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Prague in the Czech Republic: An Insider's Guide to the City of 100 Towers

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Prague is a clear favorite among Danish travelers. The city is raw, romantic and really cozy. Here's what you need to see.
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Prague in the Czech Republic: An Insider's Guide to the City of 100 Towers is written by Natálie Hlaváčková.

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The city with the Charles Bridge and the 100 towers

There are so many sights in Prague that it can feel like you never run out of places to visit, because Prague is in a special class one of the finest cultural cities in all of Central and Eastern Europe.

Even as a local, I always come across something new when I revisit my hometown, which is known for both the Charles Bridge and the more than 100 towers, so here is an insider's guide to all the practicalities.

  • Prices: It costs to visit Prague
  • Sightseeing: Here are the most important experiences and sights in Prague
  • Transport: How to get around Prague
  • Food and drink: You must try these local dishes
  • Accommodation: Here you will spend the night in Prague, incl. which areas I would advise against

When there is so much to experience, it is important to choose the most important and get the most out of this beautiful city.

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A cheap city to travel to

Prague is a cheap city when you come with Danish kroner and exchange them for Czech kroner, as they are strangely called.

A hot dog or a beer can be had for 10 Danish kroner, and a large main course for 50 in a restaurant. You can find really good hotels from just DKK 350 per night at Booking.com og Momondo depending on the season and location of course.

It is also easy to work out how much it costs, because you just have to take the Czech price and divide by 3 to see what the price is in Danish kroner.

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Wenceslas Square in the heart of Prague

A good start to your journey in Prague is Wenceslas Square – or Václavské Náměstí in Czech. It is one of the city's most important squares, and it has several things to offer.

Here you will find the statue of the patron saint of the Czech Republic, Saint Wenceslas or Václav the Holy, after whom the square is named. The statue stands right in front of the National Museum, where you can always find several interesting exhibitions, and it is definitely worth a visit.

If you are more interested in shopping, this is also where you can find the Primark department store.

Wenceslas Square is, on the whole, a central part of Prague's historic heart.

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Sights in Prague: Old Town Hall Square

A place that you absolutely must not miss is the old town hall square. Here you can find one of Prague's main attractions, namely the Astronomical Clock Astronomical Clock.

If you time it right, you can see the twelve apostles appear in the two windows as the bell strikes. The clock sits on the Old Town Hall and you can go up to the top of the tower and see Prague from a different perspective.

Besides the astronomical clock, you can see many other interesting things in the square such as the Jan Hus monument, the Stone Bell House, the National Gallery in the Kinsky Palace and Pařížská street, which is known for luxury shops.

You can also visit churches in different architectural styles such as Our Lady's Church, Týn Church, where the astronomer Tycho Brahe is buried, and Saint Nicholas Church.

Charles Bridge holds Prague together

Everyone who visits Prague must experience the Charles Bridge, Charles Bridge.

Charles Bridge is one of the oldest and best preserved bridges in Prague and is decorated with countless fine sculptures that are said to bring good luck if touched.

On both sides of the bridge there is a distinctive tower, and for a few euros you can climb up and enjoy the view 138 steps up.

Charles Bridge divides the city into the new city and the old city. If you are in the old town, don't forget to visit the Klementinum, which is a unique baroque library.

If you are already in the new city, you can find the John Lennon wall, which is a tribute to the man himself and to The Beatles. And you'll also find the opulent Wallenstein Palace nearby.

The small town square

A third obvious place is the small town square, Malé Náměsti. It's a small square that you'll probably run into no matter what, because it's close to the other attractions.

In addition to many historic buildings and palaces, you can see one of the most beautiful baroque churches, also called Sankt Nikolaj Kirke, like the church on the town hall square, and it is definitely worth a visit.

The square is close to Prague Castle, and here is a beautiful street full of various monuments and restaurants of all kinds. You can even have a medieval dining experience in the medieval surroundings.

Prague Castle and day trips from Prague

The most important place to visit for experiences and sights in Prague is of course the famous castle. Prague Castle is the residence of the President of the Czech Republic and one of the main attractions in Prague.

You can enter the castle for free, but if you really want to explore it all, I advise you to buy a ticket, which also allows you to enter St. Vitus Cathedral, Guldstræde, St. George's Basilica and the gardens that belong the castle.

The St. Vitus Cathedral in particular is one must see attraction in Prague, and many important personalities from the Czech Republic are buried there; including the most famous: Emperor Charles IV, after whom the Charles Bridge is named.

While you're here anyway, you can walk from the castle to Petřín Park and visit Prague's Little Eiffel Tower, Petrinska Rozhledna, which with its 65 meters is a beautiful little sister to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. You can also take a trip in the mirror maze.

