Visiting Prague

Prague - according to many people - is probably the most beautiful city in Europe. For me, it is a beautiful destination full of history and sights that will be deeply engraved in your memory. If you decide to go to Prague, read this article carefully to know where to go, what to see and what to expect

Introduction

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is built on the banks of the Vltava River and has a population of about 1.2m inhabitants. Since 1992, its historical centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

How to get there

In the pre-Covid-19 era, Aegean Airlines flew to and from Prague every day. Hopefully this status will be restored once the pandemic situation normalises. However, in winter 2020-21 a flight schedule is available which says that services to/from the Czech capital stop at the end of the holiday season and restart in March. The start of March finds Aegean flying to Václav Havel International Prague Airport three times/week (Tue-Sat), while from April the routes become five.

In any case, even if you have a travel reservation in hand, I recommend contacting Aegean Airlines (or whichever alternative airline you have chosen) several days before you want to make the trip. This needs to be done both to confirm that the booking is valid and that the departure date & time has not been changed, and to find out what you need to have in order to travel (PLF, negative Covid-19 test and/or something else). More information around Aegean Airlines on World Travel Stories can be found here.

In addition to Aegean Airlines, and if their flights don't work for you, you can also get to Prague with a connection to any city in southern and central Europe, traveling with carriers from those countries.

From the airport to the city

Getting from the airport to the city (or vice versa) is taken care of by express long-distance buses. They run in about 30 minutes, making only one stop en route. The services run from early morning until late afternoon and with a frequency of about 1/hour. The ticket cost is 5€/person return. Information here. Alternatively, you can also make the trip with the Airport Express buses in about 25 minutes. Services are frequent and you can use them from 5.30am to 10pm. Other option is to take the

Prague Airport Taxi to the city center.

Prague and Public Transport

Public transport will cover all your mobility needs within the city, if you decide not to walk or if you get tired at some point. More specifically, Prague has a fairly extensive network of buses (both long-distance and intercity) and trams, as well as three metro lines through which you can move practically anywhere you want. The daily cost of unlimited use of all these means of transport is 110 CZK (Czech Crowns), which is equivalent to approximately 4.2€. Detailed information can be found here.

Where to stay

Prague may not be a huge city, but it offers many accommodation solutions and for all budgets. A good search on booking.com is sure to give you plenty to study and choose from. If you want an excellent value for money option, I recommend the Sheraton Charles Square. I stayed at this during my most recent visit to Prague in September 2018 and my impressions are very good.

Prague Castle

Prague Castle is located at the top of Hra?ani Hill. Its history goes back to the 9th to 10th century AD. Within its walls are housed some of the most important monuments and attractions in Prague. It is home to the Cathedral of St. Vitus, St. George's Basilica, the old palace and the Golden Alley (a series of small colourful shops that originally served as a place of hospitality for the palace guards and now sell tourist items and local sweets).

From Prague Castle you can take excellent panoramic photos of the city. If you are lucky enough to get to the Castle before 1pm, you will also catch the changing of the guard that takes place there. The Castle is open to visitors. With different opening and closing times per individual site, but with a common ticket. The relevant cost is 250CZK (Czech Crowns) or about 10€.

St Vitus Cathedral

The Cathedral of St Vitus (Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Vegeslau and Adalbert as is the full name), dominates the Hra?ani Hill in Prague. It is the most important national monument of the Czech Republic. It is the largest Christian church in the Czech Republic and is also the seat of the Archbishop in Prague.

St. Vitus is in Gothic style and in its grounds you will admire some of the most beautiful stained glass and ecclesiastical elements you have ever seen. It is worth climbing to the top of the central tower for a magnificent view of Prague from 97m. The church is of course open to visitors as part of the wider Prague Castle package, with the cost for the package being 250CZK (Czech Crowns) or around €10.

Prague Old Town

Prague has a beautiful old town (Staré Mesto in Czech)! Filled with dozens of streets, alleys and sidewalks - both larger and smaller. The centre of the old town is its wonderful central square. It is dominated by the tower of the old town hall with its astronomical clock and the church of Our Lady of Tyn.

