Prague
This post is a little different as it encompasses three different countries and more specifically three cities. As Jon’s first trip to Europe we tried to absorb as much culture as possible in the little time we had. With the eventual plan of traveling the world via our own sailboat, we specifically chose countries landlocked or not easily visited in a private vessel. We visited the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary. Interestingly, while all 3 countries maintain their own culture and identities; not so long ago they all in some form or another were under one rule. This area of the world has a storied and very complicated past and we definitely don’t claim to be experts in European history. But, to disregard such an important portion of each countries’ past would be foolish.
One of the main draws to this region was the Christmas Markets! We chose each city with this in mind. We visited Prague in the Czech Republic, Vienna in Austria and Budapest in Hungary. Each city has regularly made lists of the best Christmas markets in Europe. Let me tell you we were not left wanting.
We planned our journey through these 3 cities with as much variety as possible, with different styles of lodging and choices in attractions to visit.
This post will focus on Prague in the Czech Republic.
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. The area has been settled as early as the Paleolithic era with the city being founded as early as 1306 BC. It was also the capital of Bohemia and the seat of many Holy Roman Emperors. Prague holds many historical attractions that survived the devastation that the 20th century brought to Europe. Named one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Prague boasts architecture styles ranging from Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo. Strolling down the street, it’s not hard to see why this romantic city is nicknamed ‘the Golden city’.
Not only does Prague offer a gorgeous glimpse into the past with its architecture. But the Czech Republic is also famous as the birthplace of pilsner beer! First brewed in 1842, the pilsner is now one of the most popular beers worldwide.
Table of Contents
Lodging / Transportation
Being a major city, Prague offers every option imaginable for lodging. Prague being our first and last stop, we decided to book 2 different types of stays.
We were quickly aging out of a major, affordable lodging option which was quintessentially European. Hostels. Now, they may not be for everyone but hostels are a dream for the budget friendly traveler who loves to socialize. For those unfamiliar, all hostels are not the scary, Hollywood gore filled nightmare that the movie led us to believe. Of course, with any travel one must be careful with whom they socialize and trust. But most hostels, at least in my experience, are filled with like minded travelers just looking to explore what the world has to offer.
We started our European tour at Sir Toby’s Hostel. Located in the art district of Holesovice, it’s surrounded by some of the best clubs/music venues, markets and parks. In addition, Sir Toby’s has airport transport available for an added cost. Sir Toby’s also boasts an in-house pub and breakfast to order. Major tourist spots are just a short tram ride away or you can take advantage of the free walking tours offered! While I’ve primarily used HostelWorld.com to find where I want to stay, if you book directly on their website you’ll get a free welcome drink upon arrival!
We decided to treat ourselves to this AirBnb to wrap up our trip. Ideally situated in the historic district and just a 10 min walk from Prague Castle, it was the perfect place to rest after exploring the streets of Prague. The bath was a complete luxury and our favorite part of our stay here!
Prague has one of the best public transportation systems in Europe. Between the buses, metro, and tram lines there is absolutely no need to rent a car unless you plan to drive to other portions of the Czech Republic. Sadly, we were only in Prague 2 days consecutively for a total of 4. In turn, we just stayed in the city. But the public transport made getting around an absolute breeze! We chose to use the cashless payment of fare for short-term 24 hour tickets as we weren’t in the city continuously for a long period of time. The ticket is valid on the Prague Metro, buses, and trams.
When the time came to leave Prague for our next stop, Vienna, we decided to take a train from Prague to Vienna on RegioJet. Total trip time was supposed to take about 4 hours. Unfortunately, we encountered some mechanical problems while en route. We ended up arriving in Vienna approximately 6 hours after we left. But, it’s not all bad! Because we booked the relax fare, we could order food and drink from the on board menu. We had a great time drinking Chotěboř Prémium beer for 20 Kč!
Places to Eat
Holešovická Kozlovna
Located right next door to Sir Toby’s is a restaurant that serves up some great pub fare in a cool atmosphere. But, the primary motive to our visit was of course the BEER! Serving up the most popular Czech beer in the world fresh from the tank!
Lokál U Bílé kuželky
Found in Old Town and is an excellent stop for traditional Czech food and fantastic beer! The atmosphere only adds to the appeal.
Sisters Bistro v Dlouhé
A trendy restaurant that serves Paukert style chlebíčky or open faced sandwiches. Famous for being extremely tasty and beautifully plated, it was perfect for brunch!
Fat Cat Beerhouse & Restaurant
A great spot for a tasty burger and fries just steps from the city center. They also offer a wide selection of craft beers with rotating taps if you're looking for something different!
