I was lucky enough to spend 3 full days in this wonderful place and I'm going to let you into a few secrets...
Prague. Capital of the Czech Republic. Steeped in history and overflowing with culture.
I flew into Vaclav Havel airport about 30 minutes west of the city. There's a few options for you to get from the airport to the city centre but I would recommend hopping on the 119 bus to Nadrazi Veleslavin where you'll be able to jump straight onto Metro line A to the city. I stayed in the quirky Pentahotel in Karlin, a stones throw from the B and C Line Metro station Florenc.
TOP TIP: Buy a 3 day pass from the metro ticket office and it will cover you for the Tram and Metro!
Day One:
Head on the B Line Metro to Mustek where you'll exit into Wenceslas Square, part of the pretty New Town area of the city. If you travel back in time, 650 years, Wenceslas Square used to be a horse market, but since then, it's been renovated into the shopping area of the town. If you head down the modern 750m boulevard you'll see the entrance to the Prague State Opera house or alternatively, head to the top of the boulevard and you'll be able to experience the history of Prague at the National museum. In front of the National Museum, you'll see a statue of St. Wenceslas on his horse. This is the square's namesake, good King Wenceslas (Svaty Vaclav) himself, murdered a thousand years ago by his brother... the patron saint of the Czech Republic.
Once you've checked out the museum it's time to shop til you drop. You'll see a lot of familiar faces down the promenade, Next, Starbucks and Marks and Spencer hold shopfronts on this road. The only place I'd recommend is a quirky little bookshop, halfway down the road called Kanzelsberger - they had a wide variety of books, in different languages.
For a late lunch we went to Da Tarquinio an Italian bistro at the top of the promenade. All the food looked fantastic - they served everything from Spaghetti, to pizza and coffee to Aperol. I would have eaten there every day if there wasn't such a great foody vibe in Prague!
In the afternoon, we headed to the Church of Our Lady of the Snows (or in Czech... Kostel Panny Marie Snezne). The interior was absolutely stunning. This church was originally built to rival the size and stature of St Vitus Cathedral, however, it was never fully completed. In 1346, Pope Clement VI gave permission to the Carmelites in Prague to build a church with a bell tower and a house for twelve monks. In 1405, they had completed significant parts of the church but the build had to be abandoned in 1412 after advances in the Hussite movement resulted in an uprising looting and damaging the church, these lootings and riots continued throughout the 15th and 16th Century. It wasn't until 1606 that the church had a stroke of good luck... Francisco de Sousa, minister-general of the Franciscans, was travelling through Europe and saw the remains of the church and asked Emperor Rudolph II if he could restore the place. He naturally agreed. However in 1611, the 14 monks who lived there were brutally murdered by the troops of the Bishop of Passau. After being repaired and rebuilt in the Renaissance style you see today, the church and monastery were consecrated by Archbishop Harrach on the 4th May 1625.
For Dinner - I'd recommend heading round the corner to U Pinkasu Restaurant. They are a traditional Czech restaurant with recipes inherited from their great-great grandmothers. You've got to try the traditional goulash, which they serve with the best bread dumplings.
Day two:
Get the tram to Malostranske Namesti and grab a drink from Starbucks whilst waiting for the number 22 or 23 tram to take you up to Prague Castle (Prazsky Hrad). This Castle dates back to the 9th Century and has been the seat of power for the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors and more recently, the Presidents of Czechoslovakia. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are also hidden in a secret room somewhere within the Castle. Prague Castle is widely believed to be the largest ancient castle in the world, with an area of almost 7750,000 square feet. The castle attracts over 1.8 millioin visitors per year making it the most visited attraction in Prague.
There is not just the castle housed within these walls but it is also home to the Church of the Virgin mary, The Basilica of Saint George and the Basilica of St. Vitus amongst many bell towers. There is also a beautiful gardens to walk through.
Once you've taken in all that Hradcany neighbourhood has to offer, why not take a stroll through the forest and back down to Malostranska. You'll be able to walk straight down Mostecka street heading towards Karlov Most... Charles Bridge. Be sure to check out the queue in the McDonalds to your right, it's normally full of blokes drinking McDonalds Pilsner beer whilst the ladies spend some time (and money!) on the charming little souvenir shops and bakeries.
