Prague is so pretty!
Once in the city I easily found my hotel which was located on the border of the Old and New Town. I decided to head out for the afternoon and found I was only a 10-minute walk along the river from the Old Town and Charles Bridge. Prague is a very compact city so it does not matter too much where you stay, it’s a very easy city to explore on foot.
The Old Town is an interesting maze of old cobbled streets, very busy especially in the evening and a magnet for tourists. It’s great to wander the pretty streets while discovering interesting shops selling local wares such as beautiful crystal, marionette puppets and lots of cake! Cake is big business in Prague and a popular pastime is to enjoy coffee and cake in one of the beautiful Art Deco coffee shops around the city and watch the world go by. There are also a number of beautiful churches in the city which host classical music events in the evenings which are very popular.
Charles Bridge is very beautiful, and visitors and locals stroll back and forth and enjoy the wonderful views from here, which include dozens of white swans which live on the river banks. The bridge itself is medieval and has 30 Baroque statues along its length. It connects the Old Town with the Lesser Town or Mala Strana which is a lovely area full of colourful historic buildings and traditional shops. Also on this side of the city is Prague Castle and Cathedral which are located at the top of the hill, providing wonderful views of the Old Town and well worth a visit. This side of the river is a little quieter but still very convenient for getting around and I decided it was probably my favourite area. Lesser Town is also the location for the famous John Lennon painted wall which was set up as a protest against war and is popular with visitors today.
Prague still has beautiful old trams in service so if you start to feel weary from all the sightseeing you can hop on and take a ride and enjoy this more traditional way to get around. They are inexpensive to use and a ticket will cover you for the tram, bus or metro.
A visit to Prague must include trying the hearty food, goulash, roast pork and dumplings and the fried cheese, which is very popular with vegetarians! On chilly days you will have no problem finding hot or mulled wine to warm you up and in the evenings the bars are popular for their beer which is great value.
Prague is an incredibly beautiful, romantic city and makes a great short break, so if you only have two or three nights that should be enough to get a feel for the city and enjoy the main sights. Cold and snowy in winter and warm and sunny in summer, any time is a great time to visit.
TOP TIPS
- Take flat comfortable shoes, the cobbled streets are pretty but tiring for feet! - Try the local food its very tasty - Join a walking tour and find out more about the local history - In love? Take a padlock with you to attach to the railings by the river - its good luck!