Discover Prague
Discover Prague
Discover Prague
Guide
Although Prague is a beautiful city no matter what time of day, it‘s especially
enchanting by night. When the sun goes down, twinkling lights illuminate the
city‘s ancient buildings, which are best seen from the River Vltava running
through the city‘s centre. On our Prague river cruise, you‘ll travel down the
Vltava, passing famous sights like Charles Bridge, Lesser Town, the Church of
St Nicholas, Prague Castle and the National Theatre - all while enjoying dinner
and live music on board. Dinner is a buffet of both hot and cold dishes, and
you‘ll also receive a welcome drink included in the cruise price.
Upon boarding the boat you will be welcomed by our hostess who will
take care of you during the cruise. The hostess does not substitute for a guide;
nevertheless, she will provide you with at least the basic information on the
cruise programme and assist you if you have any inquiries. There are also
professional barkeepers and catering staff looking after you.
CIAL DEAL
SPEC
SP
CZK 690 (€ 27) WITH A FREE PICKUP
Heated in winter and air-conditioned in summer
Introduction 4
Activities 14
Transportation 28
Shopping 44
Pubs........................................................ 66 Bars......................................................... 70
Sights 86
2
Sights
Language 172
3
Introduction
Charles Bridge – commissioned in 1357, this 516m-long stone bridge was the only
link across the Vltava River and Prague Castle and the Old Town until 1841
Introduction
Just take our guide and a map and cape crowds, visit other lofty vantage
explore. Don‘t overlook the small points like Petřín, Vyšehrad or Letná.
side streets and courtyards where The capital was untouched by natu-
Prague is often at its most charm- ral disasters for six hundred years and
ing. Don’t worry about getting lost, was undamaged by WWII. Few other
Prague’s centre is quite compact and European cities can offer you a such
best explored on foot. However, when unforgettable experience, just by walk-
you get tired, take the tram or metro. ing through the redeveloped Baroque,
Public transportation is very efficient, Rococo and Art Nouveau streets.
cheap and one of the best in Europe. One of the reasons that Prague is
Spend some time in traditional so popular is that there is so much to
Czech pubs and cafés, do some do in the city. From clubs to concerts
shopping, take a few romantic pho- there is something for everyone.
tos of Charles Bridge, all-the-while Despite Prague no longer being
marvelling at the beauty of a thou- the bargain destination it once was,
sand spires that have already attract- it is still a very affordable city where
ed millions of tour groups. many attractions can be visited free
Prague is a city of red rooftops of charge or with low admission. Our
and thousand spires, of wooded guide book will also give you an idea
hills with splendid views. And one of of what prices to except when you
the best views over the city is from go clubbing, visit a concert or dine
Prague Castle. But if you prefer to es- at restaurants.
5
Introduction
Grand Hotel Evropa at Wenceslas Square is one of the oldest hotels in Prague, dat-
ing back to 1872. The building is an excellent example of Art Nouveau architecture
10
Accommodation times it is better to find accom-
modation further from the centre
Prague offers an extensive range because, compared to other world
of accommodation options, from cities, Prague is quite small and
romantic hotels based in historical its public transport is very effective.
town houses, to international chain
hotels, such as the Ibis, Hilton, Our Hotel Picks
Sheraton and Crown Plaza. There U ZLATÉ STUDNĚ*****
are also budget hostels, as well as Boutique hotel with parquet floors
smaller boutique hotels. Further- and antique furniture, which once
more, a new trend has emerged of was occupied by Emperor Rudolf II
renting a Prague apartment for a and is situated in a quiet part of the
short term period, which is particu- Lesser Town.
larly popular among bigger groups www.goldenwell.cz
who prefer more self-catering and
privacy. HOTEL JOSEF*****
Do not be surprised to discover Contemporary design hotel with
some hotels which date back to the chrome-and-glass rooms with white
Communist period, but which are touches, and chic, cool, all-white
all equipped with modern ameni- cocktail bar.
ties. Hotel prices are similar to the www.hoteljosef.com
rest of Europe and, generally, the
further you are from the centre, NH PRAHA****
the less expensive the hotels are. Comfortable rooms, with cable car to
Some hotels feature name pre- the on-site restaurant.
fixes, such as Lesser Town or Old www.nhprague.com
Town (for instance, Ibis Wenceslas
Square, Ibis Lesser Town, Hilton HOTEL POD VĚŽÍ****
Old Town). However, often these Located just a few steps from the fort
hotels are not actually situated in of Charles Bridge, and with friendly
these areas, and the name prefixes staff, this hotel in a fairy-tale setting
are just a marketing ploy. is also a TripAdvisor top choice.
If you are travelling around www.podvezi.com
Christmas, Easter and July or August
it is best to book well ahead. When DŮM U VELKÉ BOTY
looking for accommodation you Centrally located pension in the qui-
should check both the price and the et back-streets with antique décor.
distance from the city centre. Some- www.dumuvelkeboty.cz
11
Introduction
Most visitors simply enjoy relaxed opt for a ride in a vintage car – open-
strolling while discovering magnifi- top, weather permitting – or a hop-
cent views, historic buildings, religious on-hop-off sightseeing bus, or do a
icons and galleries. For those who do Segway tour. Most tours start either
not wish to get lost in the city’s maze from Old Town Square or from Na
of small cobblestoned streets and Příkopě near Republic Square.
lanes, there are plenty of walking tours Riverboats are another option for
to choose from. Some tours cover the seeing the city from a different angle
general history and orientation of the – there are choices of a lunch cruise,
city, while others focus on specific a quick one-hour cruise, an evening
themes. But if you would rather get cruise with dinner, or a cruise with a
a good orientation of the city with an live jazz band.
introduction to most of the important Shoppers won’t be left behind ei-
city landmarks, your best choice is to ther. For those looking for small gifts
join our free four-hour walking tour. to bring back home, there are many
If the idea of walking does not ap- souvenir stands around Old Town
peal to you, you can always blend Square, Karlova and Charles Bridge.
culture with comfort by taking a For luxury brands like Louis Vuit-
ride through Prague instead. Horse- ton, Hermès or Cartier, head to the
drawn carriages carry you at a gen- Pařížská or visit Prague High Street
tle pace through the cobblestoned Na Příkopě where you can find all the
streets of the Old Town. Or you can trendy fashion shops.
15
Activities
Suggested Itineraries
Prague in One Day
If you have only one day to explore
Prague, then concentrate on the Cas-
tle District and Lesser Town, ending
your walk in the heart of Old Town.
Once you get to the Prague Castle
complex, visit the Gothic St. Vitus
Cathedral and St. George‘s Basilica,
and stop at the small picturesque
houses in Golden Lane. Then, de-
scend into Lesser Town where you‘ll
find the ancient burgher houses
and the Baroque copper-domed St.
Nicholas’ Church. Making your way
across Charles Bridge can take as lit-
tle or as much time as you like, if you
enjoy souvenir stands, performers,
artists, musicians, or just beautiful Powder Tower (Prašná brána)
city views, you may want to linger a
while longer. After the rest, continue walking to
If you want to feel even more of the Old Town Square to see the Astro-
romantic atmosphere of the city, you nomical Clock and watch ‘The Walk of
might wish to jump on the Venice Boat the Apostles‘ performing on the hour.