Pivovar U Tří růží
A beautiful 15th century restaurant that serves up traditional fare and comfort dishes. Not only that, but with a microbrewery on site the beer is phenomenal.
Walking Tours
Prague is one of the best walkable cities in Europe. Most of the key historical monuments are found in the city center and not more than 30 minutes away from each other. Our hostel offered free walking tours throughout the city which we happily joined!
Our tour took us through Old Town where we saw first hand the beauty that Prague is known for! Not only are you walking through history but you’ll also find artwork sporadically placed throughout the city! We saw works by David Černý, an infamous Czech sculptor known for his provocative and controversial pieces placed throughout the city.
MAN HANGING OUT (1996)
Probably the most seen of his sculptures as it’s located on the busy Husova Street. Hanging from a rod is the artist’s representation of Sigmund Freud. This sculpture has been featured all over the world, even in our home state of Michigan! Commonly mistaken as a suicide attempt, further investigation reveals the meaning behind this puzzling sculpture.
Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis was viewed by many to be the face of 20th century intellectuals. Facing the start of a new century, Černý created this piece in response to the question “what role will the intellectual play in the new century?” Will we be able to “pull ourselves up” by relying on what we’ve learned this far and continue to strive to learn more? Or will we fall, by failing to continue to search for understanding and truth? The uncertainty Černý feels is definitely palpable.
HEAD OF FRANZ KAFKA (2014)
Found near the Quadrio shopping center, this sculpture depicts the celebrated Czech author Franz Kafka’s head. Made of 42 layers of stainless steel with internal rotors to ensure constant motion, it’s definitely a marvel to be seen. The twisting of Kafka’s head reflects the tortured personality of Černý’s subject. Kafka was plagued with self doubt throughout his life and while the sculpture is nonsensical most of the time, the head stops 2x an hour to form Kafka’s head.
SAINT WENCESLAS (1999)
Lucerna Passage is reminiscent of the grandeur of Prague’s past, with the highlight being the St. Wenceslas statue hanging from the ceiling.
If you don’t know, Wenceslas was a duke of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) and posthumously declared a king and patron saint of the Czech Republic. His representation evokes feelings of pride and independence of the Czech spirit. Wenceslas square holds a sculpture by Myslbek (1924) of Saint Wenceslas astride a horse looking ever so valiant. The square has also been the site of political protests and historical events in the country’s battle for democracy.
Lucerna Passage, adjacent to Wenceslas Square, is reminiscent of the grandeur of Prague’s past. Here, you’ll find Černý’s St. Wenceslas. Sitting atop a dead horse, this parody of Myslbek’s sculpture immediately causes you to reflect on what each piece represents. Myslbek’s St. Wenceslas brings to mind victory, as he proudly sits on his noble steed. Černý’s obvious parody forces one to rethink the history which made this country. The sculpture can be representative of the helplessness the citizens felt as they continued to struggle for freedom.
Lennon Wall
The Lennon wall is located across from the French embassy and has been a staple for the Czech people’s struggle for independence. Since the 1960s, the wall has hosted messages against the regime. It really gained traction after the death of John Lennon in 1980, who was a symbol of freedom, western society and political struggle. An unknown artist painted an image of Lennon and some Beatles lyrics, in turn giving it its name.
Even after authorities repainted the wall, messages of love, pace and reform continued to appear. After the Velvet Revolution, the nonviolent transition of power from the Communist Party to the parliamentary republic it is today, the wall is now a representation of world peace and love. When we visited, adding to the wall was “encouraged”. But, now new rules exist that allow people to add to the wall messages of love and freedom in the “white free zones” with pencil, marker or chalk. Spray paint is no longer allowed. Now, there’s even a museum dedicated to this important piece of history, just 200m away!
Charles Bridge
The Charles bridge is one of the main attractions of Prague. Completed in 1402, it connected the Old Town and the Lesser Town (Mala Strana). Until 1841, it was the only bridge spanning the Vltava River. It is the oldest bridge in Prague and the second oldest in the Czech Republic.
While strolling on the Charles bridge you’ll see 30 statues lining the balustrade primarily in the Baroque style. The statues were erected between 1683-1714 and they depict favored saints of the time. The most popular statue has to be St. John of Nepomuk. Rumor has it that touching the statue brings you good luck and ensures you return to Prague.
Our favorite thing about Charles Bridge has to be the lamp lighting. It is the only bridge in the world lit by gas lamps. The lamps are automated through most of the year. But, during the pre-Christmas season, a lamplighter dressed in medieval clothes will light every gas lamp on the Charles bridge by hand.
