It was Prague where my love for old towns began. Admiring Bohemian art pieces and the Gothic architecture in almost all the medieval cobbled streets, enjoying a glass of hot wine in one of the open top restaurants at the Old Town Square or just casually walking around the majestic Prague Castle and the vibrant Kampa Island - the city offers something mesmerising for everyone. However the one place that completely blew my mind was Charles Bridge. Early morning hours on Charles Bridge gave me the most tranquil experience ever - a calm mind to start the day in the best way possible and an incredible sight to behold.
Start early in the morning so that you can enjoy the sunrise from Charles Bridge. We took a tram to Vaclavske namesti and walked till the old town square, which is one of the most significant places in the city.
The old town of Prague is arguably the most charming one in Europe. However, we decided to come back later, as Charles Bridge was our priority. The walk along the banks of the river Vltava was serene and so was the first look of the castle, turning golden during sunrise.
The Charles bridge is a perfect place to put a smile on your face and soothe your soul. Spend as much time as you can, as you will definitely not regret it. When in Prague, this is probably the best way to start your day. There are 2 towers at each end of the bridge. The one on the old town is called the Old Town Bridge Tower and the other one is called the Lesser Town Bridge Tower or Malá Strana Bridge Tower.
The panoramic view from Charles bridge is equally beautiful with the glimpses of the old town, the new town, the lesser town and the river Vltava.
Enjoy the refreshing golden hour and finally cross the bridge to visit the other side of the river. The lesser town is also equally charming with colourful houses, narrow lanes, vibrant Kampa and scribbles written by tourists on the John Lennon wall.
Visit St Nicholas Cathedral, followed by Church of our Lady Victorious, which is the home of the Prague Infant Jesus.
Come to the vivid Nerudova street. This is one of my favourite corners of the lesser town. This street is full of pubs and restaurants that make it a perfect pit stop to take some rest whilst enjoying bohemian delicacies.
The main tourist attraction in the lesser town is the Prague Castle. You can find the details of opening hours and tickets on their website. It is a massive UNESCO world heritage site with multiple palaces, courtyards and squares. The castle grounds, gardens and a small area of the cathedral are free to visit. However, you need to buy tickets for individual buildings and areas. Allow yourself plenty of time if you want to explore all the buildings.
Take the old castle stairs to climb down. You will find loads of view points on your way. Take a metro/tram from Malostranská to Staroměstská station or simply cross the Mánes Bridge by foot to reach Old Town Square.
If you have not had your lunch already, you will find loads of options in this area. If you are here around Christmas, you will get even more options to munch and drink. Mulled wine (Svarak in Czech) is a must-try to survive on the colder days, if you enjoy wine. Czech beers are also quite popular and many local pubs serve them. My favourite, however, was the delicious fruit dumplings called Ovocné Knedlíky in Czech. Spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around the square and admiring the Gothic architectures of Powder Tower, Church of Our Lady before Týn and the iconic Astronomical Clock.You can catch a quick show when the clock strikes the hour.
We took some rest and came back to the old town square in the evening to have dinner. Since the day was quite eventful, we decided to take the evening easy. You, however, can choose to differ and enjoy Prague's night life. Alternatively you can catch one of the shows in the National Theatre.
There is no better way to start your day in Prague than experiencing early morning calmness on Charles bridge, as it becomes really crowded as the day passes by. However, we chose to visit the Žižkov Television Tower first (as it was near our hotel), before moving on to Charles bridge. Prague is famous for quirky and bizarre sculptures and the sight of babies crawling up the TV tower, creative by famous Czech sculptor David Černý, is something you would not want to miss.
We then took the usual tram to reach old town square, followed by Charles bridge (no surprise). Both the towers on the bridge provide unique panoramic views of the city, but we chose to climb the Old Town Bridge Tower. It gives a spectacular panoramic view of both old and lesser town, upto the Castle.
Cross the bridge and visit Kampa Island, which is always full of vim and vigour. Quirky sculptures, aesthetic Kampa Museum, colourful houses, decorated trees, cool street arts - and the list goes on.
Even though we have already covered the old and lesser towns, a visit in Prague is not complete without the busy commercial New Town. Even though it is advanced and modern, there is an artistic touch to everything.
Quickies:
- Getting around in the city is pretty easy, since it is well-connected by public transport. You will find ticket vending machines at tram/metro/bus stations, where you can take tickets based on your travel plans (in time increments e.g. 30 minutes, 90 minutes, 24 hours and so on). The same ticket can be used in all public transport. However you need to get it stamped so that the timer can start. Don't forget to carry coins. Lastly, you must enjoy the quintessential experience of travelling by tram in Prague.
- You generally get good deals in hotels in Prague. You just need to ensure that you can reach the old town easily by public transport. We stayed in Congress & Wellness Hotel Olsanka which was right opposite to a tram station, connecting the city centre and the tickets were available at the hotel reception.
- Prague is beautiful in all seasons and weathers. Even though the weather is better during Spring and early Autumn months, Winter has its own charm in this city. If you happen to visit around Christmas, you will get loads of food and shopping options at the Christmas markets. We (and our bags) put on a lot of extra pounds by the time we returned.
- You get cheap flights (don't expect much comfort) to Prague from London. Excluding airfares a weekend in Prague will cost you approximately 200-300 euros.
