip – giving clues and tips on where else to visit and how to things work in the local vicinity.
Prague Castle
Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world – covering a staggering 45 hectares. A couple of hours there may not be enough; this is quite possibly the most stunningly gorgeous monument you’ll ever see. It is perhaps the highest priority visit for many visitors, so it’s good to visit at the beginning of your trip. It’s also worth heading there for noon, which is when the changing of the guards’ ceremony happens.
Walk over Charles Bridge
The views from Charles Bridge is perhaps first on the mind from those who have previously visited Prague. It is a great introduction to the city, and while it’ll no doubt be crowded, it will be worth it. The bridge spans across the Vltava River and connects to Mala Strains. Three Gothic towers guard the bridge. Walking around, you’ll find 30 statues, all of which represent a piece of history in Prague. The bridge is about 700 years old, so there’s absolutely no good reason not to visit when in the city.
Visit the Old Town
Sure, all of Prague has the swagger of an Old Town, there is a designated one too! The Old Town Square is where you’ll find many visitors enjoying the preciously preserved buildings, such as the Church of Our Lady and the Old Town City Hall – which dates back to 1338. The town also hosts the Estates Theatre, which is one of the most beautiful in Europe. Built over 200 years ago, the theatre is at the epicenter of Europe’s cultural enlightenment era. The theatre has hosted many incredible performers, from Mozart (who actually lived in Prague) to Carl Maria von Weber.
Enjoy a Prague Beer Tour
There’s been a lot of cultures so far, so you may feel you deserve an evening of letting your hair down a little. Czech beers are known for two things: high quality and being cheap! What better way to explore the beer and nightlife in Prague than to let a local guide take you around the most famous bars here, serving you some great carefully picked beers. There are over 600 bars in Prague, so this is a great way to find the best ones because, well, you can’t visit them all (unfortunately!)
If you’re into beer, there’s also Spa Beerland Prague, which lets visitors relax in a hot tub full of beer ingredients – while, of course, enjoying a glass of beer.
Visit the KGB Museum
If you’re interested in either Soviet Russia or secret services, this small museum will be for you. It was created by a Russian enthusiast, who collected a variety of pieces relating to the secret services of Soviet Russia. You’ll find all kinds of spy-gear here, from covert spy cameras to interrogation equipment. There are also pictures here taken of Prague by the KGB in the 60s.
Take a Cruise
River Vltava (mentioned above) has some great experiences on offer. As a way to explore the fascinating historical buildings, you could cruise around on a boat instead of walking. A Vltava river cruise tour will give you a unique perspective on Prague, all while enjoying a reasonably priced lunch. It is a great way to escape the buzzing tourists and get you onto a relaxing, slower-paced boat that will head down the riverbanks and tour Prague at a more manageable pace.
This list is merely a drop in the ocean of all the things you can do and see in Prague. Visiting Charles Bridge, the Old Town, and Prague Castle, however, are undoubtedly the top 3 essentials – so once these are explored, you can chill out, enjoy a beer and take a relaxing boat tour.
