Prague, or Praha, has a well-deserved reputation as one of Europe’s best cities to visit. Rivalling the likes of Paris and Vienna, the ‘City of a Thousand Spires’ attracts millions of visitors every year. The alluring medieval old town, the famous terracotta rooftops, and – yes – some of the best beer you’ll find anywhere in the world entice travellers to discover the city. In December, the Prague Christmas Markets also prove a huge draw.
Prague had so far eluded us in the five years or so that we’ve been travelling together. However, we finally took the plunge when planning our Christmas market trip. This is an annual ritual to get us into the festive spirit! We hoped that we’d avoid the bulk of the crowds which squeeze into Prague during the summer holidays, whilst getting our fix of mulled wine and market food.
It’s safe to say that Prague served up a treat on all fronts. The long weekend went by in a flash. Any doubts that the infamous tsunami of tourists would take away from the magic were quickly dispelled. We’re already planning our next explore of the Czech Republic. In the meantime, here are our thoughts and tips from our long weekend in Prague.
Day 1 – Cute Cafes and Exploring Prague at Night
Our flight times could hardly have worked out better. An early start and an excellent flight with Jet2 saw us land in Prague just after 10am. For anyone running on a strict annual leave budget, having almost a full day to explore when you arrive means you can feel like your holiday allowance is going that little bit further!
Getting from Prague Airport to the City Center
The trip had an inauspicious start when we decided to save cash by taking public transport into the city centre. The alternative would have been opting for an expensive taxi or shuttle bus.
For just over £1, you can get the 119 bus straight from the airport terminal to Nádraží Veleslavín metro station. Here you will transfer onto the A (green) line and straight into the middle of town. The journey should take around 45 minutes.
You need to buy your tickets and validate them before boarding the bus. The good news is that there are plenty of ticket machines around to use! The bad news for us was that half of them were broken, and the other half only accepted cash – despite having card readers.
We hadn’t accounted for needing cash so soon and needed to find an ATM. Once this happens in an airport, you’re pretty much a captive audience. We prayed that the ATM providers had opted to take mercy on hapless new arrivals to their country. Unfortunately, there was to be no such generosity in Prague airport. They charged us nearly £8 to withdraw £25 of currency! Easily the most ridiculous markup of anywhere we’ve been so far!
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First impressions of Prague
Ah well, onwards and upwards – the journey into the centre was fine. We’d cast aside any memories of the world’s worst ATM by the time we stepped out onto the cobbled streets of Prague’s stunning old town. For a first-timer in the city, it’s almost overwhelming. There is history and beauty everywhere you look. It all intertwines with an uncanny number of mini-markets advertising absinthe and cannabis products (tip: they’re probably all fake).
It’s not only Prague’s medieval history that the savvy visitor should look out for. Having spent many long decades hidden behind the Iron Curtain, there are also plenty of subtle communist motifs to be spotted, which almost serve to accentuate the more traditionally beautiful buildings for which Prague is famous.
Searching for lunch in Prague
After wandering around with our rucksacks for a couple of hours, exploring the streets without too much of a plan or aim, it was time to search for a lunch spot. Unfortunately, most places we walked past were rammed full, even at lunch. This was not ideal with big bags, even if they could have squeezed us in.
Thankfully, we stumbled across the inconspicuous-looking Cafe No. 3 on a quiet street corner. With just four tables, intimate doesn’t quite describe the atmosphere here! However, there was plenty of room to store our bags in the corner, and we enjoyed some excellent coffee and food from their simple but delicious lunch menu. We highly recommend it if you’re after a pit stop and a change of pace in the Old Town.
Walking across the Charles Bridge
Hunger and thirst abated, it was time for another quick wander before heading to check in to our apartment and finally drop our rucksacks. This time, we headed across the Vltava River towards Prague’s ‘Lesser Town’ on the foothills of the imposing Prague Castle. Deciding to leave the serious exploration here until later, we skirted along the riverfront towards the Charles Bridge. This is probably the most iconic structure in the Czech capital and certainly one of the most famous in Europe.
Usually, all eyes would be firmly fixed on this symbol of Prague – indeed they were, until Matt spotted a small stretch of riverbank covered in hundreds of swans and ducks. Cue great excitement and plenty of photographs. After what must have felt to Lucy like several hours, we finally moved on and headed back across the Charles Bridge towards our accommodation.
