I’ve been visiting Prague for several years now and have explored a lot of what the city has to offer. It’s a great city for a weekend break with a variety of different experiences in a medieval city that is easily explored on foot, or public transport if you are there for longer and fancy travelling out of the city.
Hotels are located in various areas of the city and many of the major chains are a little way out (along the River Vltava or behind Prague Castle), requiring maybe a tram ride back into the city. But for lots of travellers, hotels in the main tourist spots are central and the sights and attractions are right on your doorstep.
Wenceslas Square
I’ve always stayed in hotels on or just a minute or two walking from Wenceslas Square. It’s a famous landmark of the city and if you’ve not heard of the square you’ve probably sung at Christmas about “Good King Wenceslas”.
It’s not the prettiest square in Europe, it’s not even the prettiest of the squares in Prague, but it’s just one of those places that if you miss it you’ll wonder why you missed it. It’s not even a square – it’s a long boulevard leading directly uphill from near the Old Town Square up to the imposing Czech National Museum at the top end.
The “square” is split in two along the length by the tram tracks, with the lower side being pedestrianised and the other side, heading to the museum, open to some traffic. It’s the traffic allowed side where you’ll find a few tourist features in the middle of the square, such as a cafe based in old tram cars.
The pedestrianised side I’d like to describe as quiet, but since Covid times the authorities have been constantly relaying the cobbles of this side, restricting movement with protective screens. This work has now been finished and this part of the square is open and easily walkable. The building work is moving to the other side now in a huge improvement project that is expected to last until 2027.
Around the entire square you’ll find loads of big name shops, small convenience stores, other shops such as foreign exchange and touristy souvenir sellers, bars, hotels etc. It’s a hive of activity day and night and if you are wandering through the square late into the evening up to your hotel it will still feel busy and safe.
Old Town Square
The Old Town Square is the real tourist centre of Prague and far more attractive than Wenceslas Square, as it is surrounded by decorated medieval buildings, lots of eateries with outdoor seating and what’s left of the Town Hall following damage received during the war.
The Baroque Church of Saint Nicholas stands on the corner of the Square, near the one road that accesses this area, whilst the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn rises imposingly from within the surrounding buildings of the square whilst other statues and memorials adorn the area. Visit the square, take some photos and enjoy a coffee or a meal in one of the cafes that surround it.
During December the Christmas Markets, which are dotted around the city, have a huge representation in the Old Town Square with lots of stalls, a tree and a performance area in the medieval looking Christmas Market, which is often quoted as one of the top 10 Christmas markets to visit in the world.
Prague’s Astronomical Clock
The Old Town Square, or more accurately the Town Hall, is home to one of the major attractions of Prague with the 600-year old Astronomical Clock. Crowds gather in front of the clock all time of the day and night ready to watch the display as the animated characters parade out to their hourly tune to welcome the next hour in. The 4 despised characters on the outside of the clock ring a bell, whilst 12 apostles are shown, six either side of the clock to chase away these feared characters. It’s a short display but it’s certainly a crowd pleaser and it’s 24 hours per day.
You can also ascend the tower by entering the Town Hall, paying a small fee and taking a lift followed by a walk to the top. Get the timing right, or wrong, and you’ll be behind the hourly display and see it from inside, but for the first time visitor I would recommend the more typical ground level view.
The views from the clock tower are memorable. You can walk all around the top of the tower looking down onto the crowds of the busy Old Town Square and the roof tops of the surrounding buildings with a 360 degree view.
Charles Bridge
The best known bridge across the river Vltava in Prague, the Charles Bridge is worth the short walk to take lots of photographs. You get not only a view back to the waterfront buildings of Prague, but you can see the array of about 30 Baroque statues on this stone bridge which is almost 700 years old. The statues might not be the originals (they are secure in a museum), but walking across the bridge and grabbing a few photos in the crowds you’d never know as they look antique.