Cruise. During this short 40-minute From there continue your walk to-
boat cruise you will have a chance to wards Celetná Street where you can
see Prague‘s architectural gems from see quite a few architecturally and
the River Vltava. The boat departure historically important houses, such
pier is just under Charles Bridge, ac- as at the Three Kings, the White Lion,
cessible from Čertovka, Kampa Island. the Black Sun and the Black Ma-
Once across the bridge, walk along donna.
the riverside and take a break at the The most interesting one worth
famous Café Slavia, on Smetanovo a visit is the House of the Black
Embankment, where you can have a Madonna, which dates back to 1912.
coffee while enjoying the view across A multifunctional building, it houses
the river and up to the castle on the shops on the ground floor and the
other side. legendary Orient coffee bar with its
16
cubist furniture on the higher lev-
els. Celetná Street will lead you to
the Powder Tower. Next to the tower
is the Municipal House – Prague‘s
most prominent Art Nouveau build-
ing, built between 1906 and 1912.
This is a popular attraction for visi-
tors, who are lured in by the build-
ing‘s gold trimmings, stained glass,
sculptures, and the regular exhibi-
tions and concerts.
From there you can take the scenic Krumlov or to the Pilsner Brewery.
tram number 22 back to the city. If you are still thinking of how to
In the evening you could visit some fill one of your afternoons, visit the
of the nice jazz clubs in Lesser Town, pretty green grounds of Vyšehrad or
like U Malého Glena. If jazz is not to Trója Chateau.
your liking, do the night Dinner on The Prague Zoo with more than
The River Cruise, passing famous 4100 animals is also good choice for
sights – all the while enjoying din- sunny afternoon.
ner and live music on board. Alter-
natively New Town is full of nightlife
options to suit every taste.
boat. You will find boat rentals open They have a good range of shops
every day from April to the end of like Marks & Spencer, Marlboro Clas-
October, under Charles Bridge, di- sics, Kookai, Calvin Klein and Next, to
rectly across from Club Lávka, or on name but a few.
Slovanský Island.
A must for every traveller to The Best Place for a View
Prague is a visit to some of tradi- over the City
tional Czech pubs where guests sit Prague is a city of red rooftops, tow-
at plain wooden tables and wait to ers, and golden spires, of wooded hills
be served glasses of the frothy Pils- and amazing views. Every visitor who
ner Urquell lager. For more adven- climbs the steps to the castle is re-
turous types, also try the popular warded with a great view over the city.
local spirit Becherovka. But if you want to escape the crowds,
Visit some of the numerous shopping there are other lofty vantage points,
centres in the city centre. Palladium including Vyšehrad, Petřín Hill Tower,
and Myslbek are probably the most Letná Park, Žižkov TV tower, Old Town
lavish and well-stocked in Prague. Hall Tower and St. Henry‘s Tower.
21
Activities
Puppet Show
The Don Giovanni Marionette Opera
can be seen at National Marionette National Technical Museum
Theatre in Žatecká 1, Josefov. Tall
marionettes as well as the stylish doubt, the most impressive displays
period costumes and original stage are found in the large Transport
effects can be seen during this two- Hall, crammed full of vintage trains,
hour (8pm—10pm) performance. It planes and automobiles. Among the
is presented in the original Italian many exhibits here are examples
librette. of Czech engineering at its best –
Škoda for example was one of the
Výstaviště Exhibition Grounds foremost engineering companies in
The expansive Exhibition Grounds in- Europe before WWII. Additionally,
clude a traditional funfair, Sea world there is a large display of film and
aquarium, a swimming pool and a photographic equipment, while the
planetarium, which presents several mining technology exhibit recreates
shows daily. the workings of a coal mine in the
museum‘s basement.
National Technical Museum Kostelní 42, Prague 7, Holešovice
If you are put off by the rather un- 9am—5:30pm Tue—Fri
inspiring name, then don‘t be, as a 10am—6pm Sat&Sun
visit to Prague‘s Technical Museum Adult/child CZK 190/90
is a rewarding experience. Without www.ntm.cz
22
Pedalos more pleasant, a popular series of
The River Vltava is the perfect place commentated feedings and training
to spend an hour or two on a pedalo exercises are prepared for the week-
with the kids. If the weather is nice ends, along with many other inter-
you will have a great time, pedaling esting programmes. There is also a
under the bridges and exploring the small chair lift that will, no doubt, be
river. You can rent pedalos at Charles entertaining for children.
Bridge, Mánesův Bridge and Slovan- How to get there: take bus no.
ský Island. 112 from the Nádraží Holešovice
underground station and get off at
Toy Museum Zoologická zahrada, the last stop. In
This cute little place is full of antique the summer months, Prague Steam-
trains, teddy bears and dolls, com- boat Company operates a boat
plete with English-language signs on which serves the zoological garden.
most of them. Although there are not Boats sail hourly every day from
many things children are allowed to Na Františku quay.
touch, there are plenty of mysterious U Trojského zámku 3/120, Trója
mechanical objects, such as musical Daily 9am—7pm in summer
boxes and steam-powered toys, for and until 4pm in winter months
the kids to speculate about. There is www.zoopraha.cz
a Barbie exhibit on the second floor,
which is rather interesting. Aquapalace
Clam-Gallas Palace, Husova 20 Touted as ‘the largest water park in
Daily 10:00am—6pm central Europe’, the facility features
Adult/child/family CZK 70/50/200 saunas, a spa complex, and a fitness
centre, along with a variety of pools
Prague Zoo and nine water slides. It’s an attrac-
For nature and animals lovers tive destination for families looking
Prague Zoo is the perfect place to for some summer fun.
visit. The zoo is open all year round Bus from Prague-Opatov
and is located in the picturesque to Čestlice; distance:
environment of the Troja Basin. Its 8 km south of Prague
diverse terrain makes it possible www.aquapalace.cz
to walk through both shady groves
and open, grassy plains. There is an Railways Toy Museum
ever-growing number of enclosures Stroupežnického 23, Prague 5
that blend with the natural land- Daily 9am—7pm
scape. To make your trip to the zoo www.railroad-kingdom.com
23
Activities
Prague
Castle
Old
Sq Tow
ua n
re
Charles
Bridge
32
33
Transportation
utes ride around the most beautiful ting out. No prior experience is
streets of the Old Town. You will find required.
the carriages waiting for you in Old www.prague-segway-tours.com
Town Square, next to the Old Town www.pragueonsegway.com
Hall and the Astronomical Clock.
Cycling
Segways Tours Prague is home to a massive network
Due to the recent Segway ban in of cycling trails, but most are at the
the city centre, all those tours will city outskirts. Most visitors prefer
only bring you to the lesser-known taking a tour first for orientation
of Prague’s attractions, which are before venturing further afield. It is
located further from the city cen- easy to rent a bike from Praha Bike
tre, even though they are still great (www.prahabike.cz) or you might
fun. For everyone’s safety, Segway even rent an electric one (www.
tours are properly guided and in- praguebyebike.com). Most rental
volve some training before set- shops do tours as well.
37
Transportation Best Deals
Prague to Budapest
Transfers from Prague to Budapest
can be combined with a recommend-
ed visit to Vienna or Bratislava, which
lie on the way. You can choose either
to travel via Vienna or Bratislava, and
stop there for a short visit to the city
or just a lunch etc.