Once you've reached the Charles Bridge you'll see lots of creative street vendors trying to sell their wares, be careful though, they sell similar things at several stages of the bridge and it's *normally* cheaper to get them in the centre of the bridge. If you look out of the bridge from the left hand side you'll see the Castle that you've just come from whereas the right will show you the vast expanse of the River Vltava.
Once you're at the end of the bridge you'll need to cross the road and head off into the old town. Keep walking until you're in front of a chocolate shop and instead of continuing straight ahead with the rest of the world, sneak a left and visit Norbert's Donut shop and I promise you wont be disappointed.
Okay, once you've wiped the chocolate from around your mouth, work your way back to Karlova street and follow the crowd until you reach Staromestske Namesti or Old Town Square to me and you. You'll see the Astrological Clock on your left and be surrounded by al fresco dining. The Astrological Clock was being refurbished when I went (so I guess that means I'll have to go again another time eh?) but from what I've heard, its brilliant to catch the midday chimes.
For lunch, I promise you will have the tastiest food at Ristorante San Nicola on the far left of the square - top hospitality, top food and top location - you're facing the beautiful St Nicholas Church.
Once you've licked your plate clean, its time to re-hydrate yourself at the Beer Museum. A short 10 minutes walk through the old town's windy lanes and you'll be able to smell the brewery as you arrive. You'll get to look through both aspects of the museum: the history of beer in Prague and, the brewing process. Once you've wandered through the cave-like exhibitions you'll be greeted with your prize of four tasting beers. Don't forget to go to the gift shop where you'll be able to bottle your own beer and personalise the label.
Finally, it's dinner time! Head down towards the river and you'll find Restaurace Stoleti. This cosy, chic restaurant serves traditional food as well as specialising in vegetarian food... not that that mattered to me because I had the most delicious Roasted Duck Leg, Red Cabbage and Potato Dumplings
The final day... Day 3.
Get the metro to either Narodni Trida or Mustek, depending on where you're staying in the city. Once you've got off, head up towards Cafe Louvre on Narodni Trida - National Avenue. It's over a hundred years old and Einstein is even rumoured to have sat in its four walls whilst working at the Prague German university. Food-wise, you can either grab a Czech croissant and go or sit down and have a selection of sweet and savoury pancakes - or if you're me, grab a cheeky strudel and cuppa and be on my way. Once your belly has stopped rumbling, head outside and jump on a number 22, 23 or 41 tram across the Most Legii - Legions bridge. Stay on for two stops until you see Uzjed. Get off and continue walking up the hill until you see the sign for the Funicular. Your 3 day travel card is valid for this journey so there is no need to buy another one. Don't get off at the first stop up the hill, wait for it to get all the way to the top of the hill. Enjoy this sitting on your bum because in approximately 20-25 minutes you'll be wishing you could be! At the top of the hill is the Petrin look out tower.
You'll need to walk through the gardens to get to it's base and then you'll be able to see the 64 metre high tower. It was opened in 1891 and was loosely based on the Eiffel Tower design. It was originally built as part of the Jubilee Exhibition. It may have 299 stairs but you can stop halfway at a lower viewing tower before getting your breath back for the final push! I can say that the view at the top was totally worth getting exhausted for!
Once you're equally as astounded by the view, you get the rather more pleasant job of walking down the stairs instead! Instead of going back down in the funicular, why not walk through the forest to the Stefanikova Observatory and marvel in it's 3 domes and learn all about its history in the museum. Once you're back at Uzjed station, hop on the 12 tram heading south until Plzenka then head to the Ferry port and you can wizz across the river to Kovarovicova Vila to experience the Czech Cubism architecture and the beautiful gardens. You can then walk round to the Vysehrad - fortress, and exhibition to see more brilliant architecture and stand in awe of the beauty of the Saint Peter and Paul Basilica.
I have honestly had so much fun in Prague, I already cannot wait to go back!
