Ekaterina Baklanova has been living in Prague for almost two years and during this time she managed to fall in love with the Czech capital. In the article she talks about interesting places, the best pubs and restaurants, free observation decks with beautiful views. The only thing you won’t find is hackneyed recommendations that bloggers and guidebooks reprint from each other.
Interesting excursions from local residents in Prague
The tourist season in Prague lasts all year round: in January-February there are fewer tourists, but this is a temporary respite – from March the center becomes crowded again. The ideal time for a trip is April, when cherry blossoms and magnolias bloom, and September, with its comfortable temperature for long walks and rare rains.
Where to stay
Areas that are close to attractions: Smichov (Prague 5), Malá Strana (Prague 1) and Královské Vinohrady (Prague 3). This is a “quiet center” where you can stay in a house from the early 20th century and admire the sights from the window in the morning. I don’t recommend the vicinity of Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square – dozens of entertainment establishments are open there until late, and you can’t hope for silence.
Hotels:
2* hotel The Republic Garden – accommodation from 651 rubles/day; 3* hotel Bed&Books Art Hotel – accommodation from 2020 rubles/day; 3* hotel Residence Vysta – accommodation from 2211 rubles/day; 4* hotel Merchant’s Avenue Residence – accommodation from 2546 rubles/day; 4* hotel Deminka Palace – accommodation from 2680 rubles/day; 5* hotel Occidental Praha Wilson – accommodation from 6115 rubles/day; 5* hotel La Ballerina Hotel – accommodation from 6366 rubles/day;
Before your trip, download and install the IDOS application on your phone (requires an Internet connection) or HERE WeGo (works offline) – that’s it, now it won’t be difficult to plot any route. Transport in Prague operates almost around the clock and runs on schedule, so you won’t have to spend money on a taxi. Just buy a pass or stock up on tickets in advance – it can be difficult to get them outside the center. Tickets are sold in vending machines at metro stations, ground transport stops and new trams, at ticket offices at some metro stations (for example, Hlavní nádraží), information centers at metro stations and at the airport, shops and stalls with press and tobacco products (they are called Trafika). Owners of SIM cards from Czech operators can buy tickets by sending an SMS with the text DPT24 (for 30 minutes for 24 CZK) or DPT32 (for 90 minutes for 32 CZK) to the short number 90206 (this can also be done through the IDOS application).
Where to eat and drink
The tasks of “eating deliciously” and “drinking good beer” in Prague are rarely solved in one establishment – in most good Czech restaurants they only serve Staropramen, which connoisseurs do not consider beer. Therefore, I will tell you about each point separately.
- Breakfast.I recommend starting the day at Café Savoy in Mala Strana (Vítězná 124/5). In addition to a delicious continental breakfast for 198 CZK (about 8 euros), The interior here is very pleasant: crystal chandeliers, white tablecloths, helpful waiters in uniform.
- For lunch and dinner I recommend choosing one of the establishments that serve Czech cuisine. The food is good in the restaurants of the Kolkovna and Potrefená husa chains, which are located in different parts of Prague. Here you can try the same boar’s knee (pork knuckle), goulash or svichkova (beef in cream sauce with lingonberry jam and dumplings). The second course costs on average 200-250 CZK (8-10 euros), the same amount you will pay for a knee weighing a little more than a kilogram.
- If you want not only bread, but also circuses, go to one of two places called Výtopna. Here, drinks are not brought to guests by waiters, but by toy trains that run between the kitchen and the hall. One restaurant is located in the Palladium shopping center (Náměstí Republiky 1), the second is on Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí 56). It is better to book a table for the evening in advance.
- Those who wish can taste the famous Czech beer two options: tourist bars and establishments “for your own people”. The advantages of the former: waiters in such establishments often speak several languages, including Russian. There are also a lot of disadvantages: everything is streamlined, service is often lame. From this category I can recommend three establishments that are still holding their own: U Tri Ruzi (Husova 10/232), Klášterní šenk at the Brevnevsky Monastery (Markétská 1) and Klášterní pivovar Strahov at the Strahov Monastery (Strahovské nádvoří 301/10). In the first place there are most often places, in the second and third I recommend reserving a table.
If you want something authentic, get ready to explain yourself in English (or on your fingers, depending on your luck) and write down your appearances: Dva kohouti (Sokolovská 81/55), Loď (Dvořákovo nábřeží, Štefánikův most) and Permanent Beer Fest (Kolbenova 923, Areál Pragovka – from March to September). - Bonus for those with a sweet tooth – delicious Italian ice cream is sold in Angelato (Újezd 425/24) opposite the lower funicular station to Petřín. How about hot pepper or nettle flavored ice cream?