If you have more time, I would recommend visiting the Prague Zoo, which is one of the best zoos in the world.

Right next to it is also the Troja Palace with its beautiful gardens. You can also take a longer tour to see the Vyšehrad Castle, one of the first settlements in Prague that has been inhabited for more than 1000 years.

There are also plenty of obvious ones day trips in the Czech Republic from Prague, among other things to national parks, breweries and cozy towns, e.g. the unique national park Bohemian Switzerland, National Park Czech Switzerland.

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Culinary experiences in Prague

When you visit Prague, you must of course try the local cuisine.

The traditional meals are usually quite heavy in the stomach, so remember to drink a glass of beer to help the food along. Also, beer is usually cheaper than water, so there is even money to be saved.

Some of the local Czech dishes you can try are:

  • Svíčková (beef in cream sauce with root vegetables and bread balls)
  • Uzené knedlíky (potato dumplings filled with beef and fried onions)
  • Vepøo, knedlo, zelo (fried pork with dumplings and sauerkraut)
  • Rajská (tomato soup, served with bread balls or pasta and beef)
  • Smažený sýr/ smažák (fried cheese served with fries and tartar sauce)
  • Vepřové koleno (fried pork shank)

The Czech Republic also loves to eat sweets, so if you want to try it, I can recommend sinking your teeth into these dishes:

  • Ovocné knedlíky (sweet dumplings filled with fruit such as apricots, plums or strawberries)
  • Buchtičky se šodo (small sweet buns with vanilla sauce)

My personal favorite is definitely svíčková, which you can find in almost every Czech restaurant, and I would recommend the restaurants U Pinkasů and U Medvídků, where they also serve pretty good Czech beer.

If you're in a hurry, try something traditional street food, which you can find everywhere in the main squares and local markets.

I would recommend you to try the bramborák, which is a fried potato pancake with garlic, because it just tastes good. Another tasty snack is langoš, which is a fried dough pancake with cheese, ketchup and garlic.

Don't miss trdelník, a type of Czech shortbread cake. If you want to try something different, it is obvious to visit the Manifesto food market.

Experiences in Prague: How to get around

The old part of Prague is easy to explore on foot, and in some places in the inner city, such as around the Charles Bridge, it is even the only way to get around.

Prague also has a pretty good public transport system: there are buses, trams, metro and even a cable car. I would recommend using the metro or trams, as the buses are often stuck in traffic.

Tickets are quite cheap and you can buy them at metro stations, on the buses or at kiosks. You can also download the Lítačka app, where you can buy and activate your ticket. It corresponds to our own Travel Plan, only with the option to also buy a ticket at the same time, so you can use the Lítačka app to find your way around Prague.

There are four types of tickets for adults 30 minutes for 30 Czech crowns (CZK), 90 minutes for 40 CZK, 24 hours for 120 CZK or 72 hours for 330 CZK. So for 100 Danish kroner you can ride freely in public transport in the city for 3 days. Also, don't forget to buy an extra ticket if you are traveling with large luggage or an animal, where the extra price is 20 CZK and lasts for 6 hours.

If you are not a fan of public transportation, you can use Uber and Bolt, which offer fast taxi services at reasonable prices. You can also use both services to get from the airport to the city. Download the app before you come to Prague.

In general, the regular taxi services are relatively expensive, so it is most popular to use other means of transport.

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Where are you going to spend the night? Best and cheapest accommodation options in the Czech Republic

The best places to live in Prague, if you want to have everything close, are of course in the center.

It is obvious to live by Wenceslas Square or Republic Square, Republic square, where you also have connections to trams, metro and buses.

Another great central location is lively Újezd ​​by Petřín Park.

If you are looking for cheaper accommodation, you can look in the area of ​​Jiřího z Poděbrad or Náměstí Míru, both of which are within walking distance of 2-3 kilometers from the old town.

On the other hand, I would recommend avoiding places around Žižkov, Smíchov and Palmovka, which are not so nice areas.

See much more about traveling in Prague and the Czech Republic here

Have a good trip and enjoy the many wonderful experiences and sights in Prague!

About the author

Natálie Hlaváčková

Natalie is originally from Prague and moved to Copenhagen 3 years ago in connection with her studies and her passion for Scandinavia. She has been to most countries in Europe and her favorites are France and Greece. A few years ago, she fulfilled her dream of visiting New York and traveling around the United States as an exchange student. Now her new dream is to explore the 'land of fire and ice' - Iceland. When Natalie does not have the opportunity to travel abroad, she likes to spend time exploring the beauty of Denmark on her motorcycle and spend time with her friends and loved ones on adventurous activities.

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