By the time we’d arrived and checked in at our apartment (the excellent Krakovksa Terraces), our walking route had taken us straight across the crowded Charles Bridge, the stunning Old Town Square, and the vast Wenceslas Square. Not bad for a few hours exploring!
A night walking tour of Prague’s best sights
We weren’t quite done with the walking yet! We’d been booked onto a night walking tour thanks to Klook, which helps travellers like us find and book experiences across the world at the click of a button.
The Prague Night Walking Tour was a great introduction to the city, and we were lucky enough to be the only ones booked onto the tour that evening. This meant we had our guide, Petra, to ourselves! Meeting just underneath the statue of King Charles IV, at the entrance to the eponymous Charles Bridge, Petra asked what we wanted to discover and promptly tailored the tour to help us get the most out of it. She took us across the Charles Bridge and through the winding streets of the Lesser Town before heading up to Prague Castle.
Prague Castle at Night
Heading up to Prague castle meant that it was well worth booking onto the tour, as the evening is, without doubt, the best time to visit. During the day, you can barely move for the thousands of tourists who pour in from coaches and off cruises. However, at night, it’s comparatively deserted, and we felt like we had the place to ourselves.
As well as getting a general understanding of the history of Prague, our small group size also gave us the chance to ask Petra her thoughts on living like a local here. This ranged from the best hidden summertime bars to her thoughts on the Lime & Bolt scooters which have sprung up all over the city (and, indeed, the world!) over the last couple of years!
After a couple of hours, we headed back across the river and made our way to the Old Town Square, where we waved goodbye to Petra and set off in search of Christmas Market food! A few sausages later, and it was time to call it a day. There was plenty to still explore in Prague, but our wanders and the bonus of an excellent walking tour meant that we’d had a great introduction to this beautiful city.
Day 2 – More of the Prague Christmas Markets, and Hitting the Water!
After demolishing breakfast in our apartment (we’d done a big supermarket shop the day before!), we headed back out to explore more of the Prague Christmas markets in daylight. They are dotted all over the city.
From the most touristy (and busiest and most expensive!) in Old Town Square, there are also smaller local markets a short tram journey away. The Christmas markets in Prague follow the tried and tested model of most throughout Europe. An enticing collection of artisan goods, Christmas decorations, and produce stalls mixed in with the constantly popular food and hot drink stands attracts locals and tourists by the thousands. Wrapping up warm with a mulled wine and a group of friends is, without a doubt, one of the best things about Christmas!
Eating and Drinking at Prague’s Christmas Markets
We’d always spent Christmas market trips in Germany up until now. A couple of things were different across the border in the Czech Republic. Firstly, one of the best things about German Christmas markets is the fantastic selection of mulled wine mugs. These are typically personalised based on the town you’re in (and, often, the year of the market), and so make a great souvenir. Sadly, the mulled wine in Prague was always served in plastic or polystyrene cups at all the Christmas Markets we went to. Apart from anything else, this didn’t seem like the most environmentally friendly option!
Secondly, the food in Prague’s markets. Although it was arguably more varied than the classic selections of sausages, steak and potatoes in Germany – it was noticeably more expensive. There was good reason for this, as much of it was served by weight. Charging nearly £5 per 100g meant that you could easily spend the best part of a fiver on three chunky garlic mushrooms. Not exactly value for money! Nonetheless, the food was delicious. However, it would certainly set you back if you were relying on it for your main meal of the day!
Setting sail on a Prague River Cruise
Having cleared our bank accounts for a handful of stewed mushrooms, it was on to the day’s main event. We took an afternoon cruise down the river, which gave us a unique perspective on Prague from the warm comfort of a covered barge.
This was one of the highlights of the weekend. The boat served a wide selection of food and drink, and you could sip your mulled wine or beer whilst watching the Charles Bridge statues wave you off into the distance. Tourist boats can often be a bit hit-and-miss, but Prague is one place where you shouldn’t pass up the chance to get out onto the water. As with the night walking tour, the 2-hour Prague cruise can be easily booked via Klook. The boats they use are first-class compared to some we saw out on the water. Ours even did a little ‘pirouette’ by the Charles Bridge to let everyone take the best photos.
Once back on dry land, we headed back into the throng of Prague’s Old Town and towards the Christmas Markets. Then, it was time to get lost among the streets of the old Jewish Quarter and battle the crowds once more on the Charles Bridge before heading back to the apartment to cook up another dinner and plan the next day.