From CZK 1477 per person
Prague to Vienna
If you wish to make your journey
from Vienna to Prague more interest-
ing, why not stop on the way in Český
Krumlov. Travel time will be about
1.5 hours longer than the direct route
and an extra 100km will be travelled,
but it is definitely worth it.
From CZK 931 per person
Prague to Salzburg
The beautiful city of Český Krumlov
is a great place for a short stop on
the way from or to Salzburg. We rec-
ommend at least two hours, or if you
wish to tour the city or just stop for
lunch, allow at least one hour.
From CZK 1058 per person
38
Prague to Berlin
On the way to / from Berlin you might
choose to stop in Dresden („Florence
on the Elbe“) for a short visit to this
beautiful city, perhaps having lunch
and visiting Zwinger Palace and the
Church of Our Lady.
From CZK 1002 CZK per person
Prague to Krakow
Stop en route for a few hours for a
visit to Auschwitz (German Nazi Con-
centration and Extermination Camp)
and continue your journey to Krakow.
Allow at least two hours for your visit.
From CZK 1519 per person
Prague to Nuremberg
Make a short stop at Plzen (Pilsen)
on the way from or to Nuremberg. We
recommend at least two hours for
the Plzen brewery tour, or one hour if
you wish just to stop in the city.
From CZK 819 per person
Prague to Passau
Český Krumlov and České Budějovice
are worth considering for a short
stop on the way from or to Passau. If
you decide to visit either or both of
those cities, we recommend at least
two hours for Český Krumlov and one
hour for České Budějovice, or possi-
bly one hour in Hluboká castle.
From CZK 616 per person
40
Excursions and Transfers Organized by Prague Airport Transfers
DRESDEN
Terezín
Karlovy Vary Mladá Boleslav
Lidice PRAGUE KRAKOW
Křivoklát
Mariánské
Lázně Kutná Hora
Karlštejn
Konopiště
Plzeň Olomouc
NUREMBERG
PASSAU
VIENNA BUDAPEST
Times and estimated distances are for one-way transfers from/to Prague’s city centre.
41
Transportation Best Deals
42
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
– Cash on arrival (we accept
Prague Taxi Services CZK, GBP, EUR and USD)
– Credit cards (you can make
Our professional, English-speak- the payment online or pay
ing drivers have an excellent the chauffeur)
knowledge of the city and will – MC, Visa, AMEX, Diner’s Club
pick you up straight from your and JCB are acceptable
– Bank transfers (for corporate
hotel (or any other location you
customers)
choose) and take you wherever – PayPal
you need to go.
*) There is a minimum charge per trip. If your fare calculation based on the km is lower than this
amount you still be charged our minimum charge. We offer fixed prices only—no taxi metres.
**) There is no traffic waiting fee. If your vehicle is stuck in a traffic jam we do not charge extra. But if
you require waiting at your request we do charge a waiting fee per hour (charged per each 15-minute
interval).
43
Shopping
Lucerna Passage with an upside down version of St. Wenceslas and his horse
Shopping
BELDA JEWELLERY
ARTĚL A showroom of a family run firm
Artěl is no ordinary luxury crystal currently making modern pieces fol-
company; they present a striking lowing their own desings and in co-
collection that flaunts hand-crafted operation with other contemporary
finesse, in subtle, sophisticated rain- designers as well as high-quality re-
bow hues, bold graphic design and productions and new jewellery from
contemporary shapes. designs by the 19th century artist
U lužického semináře 7 Alfons Mucha.
Celetná 29 (entrance on Rybná) Mikulandská 10, Prague 1
Daily 10am—7pm 11am—6pm Mon—Fri
www.artelglass.com www.belda.cz
47
Shopping
Czech Garnet
The blood-red garnet is the official
Czech national gem, a popular urban HAVEL MARKET
accessory, and is considered the best Dating back to 1232, this mar-
tourist purchase if you are jewellery- ket has seen many changes
shopping in Prague. Garnets aren’t over the centuries. What began
necessarily deep red. There are at as only a produce market is
least five specific kinds; some are beginning to get back to its
almost transparent and others are roots as the produce stands
black, while the scarce green garnet now outnumber the souvenir
is much sought-after. According to stalls. The market is located off
Czech legends the gemstone consist- of Melantrichova Street near
ently wields its mystical powers to Můstek. Open daily 7am-6pm.
replace sadness with joy.
Most garnets are mined near
the small town of Teplice, situated Czech Marionettes
about 63km northwest of Prague. In Prague, a city offering operas fea-
Garnets are produced by a single turing traditional Czech marionettes,
company – Granat Turnov (the only these puppets make a great gift. You
company authorized to mine Czech may know someone who would fancy
garnets) – which has branches in one of these eerie, but unarguably
Dlouhá and Panská street, and many artistic creations.
resellers.
THE PUPPET SHOP
GRANÁT TURNOV Nerudova 51, Prague 1
Part of the country’s biggest jewel- www.marionettes.cz
lery chain, specialising in Bohemian
garnet, with a huge range of gold and Absinthe
silver rings, brooches, cufflinks and You do not have to be absolutely insane
necklaces, all featuring the small, to like absinthe, but the potent, chemis-
dark blood-red stones. There is also try-lab green spirit is 70% alcohol.
pearl and diamond jewellery and less
expensive pieces set with the dark Handicrafts and Gifts
green semi-precious stone known in There are many places in Prague to
Czech as vltavín (moldavite). get traditional Czech products, such
Dlouhá 28-30, Old Town as handmade soap, beeswax candles,
10am-6pm Mon-Fri, Sat until 1pm natural cosmetics, wooden toys and
www.granat.eu other traditional Czech handicrafts.
48
MANUFAKTURA MODERNISTA
This shop offers original handcrafts, Modernista concentrates on Czech
wooden toys and handmade skin design from the last 100 years, with
care items. Their home woven linens reproductions of pieces by Adolf
are genuine. They have plenty of lo- Loos and Functionalist designers. The
cations around Prague, but its major main branch is located on the 2nd
one is Melantrichova 17. storey of Vinohradský Pavilon.
Daily 10am-8pm Vinohradská 50, Prague 2
www.manufaktura.cz www.modernista.cz
SASAZU €€
SaSaZu continues its reign as the top
upmarket Asian restaurant in Prague. GO TO RESTAURANTS
The chef, Shahaf Shabtay, has trav- WHERE CZECH PEOPLE GO
elled the world, and it shows on his Many of the best areas of
menu, which includes flavours and Prague are in the cobbled
dishes from India, Thailand, Vietnam, alleyways knotted together in
Indonesia and other exotic locales in delightful warrens, and this
Southeast Asia. Prices for individual is where the best bars and
entrées are not outrageous. restaurants can be found.
Bubenské nábřeží 306/13, Prague 7 Unfortunately the grungy bars
Sun-Thur 12 noon- 12 midnight & have moved here as well, but
Fri-Sat 12 noon-1am they are easy to tell apart.