Even if you don’t stay at Sir Toby’s Hostel, there are plenty of free walking tours of Prague available to book. We HIGHLY recommend this as there is history everywhere you go in Prague. The stories and voices of the people who lived in and built Prague into what it is today should not be forgotten. You’ll no longer just be admiring the architecture that makes up this beautiful city but walking through history.
Flea Market Prague
I know I know, with all that Prague has to offer, why visit Flea Market Prague? Off the beaten track and primarily visited by Czechs, here you can find anything from clothing to furniture even, Bohemian era crystals or Soviet era artifacts! The largest flea market in the Czech Republic occupying 50,000 square meters (538,196 square feet), you won’t find organized booths here. Taking place weekly on Saturdays and Sundays from 6AM to 2PM and with an entrance fee of 30CZK it definitely won’t break the bank.
You can wander amongst the tarps and tables displaying CDs and auto parts to find the treasure hiding in plain sight. We picked up some merino wool socks for cheap that we still use today! This market is definitely worth a visit, even if you don’t buy anything, for the experience alone. Who knows, you may stumble across something extremely special!
Astronomical Clock
Prague’s astronomical clock found at the Old Town Hall is the 3rd oldest in the world and the oldest still operating! What’s an astronomical clock you may ask? Well, it’s a clock that not only tells local time but also Ancient Bohemian time, earth’s position in reference to the sun, moon’s orbit around the earth and the lunar phase. It’s quite a complex piece of machinery that I will try to sum up without getting too complicated.
The mechanical clock and astronomical dial was built in 1410! The 17th century added wooden figurines and the 18th century added the 12 Apostles. There is also a calendar plate (1490) below the clock representing the church calendar with holidays and names of saints.
Ancient Bohemian time or Italian hours, is measured by the black ring with gold numerals and is centered around sunset or the number 24.
The golden sun moves around the zodiacal ring and shows earth’s position to the sun. The moon shows its position as it orbits the Earth and the moon itself reveals the lunar phase. In addition, the stationary background indicates sunrise, sunset, daytime, nighttime, daybreak and twilight.
The figurines surrounding the clock come alive on each hour and represent four things despised during the 17th century. From left to right we have vanity, greed, death, and lust. The 12 apostles are revealed on the hour as well.
Whew, talk about complicated! Although it’s been damaged and renovated throughout its life, this clock is widely regarded as the best preserved medieval mechanical block in the world. You must visit this beautiful piece of machinery while visiting Prague!
Just steps away from the astronomical clock is the Old Town Square which is the oldest and most significant square in Prague. Dating back to the 12th century, it has seen many historical events. It also hosts one of many Christmas markets in Prague. We tried trdelník, a traditional Czech pastry while in the Old Square.
Prague Castle
The Prague Castle, originally built in the 9th century was the seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, presidents of Czechoslovakia, offices of the Communist government, and the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic. It’s also the largest ancient castle in the world, occupying 70,000 square meters.
As it’s one of the oldest areas in Prague, it has many different architectural styles including Gothic and Romanesque. Even as the official residence of the President, the majority of the palace is open to visitors. The castle not only houses MULTIPLE palaces, but St. Vitus Cathedral, the basilica of St. George, a monastery, gardens and defense towers. There’s also many different museums!
Sadly, by the time we visited the historical buildings were closed. But the complex was open till late so we were able to explore the grounds!
Letna Park
Letna Park is on Letna hill, overlooking the Vltava River and Old Town Prague. Not only does this park afford fantastic views but has many attractions itself. The Letna Carousel, which just reopened in 2022, is the oldest surviving carousel in Europe. The Hanavský Pavilion was built for the 1891 Jubilee World Fair and now houses a beautiful restaurant. A large statue of Stalin was erected in the park and torn down in 1962 with the Prague Metronome now taking its place.
On your way to or from Letna Park, make sure to stop and see the swans of Prague! Near the Franz Kafka Museum on Cihelna Street, you’ll find a flock of swans with a fantastic view of the historic Charles Bridge.
That wraps up our trip to Prague! Truly one of the most beautiful cities we’ve seen. The warm lights at night evoke feelings of walking through another time. This romantic city exceeded our expectations in many ways. It will never cease to amaze me, how much there is to to learn while traveling. It continues to peak our curiosity and reinforces how much more there is to learn about the world around us.
Stay tuned for the second of three installments of our Central Europe trip. Vienna, the capital of Austria and birthplace of Classical Music!