Day 3 – Crowded Castles
Having spent the first couple of days getting acquainted with Prague and its many Christmas markets, it was time to start getting cultural on our last full day. The plan was to jump on a tram up to Prague Castle and explore some of the buildings around the complex. Then we would head back down into town and spend the afternoon in the museums dotted throughout the Jewish Quarter.
We were fully aware that Prague Castle would be busy. However, we hadn’t quite appreciated just how long the queues would be, even early in the morning! It couldn’t have been a bigger contrast to our seemingly exclusive wander around on the night tour a couple of days prior.
Prague Castle Queues
We emerged from our tram to find two huge queues snaking their way out into the streets. In addition, every visitor to the castle needs to go through airport-style security, including bag checks. This means that the wait to get in can be tedious.
The castle complex is similar to the likes of the Kremlin, housing a myriad of museums and ticketed buildings within its walls. If it’s these attractions which you’re hoping to visit, then it’s worth your time queuing up. If, however, you just want to wander around the grounds, then we’d strongly recommend you wait until after 6pm. This is when the ticketed attractions close, and the crowds evaporate. You can even walk down the famous Golden Lane, a picture-postcard street of impossibly tiny houses, which is a paid attraction during the day, for free.
Splashing out on a combi-ticket
We bought a combi-ticket which got us entry to the stunningly beautiful St. Vitus Cathedral, as well as Golden Lane and a couple of other chapels and halls. Even in the less-popular winter season, each place was heaving with people. Unfortunately, many tourists seemed to need to take lessons in respecting the place you’re in. For example, the number of tourists who took their hats off as requested at the entrance to the cathedral before putting them back on 5 seconds later as they joined the mosh-pit of selfie sticks and bizarre poses at the viewpoint looking down the length of the building was ridiculous.
Putting aside the worst aspects of mass tourism, the combi-ticket for the cathedral, palace, basilica, and Golden Lane was a good pick. We also opted to pay an extra £6 to head up the cathedral tower. This was well worth it, with excellent views over the castle complex and the rest of Prague from the top.
Discovering Prague’s Jewish Quarter
The next stop after the castle was the Jewish Quarter. Here another combi-ticket can get you access to a mix of synagogues and museums, as well as the Old Jewish cemetery. After visiting a few of these, you’ll have a real sense of the ancient, fascinating and – all too often – troubled history of the Jewish population in Prague. Particularly poignant is the Jewish cemetery. Over 100,000 are buried in an almost impossibly small space, with thousands of gravestones crammed in alongside each other. The Holocaust memorial in the Pinkas Synagogue, which contains a harrowing collection of children’s drawings from the Terezin Ghetto, is another key part of the complex. Important, and not to be missed.
Once we’d left the Jewish Quarter, a quick hop on the metro took us back to Wenceslas Square. Here we had a dinner reservation nearby at a restaurant where duck and goose was the speciality. Husinec is a cosy collection of caverns that serves great Czech food at reasonable prices. It even has its own beer tanks so that you can wash down your grub with an excellent glass of Czech pilsner. Between the goose, camembert, pork knuckle, and beer piled onto our table, our walk home was transformed into a waddle.
Day 4 – Trams and Travels
Having spent most of our time so far in awe of the very centre of Prague – exploring bridges, rivers, alleyways and castles – it was time to branch out. Prague’s tram network is incredibly straightforward to navigate. In addition, the ‘PID Litacka’ app is the perfect place to buy your tickets without having to queue at the machines!
We bought ourselves a day ticket and went exploring, hopping on and off whenever we fancied. It’s a great way to see bits of the city that you might otherwise have ignored. It’s also a chance to discover restaurants and cafes which are more in line with the ‘local’ prices in the Czech Republic! You’ll also find more of Prague’s local Christmas Markets to explore at this time of year. Note: if you opt for a paper ticket from the machine, make sure you validate it – they do regularly check in Prague!
After exhausting the Prague tram network, we were getting close to needing to head over to the airport to begin our journey back to the UK. However, there was still time for one last trip to Charles Bridge.
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Goodbye, Prague!
Here, we made the short climb up the tower to get one last panorama. Prague is a perfect city for a winter getaway, with some beautiful Christmas markets dotted everywhere you look. It will always be crowded, but with good reason. Prague is the definition of the ‘something for everyone’ cliche – there’s enough to discover that you could easily spend weeks here without getting bored. We’ll be back.