CZK 150-500 Signs and menus in English
www.sasazu.com (especially if exclusively in
English) are a warning to leave
AMBIENTE €€ immediately. However, staff
If you’re up for perfect homemade being able to speak English is
pasta with a large selection of wine, simply a tribute to the Czech
one of the best choices is the per- education system, and not a
manently best-rated Ambi chain reflection on the establish-
restaurant Pasta Fresca. From street ment.
level, where the café is, the restau- A tourist wrangler on the
rant might not look extremely charm- street outside should be
ing, but once you enter the stairs will treated with caution, and their
take you to the intimate 300-year- desperate or cunning entreat-
old cellar where everything is made ies ignored. Finally, a simple
by hand. look at the other customers
Celetná 11, Old Town should tell you a lot. Local
Daily 11am until midnight Czech people go to the best
(café open 10am until midnight) restaurants, tourists go to the
CZK 200-400 easiest restaurants.
http://pastafresca.ambi.cz
Some restaurants, especially those located in tourist areas, might try to cheat you.
Be careful and always check the bill. Don‘t eat what is left on the table, as it will
usually result in being charged extra
Pubs and Bars
Unfortunately, genuine Czech pub yes. And once you sit down and are
culture has developed drastically drinking your first pint, do not be
during the last decade, and some surprised if your glass is replen-
historic pubs are now highly over- ished without even asking (there is
priced and have since forced out lo- table service in Czech pubs). That is
cal drinkers due to the high cost. It part of the Czech tradition too. If you
means a lot more attention should find that pubs close a little bit early,
be paid in selecting places to visit especially on weekdays, at around
if you want to avoid the unpleasant 11pm, you might continue your night
experience of paying four times as drinking by visiting many bars.
much as necessary. Bars are usually open until early
If you have made up your mind morning and drinking there is more
and ended up at a busy pub with expensive than in pubs. One of
nearly no places to sit, don’t worry. the best upscale bars in the city is
Czech tradition is sharing a table – it Bugsy’s Cocktail Bar. Located just
is not unusual if someone asks you off of Old Town Square on Pařížská,
if they can share your table with you, Bugsy’s has a classic 1950s American
and of course, you are expected say theme, with waiters in bow ties.
65
Pubs and Bars
Bars
There are three types of bars unique
to Prague – the traditional Czech
pub with a perfect local atmosphere
and usually cheap beer, western-
style bars serving trendy but ex-
pensive cocktails, and the casino
bars which are a 24-hour bar-casino
combination. These below are our Czech beer is world famous
favourites.
and fun to read with over 300 differ-
O’CHE’S BAR €€ ent kinds of drink listed.
With a great location in the Old Town Kostečná 2 (off Pařížská), Old
near Charles Bridge, there is no won- Town
der that this pub is very popular. In- Daily 7pm-2am
terestingly, it is not a traditional Irish www.bugsysbar.cz
pub, but it is a mix between Irish and
Cuban. As a result, O’Che’s brings in a CAFFREY‘S IRISH BAR €€
wide and varied clientele who come Here you will find a casual atmos-
for the sports, the cocktails and the phere and full menu on Old Town
beer. O’Che’s also sports an impres- Square. Guinness, Kilkenny and Bul-
sive number of beers on tap, as well mer’s are all available. If you can, try
as a cocktail of the week - and on going in the summer when the bar
Thursdays all cocktails are half-price. will open a terrace facing the Old
There are also three televisions and Town Square. You will not want to
one large projection screen, receiving miss having a great drink in such a
such channels as Sky Sports, ESPN, great location.
BBC and more. Old Town Square 10
Liliová 14, Old Town Daily 9am-2am
Daily 10am until 1am www.caffreys.cz
www.oches.com
AMERICAN BAR €€½
BUGSY‘S BAR €€½ This classic-style bar housed in the
An old reliable place, where trendy Art Nouveau Municipal House is one
and hip crowds gather every night, of the oldest in town. Drinks are
it shakes, stirs and tosses the best poured by true experts. The bar was
cocktails in town. Their drink list is decorated with colored drawings by
about the length of The Great Gatsby M. Ales in the period 1910–1911.
70
Republic Sq. 5, New Town
Daily 11:30am-11pm
www.americkybar.cz CZECH BEER
The love of beer is one of
DOUBLE TROUBLE CLUB €€ several characteristics that the
This is a bar and club with small Czechs share with the British.
party atmosphere and huge cocktail Czech beer tends to be more
list. No one is going to be shocked by full-bodied and more bitter
people dancing on tables or seats, or than foreign brews, and always
even on the bar. Actually, this is the arouses the desire for more. The
norm here. most famous beers are Pilsener
Melantrichova 17, Prague 1 Urquell and Gambrinus from
Daily 8pm-4am (Fri-Sat till 5am) Plzeň (Pilsen), Budvar from
Cuba Libre CZK 95, Mojito CZK 140 České Budějovice (Budweis),
www.doubletrouble.cz Staropramen and Krušovice.
AL CAPONE’S €
Small and cozy cocktail bar in the
heart of the city. Low prices with fun
guaranteed - all that makes it a good CZECH SPIRITS
choice. If you prefer spirits, all the well-
Bartolomějská 3, Old Town known ones are available, the
Mon-Thr 5pm-2am, Fri 6pm-3am, most popular amongst Czech
Sat & Sun 6pm-midnight people being vodka followed by
rum and fernet. Fernet is a dark
BOMBAY COCKTAIL BAR €€ herbal bitter drink. Becherovka
Only a few steps from Old Town is another herbal spirit, origi-
Square you can find this busy, popu- nally from the Bohemian spa
lar music bar. It is quite small with town of Karlovy Vary. Another
a tiny dance floor. Regardless of its spirit you may come across is
size, it has a good atmosphere and ‘borovička’ (a juniper-flavoured
the best cocktails in town – guaran- spirit with the influence of an
teed. This bar attracts mainly inter- Italian grappa) and ‘myslivec’. If
national travellers. you will be invited to someone’s
Dlouhá 13, Old Town home you might be offered
Sun-Wen 7pm-4am, Thr 7pm-5am, ‘slivovice’ which is mostly home-
Fri-Sat 7pm-6am made brandy made from plums.
www.bombay-bar.cz
71
Entertainment and Nightlife
Entertainment
and Nightlife
Cheap drinks, good performances, ized by the use of black box theatre
and liberal prostitution laws all pull augmented by black light illusion.
in the crowds. Or opt for a more re- Not only is the city renowned for
laxed evening with a trip to a thea- producing some of history’s great
tre, art-house cinema or jazz club. composers, including Antonin Dvořák
Entertainment also takes the shape and Bedřich Smetana, but it also at-
of art museums and galleries, ope- tracted great composers from over-
ras and orchestras, arena concerts, seas, like Mozart, who premiered Don
with a calendar year jam-packed Giovanni in the city in 1787.
with festivals. Prague‘s theatre and concert ven-
Prague has a long musical tradition ues are all centrally located in the Old
which can provide a great opportu- Town and New Town, and the same
nity to enjoy a classic concert, either is true for most small and medium-
at a Baroque palace, summer castle scale jazz and rock venues. Žižkov has
garden or acoustic church. Some more late-night pubs and bars and
plays are performed in English, and Holešovice is good for nightlife, offer-
for much other entertainment knowl- ing several of the city‘s newest clubs
edge of Czech isn’t a barrier at all. and venues. Wenceslas Square and
For example, Black light theatre is a side-streets like Ve Smečkách are the
non-verbal performance character- centre of Prague‘s red light district.
73
Entertainment and Nightlife
IMAGE THEATRE
(Black Light Theatre)
Come to the theatre where dancers
will express their unspoken emotions
and overcome the laws of physics in
front of your eyes. The intense dark-
ness of the black theatre is full of
fantasy. Music will bring the inani-
mate to life, tragedy will change into
comedy and the unbelievable will
become reality. Moreover, your im-
agination will be fully awakened.