What to do and see in Prague, in addition to the main attractions
Walk through the city parks. In the summer season – from April to October – the Wallenstein Garden (Letenská 123/4) is beautiful, where peacocks walk along the paths, goldfish frolic in the pond, and orchestras perform classical music. Here is the palace where the Czech Senate meets; on weekends and holidays it is open to visitors. For those arriving in April, I recommend checking out the Vojanov Gardens (U Lužického semináře), where very photogenic magnolias bloom.
Take a ride on a retro tram.From the end of March to mid-November, tram number 41 runs through the historical center on weekends and holidays. It took its first voyage in the 1920s and witnessed many key events in Czech history. It failed more than once and was restored. In 2000, they decided to turn it into a tourist attraction – this is how a red tram appeared on the streets of Prague, consisting of two authentic cars with wooden trim, accompanied by an elderly conductor in an old uniform.
See the city from above and for free. There is no need to pay for entrance to the popular lookout points – the best point is available to everyone. It is located in the Letensky Gardens, next to the Hanavský pavilon restaurant – from here there is a beautiful view of the bridges over the Vltava and the historical quarters on both its banks. Another good option is Riegrovy sady, where, in good weather, Prague residents and tourists gather to admire Prague Castle in the rays of the setting sun.
Find as many works by David Cerny as possible. He is called “the main hooligan of Europe” for his sculptures that provoke society and the authorities, and his scandalous antics, for which he had to be detained by the police more than once. Many people have heard about faceless babies crawling around Kampa Island. There are also lesser-known sculptures: “pissing boys”, which write messages on the water with streams (Cihelná street, courtyard of the Kafka Museum), a man hanging above the street, which from a distance looks terribly realistic (Husova Street), King Wenceslas sitting on an upside-down horse (Štěpánská 61, Lucerna passage), an eleven-meter head of Franz Kafka, which is composed of constantly moving parts (Charvátova street, courtyard of the Quadrio shopping center). By the way, Cherny participated in the development of the concept of the recently opened Cyberdog bar (Seydlerova ulice), where there are no waiters or bartenders: the order is placed through the app, and drinks are poured by a robotic hand.
Photo: Facebook.com/KralovstviZeleznic
Enter the interactive railway museum. In the Smíchov district is the Kingdom of Railways (Stroupežnického 23), a two-level museum with the largest interactive model railway in the country. The canvas is part of a miniature copy of the Czech Republic, where life is in full swing, the course of which can be influenced by pressing buttons: to set trains and cars, trams and subways in motion. Day turns to night every 20 minutes.
Taste wine in the Botanical Garden (Trojská 800/196). Located on the territory of Vinoteka sv. Klára is open all year round and offers locally produced wines by the glass or in bottles. From the open terrace you can see Troja Castle and Prague quarters: it is especially beautiful in autumn, when the vineyards turn golden. In August-September, tastings with the participation of sommeliers are usually held, announcements of which are published on the Botanicka Garden website (www.botanicka.cz).
Check out the farmers market. Prague residents go to markets not so much to shop as to have fun: socialize, listen to music, drink beer or mulled wine, and eat something tasty. My favorite market is every Saturday from February to December on the Vltava embankment, between the Palacky Bridge and the railway bridge. If you find a red burger stand there, grab it without hesitation. Only 140 CZK (5.5 euros), and in taste it beats the products of expensive restaurants.
Photo : depositphotos.com
Visit the surrounding castles. I recommend starting with Karlštejn, the only castle in the Czech Republic that has never been captured. Built by order of Charles IV, it served as the ruler’s summer residence and was a treasury. To get inside, you will have to overcome a rather steep climb – those who are afraid of not being able to cope can ride on horse-drawn carriages. An alternative option is Konopiste in the town of Benesov. Its most famous owner was Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination sparked the First World War. There is a huge park around the castle, where deer, hares and peacocks live, and the Stará myslivna restaurant (Konopiště 2) is located nearby. specializing in game dishes.
You can get to both castles by train – the schedule can be found on the website www.cd.cz. Retro steam locomotives also travel to Karlštejn several times a year, the schedule of which can be found on the website http://parnijizdy.cz .
Visit microbreweries with tastings located outside of Prague. I recommend Pivovar Únětice (Rýznerova 5, Únětice), Němý Medvěd (nám. Míru 27, Mělník) and Berounský medvěd (Tyršova 135, Beroun), any of them can be reached by public transport. You can try the products of those breweries that you can’t get to at one of the festivals. For example, at Žižkovské pivobraní in Parukářka Park, which takes place in early June (you can find the current dates on the website www.parukarka.cz or news portals).