Prague, Old Town Square

The clock is functional and comes to life once an hour with figures of the Apostles parading from the facade of the tower that houses it. It is a faithful copy of the original which was destroyed during the Second World War. The old town hall and its tower are open to visitors, offering access to exhibits such as the clock and the figures of the Apostles. You also learn information about the town and its history, and can enjoy a great view of the surrounding area from the top of the tower (which you can get to by elevator).

Prague - the astronomical clock

Opposite the Astronomical Clock Tower you will admire the magnificent church of Our Lady of Tyn. It is Gothic style with twin spires and built in the 14th century. Entrance is free.

The church of Agios Nikolaos

On the way to the castle, you will come across the impressive church of Agios Nikolaos. It is baroque in style and was built between 1704 and 1755. Among other things, the church is home to an impressive organ which was used by V. A. Mozart during his stay in the city (it is the same organ that was used 4 years later in the memorial service in honor of the great composer). A ticket of 70 CZK is required to enter the church.

Wenceslas Square

Wenceslas Square - along with the surrounding streets - is the commercial centre of the city, filled with dozens of shops, restaurants, bars and cinemas. All kinds of public gatherings, demonstrations, events of political parties and institutions, marches and parades take place in this square. On the balcony of the building at number 36 of the square, Havel and Dup?ek (protagonists of the Velvet Revolution of 1989) greeted the people of Prague immediately after the fall of the Communist regime. Finally, let me tell you that at the base of the statue of the equestrian St. Wenceslas (at the top of the square) there is a plaque commemorating the victims of the regime.

The Jewish quarter of Yosefov

Located between the old town and the river. It offers a pleasant walk and in its streets you will find the Jewish Museum of Prague, the Michael Synagogue, the Old New Synagogue, the Spanish Synagogue, the Pinka Synagogue and the Jubilee Synagogue (the largest in Prague). The old Jewish cemetery is also worth exploring.

The Strahov Library

The Strahov Library is over 800 years old and is located in the grounds of the monastery of the same name. And it is one of the most shocking buildings one can see in a lifetime. It is housed in high-ceilinged halls with Baroque-style ceiling frescoes. It contains over 130,000 books, of which over 2,500 were published before 1500. It also houses some 3,300 manuscripts. The oldest book in the library is Strauchoff's Gospel, which dates back to the 9th century.

Rudolfinum

The Rudolfinum is one of the most important - from an architectural point of view - buildings in Prague. It is located on the banks of the Moldava River, near the Jewish Quarter. It has been operating continuously since 1885 as a music and art venue. Today it is the seat of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, but it also functions as an art gallery. The venue hosts performances and music recitals.

Franz Kafka

The great writer Franz Kafka was born and lived almost his entire life in Prague. So if you want to get a feel for it, here is the house where he was born and here is the Franz Kafka museum. Finally, very close to the Old New Synagogue you will see the statue of the writer. His grave is located in the New Jewish Cemetery of the city.

Useful Information

Currency: The national currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech Koruna (CZK). One euro is equal to - approximately - 26CZK. Try not to change money at the airport - both in Athens and Prague - but prefer an exchange office or bank in order to get a better exchange rate.

Travel documents: In Prague, you simply travel with your identity card.

Language: the official language of the country is Czech, but you should have little trouble communicating in English.

Mobile phones: The Czech Republic is an EU country, so feel free to use your provider's minutes/sms/Mb plan - and without roaming charges.

Walking around town: Regardless of the time of year you go to Prague, I take it for granted that you'll be walking a lot to a lot. So comfortable sneakers are a must.

Weather & Visit: Prague has a dry climate with very cold winters and fairly warm summers. The ideal times to visit are the April-May and September-October months.

Beer: The Czech Republic is a huge school of thought when it comes to the production of various types of beer. In hundreds of villages and towns there is local beer production. There are hundreds of towns and villages in hundreds of villages and villages, so if you stop somewhere for beer, try some.

Nas Diroo writes books about Travel. His books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. He is a New York Times and a USA Today Bestseller.