Národní 25, Old Town
Performances starting at 8pm
Tickets cost CZK 480
www.imagetheatre.cz
ESTATES THEATRE
The Estates Theatre is the old-
est theatre in Prague, famed as the
place where Mozart conducted the Night view of the old Estates Theatre
premiere of Don Giovanni on 29 Oc-
tober 1787. Mozartissimo – a medley NATIONAL MARIONETTE THEATRE
of highlights from several of Mozart’s The National Marionette Theatre has
operas, including Don Giovanni – is a long tradition in popular entertain-
performed here several times a week ment in Prague. Puppets and cos-
in the summer, see their website for tumed actors perform classical ope-
the exact performances showing, the ras like versions of Mozart‘s famous
rest of the year sees various opera, “opera of operas”‘, Don Giovanni,
ballet and drama productions. The as well as some lighter fare like the
theatre is equipped for the hearing- enchanting story of The Magic Flute.
impaired and has wheelchair access Another interesting performance is
(wheelchair bookings can be made the Puppet Gala Performance, a mix
up to five days in advance). of puppeteers‘ finest works.
Ovocný trh 6, Old Town Žatecká 1, Old Town
You can buy tickets up to CZK Performances starting at 8pm
1200 from any National Theatre box Tickets are around CZK 600
office www.mozart.cz
80
Church Concerts BASILICA OF ST. GEORGE
If you fancy a classical concert with a (Bazilika sv. Jiří)
difference during your trip to Prague, The oldest preserved religious build-
head to your nearest church. With ing in Prague. It is only a small venue,
one of the world’s most atheist pop- but this beautiful 10th century ba-
ulations, many of the city’s churches silica located in Prague Castle, and
have been deconsecrated for alter- home to the tombs of some very
native uses, with one of the major early princes is the best place to see
ones being as venues for classical mini-ensembles playing the likes of
music. It is ideal really – an opulent Mozart and Verdi.
and atmospheric setting deliberately U sv. Jiří, Prague Castle
designed to have excellent acoustic
qualities. ST. NICHOLAS’ CHURCH LESSER TOWN
(Kostel sv. Mikuláše)
BAROQUE LIBRARY HALL St. Nicholas’ Church, created by three
(Barokní knihovní sál) generations of the Dientzenhofer
With its stunning 18th-century fres- clan, was a favourite venue of Mozart,
coes and colourful stucco work, this so you’ll find local ensembles playing
monastery library hall is one of the the maestro’s music all year round.
most charming – if, for some reason, Lesser Town Square, Lesser Town
least used – concert halls in Prague.
You are always guaranteed high qual- BASILICA OF ST. JAMES
ity here, with regular performances by (Bazilika sv. Jakuba)
the Collegium Marianum ensemble. Known as an excellent venue for
Melantrichova 971/19, Old Town organ concerts, the organ here was
built in 1709 and retains its original
CHURCH OF ST. SIMON AND ST. JUDE tone structure to this day.
(Kostel sv. Šimona a Judy) Malá Štupartská 6, Old Town
This Jewish Quarter church may be
deconsecrated, but that does not
mean the aisles cannot still be rock-
ing. With a restored organ and excel-
lent acoustics, the Prague Symphony
Orchestra regularly uses this place
for chamber concerts and recitals,
while it is also a main venue in many
of Prague’s big music festivals.
Dušní 1, Josefov Basilica of St. James
81
Entertainment and Nightlife
Rock Clubs
Under the communist regime rock
and roll was banned, as it was con-
sidered too pro-western. Prague’s
rock scene was dominated by dis-
sident-era rock bands and highly
influential international acts, like
the Velvet Underground and the Roll-
ing Stones. But since 1989 after the
Velvet Revolution, the independent
rock and roll scene has flourished ROXY €½
and evolved here. Now the city offers Arrive at around midnight when the
many different rock venues of a good fun starts in the best club in town,
old rock and roll. Clubs such as FUTU- if funk, rock and techno is your fa-
RUM, KLUB 007 STRAHOV, BUNKR, PALÁC vourite. Drinks prices are very rea-
AKROPOLIS and ROXY usually host live sonable.
rock bands. Located at Dlouhá 33, Prague 1
Daily 7pm-5am
MUSIC BAR FUTURUM €½ www.roxy.cz
Futurum is quite a large club, having
a 500-person capacity, with a large VAGON CLUB €½
bar occupying the longest wall next With its entrance tucked away in a
to the dance floor. It is primarily a shopping arcade, Vagon is more like
rock club and because of its size, it a student union bar than a club as
is a venue for large bands to play – such, but it always has a friendly,
large in fame of course, not a band chilled-out atmosphere. There is live
with a giant drummer and yeti gui- music pretty much every night, from
tarist – to fill the large dance hall. local blues artists, through to Pink
There are 80s and 90s parties every Floyd and Led Zeppelin tribute bands
Friday and Saturday which specialise to classic Czech rock bands, includ-
in showing old video clips on a large ing regular performances by Plastic
screen. People of the Universe.
Zborovská 7, Prague 5 Národní 25, Prague 1
Mon-Thur 8pm-1am, Fri-Sat 9pm- Mon-Thur 7pm-5am,
5am, Sun 8pm-1am, concerts start Fri-Sat 7pm-6am, Sun 7pm-1am
around 9pm Admission free after 11pm
Admission start at CZK 100 otherwise CZK 100
http://futurum.musicbar.cz www.vagon.cz
82
Blues and Jazz Clubs Discos
For blues and/or jazz, some good Although Prague’s clubbing scene
performances can be caught at can’t be compared with the nightlife
U Malého Glena, near Lesser Town of London or Paris, there are some
Square. The performance area is discos in Prague which are well worth
very small with just a few tables. The a visit. RADOST FX is a club with en-
same goes for Ungelt Jazz and Blues during popularity, situated close to
Club, behind Týn Church. IP Pavlova metro. This club has many
visiting star DJs for their dance floor
UNGELT JAZZ & BLUES CLUB €½ downstairs. Upstairs, it is a lounge
A tiny club situated in the 15th-cen- and vegetarian restaurant and cof-
tury cellar of a Renaissance building. fee shop.
A mix of blues, funk and jazz sup- If you like funk and techno, then
plied by top Czech performers. They ROXY is the best club in town, lo-
feature live shows every night. cated close to Naměstí Republiky.
Týn 2, Old Town KARLOVY LÁZNĚ is a mega club near
www.jazzungelt.cz Charles Bridge, with four dance
floors, each floor dedicated to a dif-
U MALÉHO GLENA ferent music genre. This club is es-
Although there is only a tiny stage it pecially popular among tourists.
is worth it for its electric mix of Latin DUPLEX on Wenceslas Square is
jazz, be-bop and blues. This Irish- another disco popular with for-
pub-style club hosts a wide spectrum eign teenagers and even stag-party
of local bands playing jazz and blues. stragglers. LA FABRIQUE has a couple
Karmelitská 23, Lesser Town of dance floors, and is near Wenc-
Daily 10pm-2am eslas Square also, making it another
Mon, Tue and Thu 120 CZK; Wed, good centrally-located option.