A weekend in the charming old town:
Day 1:
Start early in the morning so that you can enjoy the sunrise from Charles Bridge. We took a tram to Vaclavske namesti and walked till the old town square, which is one of the most significant places in the city.
The old town of Prague is arguably the most charming one in Europe. However, we decided to come back later, as Charles Bridge was our priority. The walk along the banks of the river Vltava was serene and so was the first look of the castle, turning golden during sunrise.
The Charles bridge is a perfect place to put a smile on your face and soothe your soul. Spend as much time as you can, as you will definitely not regret it. When in Prague, this is probably the best way to start your day. There are 2 towers at each end of the bridge. The one on the old town is called the Old Town Bridge Tower and the other one is called the Lesser Town Bridge Tower or Malá Strana Bridge Tower.
 |
| Old Town Bridge Tower |
 |
| Lesser Town Bridge Tower |
The panoramic view from Charles bridge is equally beautiful with the glimpses of the old town, the new town, the lesser town and the river Vltava.
Enjoy the refreshing golden hour and finally cross the bridge to visit the other side of the river. The lesser town is also equally charming with colourful houses, narrow lanes, vibrant Kampa and scribbles written by tourists on the John Lennon wall.
Visit St Nicholas Cathedral, followed by Church of our Lady Victorious, which is the home of the Prague Infant Jesus.
Come to the vivid Nerudova street. This is one of my favourite corners of the lesser town. This street is full of pubs and restaurants that make it a perfect pit stop to take some rest whilst enjoying bohemian delicacies.
The main tourist attraction in the lesser town is the Prague Castle. You can find the details of opening hours and tickets on their website. It is a massive UNESCO world heritage site with multiple palaces, courtyards and squares. The castle grounds, gardens and a small area of the cathedral are free to visit. However, you need to buy tickets for individual buildings and areas. Allow yourself plenty of time if you want to explore all the buildings.
Take the old castle stairs to climb down. You will find loads of view points on your way. Take a metro/tram from Malostranská to Staroměstská station or simply cross the Mánes Bridge by foot to reach Old Town Square.
We took some rest and came back to the old town square in the evening to have dinner. Since the day was quite eventful, we decided to take the evening easy. You, however, can choose to differ and enjoy Prague's night life. Alternatively you can catch one of the shows in the National Theatre.
Day 2:
There is no better way to start your day in Prague than experiencing early morning calmness on Charles bridge, as it becomes really crowded as the day passes by. However, we chose to visit the Žižkov Television Tower first (as it was near our hotel), before moving on to Charles bridge. Prague is famous for quirky and bizarre sculptures and the sight of babies crawling up the TV tower, creative by famous Czech sculptor David Černý, is something you would not want to miss.
We then took the usual tram to reach old town square, followed by Charles bridge (no surprise). Both the towers on the bridge provide unique panoramic views of the city, but we chose to climb the Old Town Bridge Tower. It gives a spectacular panoramic view of both old and lesser town, upto the Castle.
There are few other islands near Kampa which are connected by bridges. We loved strolling around these islands (including Kampa), as there was very less touristy crowd in these places. You can breathe some fresh air without going out of the city. You will also find few restaurants and cafes in this area to have lunch or snacks with a stunning view.
We started with the Dancing House, AKA Fred and Ginger, which is famous for its unique deconstructive architecture.
Prague is famous for its theatres and in this area you will find most of them representing Czech history and art. The National Theatre is known as the alma mater of Czech opera. Laterna Magika and The new stage are a couple of other nearby theatres that you can explore and catch a show or two. The specialty of Prague is that all buildings look unique and like a piece of art. Goethe Institut was one such building on our way to National Theatre from the Dancing House.
We spent the rest of the day exploring a couple of more sculptures of David Černý - Man Hanging Out and the Embryo.
Along the way we visited Kranner's Fountain and some more architectural wonders here and there.
Prague is famous for its theatres and in this area you will find most of them representing Czech history and art. The National Theatre is known as the alma mater of Czech opera. Laterna Magika and The new stage are a couple of other nearby theatres that you can explore and catch a show or two. The specialty of Prague is that all buildings look unique and like a piece of art. Goethe Institut was one such building on our way to National Theatre from the Dancing House.
Along the way we visited Kranner's Fountain and some more architectural wonders here and there.
After our small exploration in the lanes and bylanes of Prague, we enjoyed a last walk along the banks of Vltava. The illuminated Prague Castle was looking at its best from the other side of the river.
Before heading out to the airport, we paid one last visit to our good old friend, the Old town square. We climbed the stairs of Astronomical clock tower to enjoy a view of the shining old town and Prague castle at night.
We finally filled out tummy with some yummy food in an open top restaurant and bid adieu to this gorgeous city. And guess what? It showered snow flurries to bid the most beautiful goodbye. May you remain this charming forever.
And last but not the least, a hand drawn mini map of all the major attractions in Prague 💗
Ah Lovely stuff! This is a very detailed chart of the city tour if somebody wants to travel without any tour guides. I guess a few days more would fetch even more attachment with the city. The pictures are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Samik. Yes, definitely. Since the best way to explore this city is by foot, you don't have to run a marathon everyday if you have more days in pocket. You can also do some day trips from Prague :)
Delete