Prague is the interesting, intriguing and beautiful capital of Czechia (Czech Republic) which is a landlocked country in central Europe, bordered by Poland, Slovakia, Austria and Germany.
Sitting on the Vltava River it is the largest city in Czechia and the 15th largest city in Europe covering an area of 5,000 square kilometres.
The flight time from the UK is around 2 hours to Prague Airport (Vaclav Havel airport Prague), transfer time to the centre of the city is between 30 and 50 minutes depending on the traffic and time of day.
The local currency is Czech Koruna, you will see it written as Kc or CZK.
English is widely spoken.

With its rich history, beautiful mix of architecture, cobbled streets, alleyways, medieval squares, gardens, bridges, river and art scene Prague is one of the most interesting cities on the tourist map.

Having visited the city many times both in the spring and at Christmas I could literally write a book on how to spend a break in Prague. In this blog I will concentrate on the main places of interest, hopefully giving you an insight as to why the city is one of the most popular European destinations for a city break with well over 6 million visitors a year!

Tip – Prague is best explored on foot so wear comfortable shoes!

Spring is a lovely time to visit as the cherry blossom and magnolia trees burst into flower, the many gardens reopen and the cafes & bars along the river come alive.

Easter is a big event in Prague, you will find the squares around the city transformed into Easter Markets, the largest one being in Old Town Square, they last for around three weeks. Along with stalls selling handicrafts, painted eggs, ceramics, jewellery, dolls and much more you will find stalls selling traditional fare such as sizzling roast hams, potato dumplings and sausages.

The Easter Market in 2023 will be open from the 25th March to the 16th April.

THE OLD TOWN SQUARE (Staromestske namesti)
Dating back to the 12th century, this is the largest and most historical square in the city, covering 9,000 square metres, it is the sheer size, beautiful buildings, monuments, shops and pavement café bars that take your breath away.
There are several buildings in the square that are noteworthy:
The Old Town Hall (Staromestska radiance): not least because its beautiful tower and astronomical clock. You can witness the magic of its 45 second ‘show’ daily on the hour every hour when the clock chimes and the two windows open to reveal 12 apostles rotating. There are four allegories around the clock: a man holding a mirror (vanity), a man with a bag of money (greed), a skeleton (death) and extravagance (a Turk prince playing the mandolin).
The ringing of the bell at the top of the tower and a cockerel crowing bring the show to an end.
Tip – it gets unbelievably busy around the clock to see the show so you should find a place early for a good view.

You can take the lift to the top of the tower of the Old Town Hall and its observation deck to get an amazing view of the square below. The lift won an award for best design in 1999.

The Church of our Lady before Tyn: built between the 14th & 16th century, 80m high fairy tale towers and baroque interior.
St Nicholas Church: built between 1732 – 1737
Kinsky Palace: a Rococo building on the east side of the square built in the 18the century.
Jan Hus memorial: dominates the centre of the square, one of the most renowned Czech historical figures.
The Old Town Square is a perfect place to find a seat at one of the many pavement cafes and watch the world go by!

Other places of interest:
Prague Castle:
It’s a bit of a hike up to the castle but well worth it! On the walk up you will get impressive views of the city. The changing of the guard takes place daily at 12 noon but be warned it attracts a huge crowd so you will need to get there early to see the ceremony clearly.

Golden Lane within the grounds is a cobbled street with tiny houses that were used by tradesmen such as goldsmiths, it is an interesting street to walk down, you can enter the houses to see how the residents lived.

The castle is the official office of the President of Prague today.
It is free to wander around the exterior & grounds of the castle but there is a charge for going inside – 250czk (adult) 125czk (concession).

Charles Bridge (Karluv most)
The bridge is a busy place where locals and visitors alike promenade at all times of the day taking in the views down the river, browsing the stalls where artists and jewellery makers display their wares and listening to the musicians playing. Early in the day or later in the evening are the quieter times, the latter provides stunning views of an illuminated castle which towers above.

Jewish Quarter (Josfov) – located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River.
The Old Jewish Cemetery is an interesting place to visit here, it is a thought-provoking memorial to a once significant Jewish community who were not granted many burial sites in the city. The graves were built up in layers 10 deep when plots were full, it is estimated that around 100,000 bodies are buried here in one of the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in the world.
This was a Jewish ghetto, at one time the largest in Europe, it’s appalling times having started in the 13th century when the people were forced to leave their homes and move to this one area in the city.
There are six synagogues in the Josfov; Pinkas (1479), Maisel (rebuilt in the 19th century after it was damaged in a fire, Spanish (1868), Klausen (1694), High (16th century) and the Old-New Synagogue which is the oldest in Europe having been built in 1270.
An inclusive admission ticket to the cemetery and synagogues (excluding the Old-New synagogue) 330 czk adult.

Wenceslas Square
Named after the patron saint of Bohemia it was redeveloped in the 19th century this square was once a horse market, most of the buildings that you can see today are early 20the century and it is now a commercial centre with many well-known high street shops.
At night it is a lively and busy part of the city often attracting stag parties.

Petrin Hill
It is over 300 metres above sea level, formerly a vineyard, it has been a public park since 1825 and is a peaceful haven when the hustle & bustle of the crowds in the city get too much!
There is a funicular built in 1890 to take you to the top enabling you to see amazing views but you should walk back down through the gardens, it is a lovely walk especially in the Spring & summer.
Funicular ticket – 24czk (adult)
Once at the top the fitter visitor can climb the 299 steps of the Observation Tower up to a viewing platform, you be rewarded with stunning views! Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris It was built for the Jubilee Exposition in 1891, it is somewhat smaller at 63.5 metres high.

What else can you see on Petrin Hill?
• Strahov Stadium – now used as a venue for rock concerts
• Strahov monastery
• Mirror Labyrinth
• Hunger Wall
• Stefaniks Observatory

Kampa Island
Located in Mala Strana (lesser town) this is one of my favourite areas in Prague, just walk across the Charles Bridge from the Old Town and it’s on your left down by the river. There is lots to see in Kampa, and don’t forget to say hello to the scores of swans that come onto the riverbank!
Museum Kampa (modern European art gallery) – some of the best sculptures are to be found outside in the gardens. You can’t fail to see the three bronze giant crawling Babies by Czech sculptor David Cerny.
John Lennon Wall – Images relating to John Lennon first appeared on the wall shortly after his death in 1980, to the young Czechs it symbolises freedom of speech and pacifism. Much of the original images are no longer as the wall has been whitewashed a few times and new images created. It’s worth taking a stroll along the wall non the less.
Devils Stream – is the channel that runs under Charles Bridge through Kampa, you can take a boat trip along it to see the former flour mills now converted into small houses. There are two surviving water wheels.
Yellow Penguins – sitting in a single file on a metal beam along the river the penguins which are made from recycled bottles appeared in 2016, they light up at night and were the creation of the Cracking Art Group, a Milan based art movement.

Film Locations:
As you explore this beautiful city you may think that some places seem familiar, that’s because it is well used as a location for the film industry, some of the films:
• Amadeus – Mala Strana
• Mission Impossible – Kampa Island
• Les Miserables – Hradcanske namesti
• The Bourne Identity – around Wenceslas Square
• Operation Daybreak – Old Town and Old Town Square

Prague has everything you look for in a city break; green spaces, pavement cafes & bars, history, unique places of interest, open spaces, intriguing alley ways, stunning architecture, shopping and restaurants to suit all tastes.

I have only described the highlights, when you visit you will find that there is so much more to Prague, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do either from your armchair or in person.

Look out for my Blog on Prague at Christmas!