Fri and Sat 150 CZK; Sun 70 CZK. If you want to experience a more
http://malyglen.cz/ Czech atmosphere, try the club KLUB
007 STRAHOV, which is popular with
BLUES SKLEP €½ the locals. LUCERNA MUSIC CLUB on
One of the city’s newer jazz clubs. Wenceslas Square is a fairly large
A mix of blues, jazz and deep funk is club and it regularly fills to capacity.
played here. Another favourite among young peo-
Liliová 10, Prague 1 ple is M1 SECRET LOUNGE on Masná,
Daily 8pm-3am near Old Town Square. The crowd
Admission CZK 100 is generally a mix of well-off young
www.bluessklep.cz Czechs and expat students.
83
Entertainment and Nightlife
Astronomical Clock
Top Sights
Prague Castle to the fabled Golem, and will take
The network of towers, churches, mu- you to what used to be a Jewish
seums, halls, gardens and palaces is ghetto in Prague.
virtually a village in itself.
Saint Vitus Cathedral
Charles Bridge Situated at the Prague Castle, and
Irrespective of whether you see positioned on the site of a tenth-
Charles Bridge on a misty morning, century Romanesque rotunda con-
or if you barge through the crowds in structed by Good King Wenceslas,
the afternoon, or if you see it at night Saint Vitus Cathedral is Prague Cas-
with its picturesque views of Prague tle’s most visited attraction.
Castle illuminated in the background,
travelling across Charles Bridge epit- Municipal House and
omises the Prague experience. Smetana Hall
The most noticeable Art Nouveau
Old Town Square and building in Prague is a cultural centre
Astronomical Clock that has an auditorium and exhibi-
In spite of the hordes of tourists, tion halls.
busy pavement cafés and rampant
commercialism, it is difficult to stop Trade Fair Palace
yourself from enjoying the specta- The starkly functional Veletržní Palác,
cle of the premier public square in constructed in 1928 to host interna-
Prague. The Astronomical Clock is tional trade events, turned into the
among the most popular sights of new venue for the National Gallery
Prague Old Town. museum of twentieth- and twenty-
first-century art.
Wenceslas Square
The top of this square has the Czech Estates Theatre
Republic national symbol – the Saint This is the oldest theatre in Prague
Wenceslas statue, designed by Mys- and well worth a visit for the fine ar-
lbek. chitecture and performances alone.
Now, this is the premier venue for
Old Jewish Quarter ‘Don Giovanni’ (the famous opera by
Small cobblestone streets are home Mozart).
87
Sights
Holešovice
Tucked into a U-bend in the
River Vltava, this dense, built-
up neighbourhood dates
from the late nineteenth-
DEJVICE B
century, but for centuries was
an area of fields and mead-
ows. Still today this suburb Vítězné
of Holešovice boasts two R O P S K Á nám.
EV
huge areas of green: Letná, H
DY
MILA
overlooking the city centre,
and, to the north, Stromovka,
Prague‘s largest public park,
L
bordering the Výstaviště fun- PRAGUE CASTLE
fair and trade fair grounds.
Karlín
This is surrounded by the
HRADČANY
Vltava river and Holešovice
on the northern side, Žižkov CHARLES B
and Vítkov hill on the south-
ern side, New Town on the PETŘÍN LESSER
VLTAVA
western side, and Libeň on
the eastern side. During HILL TOWN
2002, Karlín was seriously hit
by the thousand-year flood.
Since then, it has recovered
and become a new area for
residences and businesses.
KÁ
Even these days, Karlín re-
mains a rather shabby part
PLZEŇS
of Prague, with lots of cheap ANDĚL
hotels, situated close to the
Florenc bus station.
SMÍCHOV
90
U
UR
BUBENEČ AN
IE
HOLEŠOVICE
ÁK OVÉ
Y HOR S KÁ
OV
LETNÁ K OL
SO
E
JOSEFOV KARLÍN
OLD TOWN
VA
SQUARE ĚVO
KON
S BRIDGE WENCESLAS
SQUARE
ŽIŽKOV
OLD TELEVISION
TOWN VINO-
TOWER
ŽITNÁ HRADY
nám.
Míru SLEZSKÁ
DANCING
HOUSE
NEW TOWN
VYŠEHRAD V R Š O V IC K Á
91
Sights
out the years, it has been the scene who were trying to make s stone of
of several history making events. wisdom which would transform or-
For example, in 1618 the so-called dinary metals into gold and make
Prague defenestration took place the owner immortal at the same
here as did the death sentence of time. One alchemist in particular
27 anti-Habsburg rebels in 1621. This fueled these legends. The Viennese
palace was not built all at one time, professor Uhde lived on Golden Lane
but rather over many centuries in around 1830 and was known for be-
three main stages. The building that ing slightly off center. He would wear
stands now is also built over an 12th a long black coat and had a long
century Romanesque palace which white beard. He was constantly try-
now forms the cellar of the current ing to develop a stone of wisdom and
palace. The most significant con- one night his lab suffered an explo-
struction took place toward the end sion and created a fire. The professor
of the 15th century when architects suffered a stroke and he died with
linked the earlier spaces and created a smile while holding a nugget of
one large space. pure gold. In later years, Golden Lane
VLADISLAV HALL is also an impor- attracted the poor and the name
tant part of Prague Castle and today Golden became more irony than
is used for important state occasions. anything else. It was said that at the
It is made of two distinctly different time, there was only one toilet and
architectural styles with Renais- an open sewer ran down the middle
sance windows and entrances, but of the lane. It was around the turn
a Gothic ceiling. This hall used to be of the 19th century that Golden Lane
called the Great Throne Hall and was was renovated and several famous
originally used for special occasions writers lived here including Franz
such as coronations, feasts and even Kafka and Nobel Prize winning poet
jousting tournaments. When Rudolf Jaroslav Seifert.
II was emperor, it was used as an art Located next to the easternmost
market. gate into Prague Castle, the LOB-
Located behind the Convent of St. KOVICZ PALACE was built after a fire
George is the GOLDEN LANE. It gets its in 1541. However, it gets its current
name from the goldsmiths that lived looks from the 17th century when it
here in the 17th century. The areas was rebuilt for the Lobkovicz family.
is not only picturesque, but is also The banquet hall is the largest and
surrounded by numerous myths and still sports the mytological paintings
legends. For example, many of the from the 17th century. On the other
legends surround the alchemists side of the palace is the Black Tower
96
which was an original part of the regarded as the most valuable paint-
fortifications and later turned into a ings in the collection: Titian‘s Toilet
debtor’s prison. of a Young Lady, Tintoretto‘ s Flagel-
THE LEDEBURG, FURSTENBERG AND lation of Christ and Rubens‘s The As-
PALFFY GARDENS are located in spots sembly of the Olympic Gods. There
that would have one point been are other major works by great art-
working vineyards, but in the 16th ists including Hans von Aachen, Do-
century, nobility began to use the menico Fetti, Bartolomeo Spranger,
same ground for terraced gardens. Paolo Veronese and Jacopo Bassano.