The bridge is busy with tourists and you’ll find on the upstream side it is filled with artists and street vendors plying their trade and happy to sell you a painting of Prague or a sketched caricature of yourself. Make your way over the bridge and you find yourself into a few shops and cafes, a good opportunity for a bit of sustenance if the day is becoming long.
At the end of the bridge on the Old Town side there is also the Old Town Bridge Tower. This can be climbed (it’s not high!) for quite just a few Czech Koruna, although something I’ve never managed to find time for yet.
Boat Trip
Either side of the Charles Bridge you will see men dressed in white sailor’s outfits selling boat trip tickets for cash. These tickets can also be bought online (typically a little cheaper) and the tour starts next to the Old Town Bridge Tower. As you approach the bridge from the Old Town, look to the right and you’ll see steps down to the boats.
Follow these steps down and you’ll usually see a regular procession of small boats heading off on tours of the River Vltava. With the option of a piece of gingerbread or an ice cream and a coffee or a beer, you are quickly onto a scenic cruise on the river.
Under the Charles Bridge for a view upstream, maybe into Little Venice on the other side of the river (some days they do, some days they don’t) and then away down the river with a little guided commentary of what you are seeing. The boats aren’t big, probably around 20 passengers each, and it’s a pleasant way to spend about 40 minutes with the snack is an added benefit.
Land Train
Back on dry land there’s a fun land train that leaves from the Old Town Square, near the Church of Saint Nicholas, that will be appreciated by all ages. Pay the driver and then take a seat in an empty row.
The train will wind you around the streets of the Jewish Quarter (Josefov), before crossing the river and then winding it’s way rapidly up the hill to Prague Castle, where you can get off to explore if you wish to.
If you prefer at this point you can stay on the train and enjoy what I found to be quite a fun descent back to the bridge and returning to where you started by the Old Town Square. It’s a good way to see a lot of Prague in a short time, and a lot of what you see you would probably otherwise miss if just quickly going from A to B, especially if the walk up the hill to the castle fills you with dread.
Historical Walks
I am never afraid of a bit of walking and if that walking includes the opportunity of learning something about my destination you are then doubly good. There are loads of walks available in Prague, including craft beer, ghost etc. Some of them you book and pay in advance, others you pay the guide at the end.
My favourites in Prague are the history tours and I’ve tried both World War II and Communist era walks, both are worthy of the few hours.
The WWII walk met up at the Powder Gate Tower to talk about how the occupiers changed the city in the early years of the the war and wandered into the city explaining stories such as where the resistance HQ was located. Through the Olt Town Swaure, Jewish Quarter and down to the river looking at the moments that are positioned on many buildings to commemorate the dead from the uprising, before hopping on a tram to the Dancing House hotel area before a final, slightly longer story, about Operation Anthropoid.
Although the WWII walk is good, the Communist Era talk is my favourite as it deals with a side of more modern history that we from the West see from the other side and might even remember. From near the Old Town Square this headed off parallel to Wenceslas Square with many stories about the communist era and the Velvet Uprising, before boarding a tram for a few stops to leave the city.
Here after a short walk you enter a nuclear bunker which is preserved as a basic museum, to see where many of the residents or Prague were promised they would be saved in the event of a nuclear war. Our guide explained that these shelters, with limited capacity and very limited supplies, were propaganda rather than security and it’s hard to believe anyone really thought of surviving the fallout of a nuclear war for months in these basic tunnels.
Visiting Prague
Many of the above ideas can be completed in a long weekend whilst some people will also try to do the highlights in a single day as Prague is a very walkable city. I can get from our hotel to any of these sights easily on foot and it’s perfectly reasonable to walk back to your hotel after a day of exploring, rest and change and then return on foot to your restaurant.
The people are friendly, the food and drink reasonably cheap (although not as much as it was) and Prague is easy to get to from most European cities. Cards and cash, even Euros, are accepted and with a transfer of about 30 minutes from airport to centre it’s a very tourist worthy city.
About the Author
Keith writes more about travelling in Empty Nest Travellers. If you don’t have time for a full trip to Prague, there’s a 1 day in Prague suggested itinerary and more information available over on his site.