These three gardens were then Gallery holds temporary exhibitions,
joined together to create one large but also has a small permanent ex-
one. Created in 1784, the Furstenberg hibition of pieces from the reign of
Garden was decorated with statues Rudolph II. Czech art is represented
and classic vases. The Palffy Garden by artists of the Baroque period by
still contains a sundial painted at the Kupecký and Brandt.
top of the staircase. The Ledenburg
Garden is home to a stunning sala Belvedere—The Royal
terrena and all can be accessed from Summer Palace
the Palffy Palace and are well worth To the north of the castle fortifica-
the trip. tions and across from the deep moat
stands Belvedere Palace, a pleas-
Prague Castle Gallery ant place to relax. The palace can
The collection of Prague Castle Gal- be seen from the tram if you take a
lery, housed in the beautiful Renais- ride up to the castle. Inside the Royal
sance stables at the northern end Summer Place, there are two domed
in the second courtyard, contains Renaissance halls and a main dance
around 400 paintings and drawings hall on the first floor with a wooden
of 16th to 18th century European coffered ceiling. It is embellished
Art. These paintings have been care- with paintings representing the his-
fully selected from about 4,000 that tory of the kingdom. In the garden
are currently in the possession of in front of the palace you can see
Prague Castle. A few works have sur- the bronze Singing Fountain built in
vived from the legendary collection 1568. The fountain acquired its name
of Rudolph II, but most were lost as because of the sound it makes when
spoils of war during the 17th century, the water drops on the metal foun-
moved to Vienna or sold—either tain bowls. The palace now hosts an
to the Saxons or in the “Josephine” art gallery and occasional exhibi-
auction of 1782. The following are tions.
97
Sights
N
1 Bartoň-Dobenín Chapel
15 14
2 Schwarzenberg Chapel
16
13
3 New Archbishops Chapel
(Hora Chapel)
11
12
4 Old Treasury (Cathedral Treasury
18
17
10 m
now in Holy Rood Chapel in the
second courtyard)
24 21 20 19
5 New Sacristy
10
10
9
Altar
High
6 Wohlmut’s Choir (Organ Gallery)
7 St Sigismund’s Chapel
(Czernin Chapel)
8 Old Sacristy
Choir
(formerly St Michael’s Chapel) 8
22
23
9 St Anne’s (Nostitz Chapel)
Pulpit
10 Historical reliefs
Royal
Mausoleum
11 Statue of Cardinal Friedrich Triforium
von Schwarzenberg
7
25
13 Chapel of St John the Baptist
South Doorway
(Pernstein Chapel)
14 Lady Chapel
26
(Trinity Chapel, Imperial Chapel) Tr an s ep t
6
15 Tomb of St Vitus
16 Reliquary Chapel
(Saxon Chapel, Sternberg Chapel)
Tower
17 Tomb of St John of Nepomuk High
27
5
(Magdalene Chapel)
20 Royal Oratory (Vladislav Oratory)
29
24 Martinitz Chapel
2
Tower
South
North
27 Hasenburg Chapel
28 Chapter Library
29 Thun Chapel
30 Chapel of Holy Sepulchre
31 St Ludmila’s Chapel (Baptistery)
West Doorway
Tickets: Free admission for the small area of the Cathedral; but a charge
is applicable for the crypt, the tower (with amazing views) and the choir.
100
fice.
EATING
SHOPPING
N Lion´s Den
Old Riding School (Wine-bar)
(Exhibition Hall) St Ma
ry´s W
Hradčany
ork Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
Hercules
Brusnice Fountain
r
R o ya l G a
e
rden
e
Ball Game Hall
Powd
Singing
Bridg
National Arch- Spanis Deer P
Gallery h Hall
Mihulka it Fountain Belvedere
Bastion Castle
Garden Gallery Vikárka Tower
bishopˇs Restaurant Brusnice
Second Vicarsˇ Lane White
Courtyard New Tower
Palace St Vitus´s Provost´s
Lodging St George´s Daliborka
Cathedral Convent Café Golden La
ne Tower
St George´s
Old Provost´s Square Wine Bar Old Burgrave´s
First St George
´s
yši
Na
Square Tower
Third Royal Convent for Noble Ladies Lobkowitz
Courtyard Palace Palace Bastion Old
Salm Ne Castle
w Defene- Steps
Palace Ca stration Garden
stl
eS Paradise Rampart
u tep Garden
s Music 100 m
ad Fountain
Hr Matthias Pavilion
Ke
101
Pavilion
Sights
103
Sights
Charles Bridge
The 14th-century Charles Bridge
(Karlův most) lined with Baroque
statues ranks among the most pop-
ular tourist attractions in the city.
Strolling this charming bridge, with
its impressive vistas over Prague
Castle and the Vltava River, is eve-
rybody’s favourite activity. Unfor-
Old Town Hall (Old Town Square) tunately Charles Bridge is a victim
110
of its own popularity – most of the From 9am till late, expect souvenir
time it is packed with tourists and stands and postcard sellers, as well
Czechs alike, especially during the as an endless variety of street musi-
spring and summer months. To avoid cians playing their hearts out for you
crowds and snapshotting tourists as you stroll across. You can even
blocking stunning views, you have to have your portrait drawn by carica-
either wake up early or come late. To turists, which makes a nice souvenir
experience the bridge with its most to bring back home.
romantic, quiet atmosphere, morn- The famous Charles Bridge crosses
ing is the best time to enjoy a less the River Vltava in Prague. This “sol-
crowded walk, or to take a leisurely id-land” connection made Prague
stroll across the bridge with the im- important as a trade route between
pressively-lit streets of Prague in the east and west Europe. The bridge
background at late evening. was originally called Stone Bridge or
111
Sights
The place on Charles Bridge, where St. John of Nepomuk was thrown in the river in
the year 1393, is connected with a nice legend. Touch the brassy cross here – and
whatever you wish, it will come true!
Prague Bridge, but has been “Charles turies. Perhaps the most interesting
Bridge” since 1870. statue, and oldest, is that of St. John
King Charles IV‘s favourite archi- Nepomuk (number eight from the
tect and builder, Peter Parléř, built right as you cross towards the cas-
the present-day bridge. The initial tle). Sculptures decorating the bridge
idea was to build a functional con- date back mainly to the Baroque pe-
struction for jousting tournaments riod – from the 18th century. The most
and for many years the only deco- remarkable statues were created by
ration on the bridge was a simple Matyáš Braun and F. M. Brokoff.
crucifix. But later, the desire of the The Bridge, which is 516 metres
Catholics for ornamentation resulted (1692 feet) long, contains 16 pillars
in 30 statues being built between and three bridge towers. One of the
1600 and 1800. towers, the Old Town Bridge Tower, is
Today most of the statues are cop- considered to be the most beautiful
ies, due to damage caused by various bridge tower in Europe due to its rich
floods and catastrophes over the cen- sculptural decoration.
112
Lesse
r Town S
quare
Charles Bridge
Old Town Square
113
Sights
View of Prague‘s red rooftops from the Old Town Hall Tower
116
The house “At the Minute”
Next to Old Town Hall, the house “At the Minute” was Franz Kafka‘s childhood home.
The Renaissance-era house has black and white designs covering the facade
117
Sights
Charles Bridge
Wencesla
121
s Square
Sights
Church of Our Lady before Týn (Kostel Matky Boží před Týnem)
This magnificent church dominates one side of Old Town Square. This Gothic-look-
ing church with twin towers has a rich Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque interior.
A beautiful entranceway decorated with scenes of Christ‘s passion and a huge
Rococo altar on the northern wall are its most striking features. To the right of the
altar there is the tomb of the Danish astronomer Tycho de Brahe, who worked at the
court of the Emperor Rudolph II. Týn church has a grand-sounding pipe organ and
is occasionally a concert venue. The entrance to the church is through the passage
from Old Town Square no. 14
122
Old Town Square from a bird‘s eye view
123
Sights
The major historical sites are all stores, restaurants and shopping
within walking distance of the street centres dominate the scene, while
and are worth walking step-by step. modern art installations appear in
At the northern end of the square, the summer. However, this street
you can find the Neo-Renaissance became a real shopping centre only
National Museum. Another signifi- after the opening of shopping pas-
cant building is Koruna Palace – a sages built at the end of the 1990s.
covered shopping arcade with a stun-
ning glass dome dating from 1911.
Na Příkopě
If there is to be only one street in
Prague symbolising a shopping para-
dise, it would be Na Příkopě Street,
slanting down from Republic Square
and the Powder Tower to the north-
ern tip of Wenceslas Square. Chain- Na Příkopě
126
e
us
Ho
al
cip
ni
Mu
Wenceslas Square
127
Sights
Dancing House
The Dancing House, nicknamed
‘Fred and Ginger’ is an office and
hotel building. It was built in 1997
by Croatian born Czech architect
Vlado Milunič in co-operation with
American architect Frank Gehry. It
was built on a vacant riverfront plot,
next to a building owned by Czech
playwright and former president Vá-
clav Havel, whose strong support for
avant-garde architecture was instru-
mental in getting the controversial
design approved and built. Known in
Czech as Tančící dům (‘the Dancing
House’), this building vaguely resem-
bles a pair of dancers and stands
out, but without clashing with, the
Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Art The crisply formal atmosphere is
Nouveau buildings that Prague is perfect for a special celebration.
famous for. The building’s tenants The junction where Resslova
include several multinational firms. meets the river at Rašínovo nábřeží
There is a highly-rated French res- 80. The restaurant is located on the
taurant on the roof with magnificent 7th floor
views over the Vltava river and the Daily noon-11pm
castle. French fine cuisine, with sea- Mains are reasonably priced
food and meat dishes and a few veg- (from CZK 365 to CZK 600)
etarian main courses, is on the menu. www.tancici-dum.cz
130
David Černý is a Jewish–Czech sculptor whose works can be seen in many locations
in Prague. His works tend to be quite controversial
131
Sights
Pařížská Street
Pařížská Street, the ultimate bour-
geois avenue, thanks to its location,
has always been a street with a high
concentration of luxurious shops,
swanky cafés, restaurants and bars.
This street runs off Old Town Square
to the River Vltava and bisects the
Jewish Quarter. It is an easy walk
from some of the best five-star ho-
Franz Kafka Statue tels in Prague.
134
Agnes of Bohemia tending the sick by the Bohemian Master from 1482
207
5,8,24,26,5
1,54,56
137
Municipal House
Sights
Hall of Mirrors
Fun for all located on Petřín Hill. This
pavilion was built in 1891 for the
Jubilee Exhibition, and later trans-
ferred to Petřín. There is a dioramic
picture commemorating the battle
of students with Swedes on Charles
Bridge in 1648 and the subsequently
constructed hall of mirrors.
Nebozízek Restaurant
The food is not that great but the
views from the terrace are spectacular.
The restaurant is often full, so to en-
sure seating reserve a table. Petřínské
sady and Lesser Town can be reached
from the funicular‘s second stop.
www.nebozizek.cz
Vrtba Garden
Vrtba Garden is situated on the slope n Petřín Look-Out Tower
of Petřín Hill and is one of the most
precious and beautiful of Prague‘s
Baroque gardens.
139
Sights
Petřin
Look-Out
Tower
Petřín Hill
12,20,22,57
l
Pe třin Hil
way to
lar Rail
Funicu
Hladová zeď (Hunger Wall)
141
Sights
The Three Fiddles – one of many beautiful house signs on Nerudova Street
,57
2
0,2
,2
12
Charles Bridge
145
Sights
Vyšehrad
149
Tours and Excursions Best Deals
Tours and Excursions
Italian Court
TOUR DETAILS
— Tour date/time: Daily starting
at 8:45am.
— Price: CZK 1690 per person.
— Includes: Fully-guided tour,
lunch and Moser glass factory
tour.
Baroque colonnade
160
Thermal mineral water
TOUR DETAILS
— Tour date/time: Recom-
Karlovy Vary mended pick-up time: from
(7 or 9-hour private tour) 7am to 1pm. There are two
Flexible private excursion. different lengths of tours –
On demand anytime you wish, one seven hours in duration,
exclusive of entrance fees and guide and the other nine hours. With
the short tour, there are three
hours of free time at the des-
tination, and with the longer
tour there are five hours of
free time.
— Prices 7-hour tour:
1-4 people – CZK 3600.
5-8 people – CZK 4400.
— Prices 9-hour tour:
1-4 people – CZK 4600.
5-8 people – CZK 5000.
— Excludes: Tour guide and
entrance fees.
161
Tours and Excursions Best Deals
TOUR DETAILS
— Tour date/time: Recommend-
ed pick-up time: from 7am to
1pm. There are two different
lengths of tours – one is 8½
hours in duration, and the
other is 11 hours.
— Price: Prices quoted are for a
whole group.
— 8½-hour tour:
1-4 people – CZK 4500.
5-8 people – CZK 5700.
— 11 hour tour:
1-4 people – CZK 5000.
5-8 people – CZK 6200.
— Excludes: Tour guide and any
entrance fees. Castle entrance
fee varies from CZK 35 to CZK
300 per person.
Terezín Memorial
TOUR DETAILS
— Tour date/time: Recommend-
ed pick-up time: from 8am to
2pm. Free time at destination:
3 hrs 30 min (tour of Terezín
memorial complex takes about
1 hr 30 min to 2 hours).
— Prices: Prices shown are for a
whole group.
1-4 people – CZK 2500.
5-8 people – CZK 3200.
— Excludes: Memorial tour guide
and entrance fees. Terezin
Memorial entrance fee is CZK
200 and is paid directly by the
customer.
165
Tours and Excursions Best Deals
TOUR DETAILS
— Tour date/time: Recom-
mended pick-up time: from
10am to 1pm.
Free time at destination: 4
hours. This is sufficient to visit
the Pilsen Brewery (including
Brewery Museum), have lunch,
and still have time for a quick
visit to the city centre. The city
can be easily seen on foot.
— Prices: Prices shown are for
a whole group.
1-4 people – CZK 3200.
5-8 people – CZK 4000.
— Excludes: Entrance fees to the
Pilsen Brewery or any other
entrance fees, which should be
paid directly by the customer.
166
167
Tours and Excursions Best Deals
TOUR DETAILS
Our private excursions are — Tour date/time: Recommend-
completely flexible and even ed pick-up time is from 9am to
your itinerary can be tailored to 2pm, except Mondays when the
exactly what you want to see. castle is closed (also closed
As well as being able to adjust during the winter months of
your itinerary on a private tour, January and February)..
you can also choose your own — Prices:
time for your tour, and how 1-4 people – CZK 1750.
much time you spend at each 5-8 people – CZK 2150.
attraction (if you want to cut — Excludes: Tour Guide and en-
your tour short, or extend your trance fees are not included.
time, for example, we’ll adjust Castle entrance fee starts at
the price/waiting fee on the CZK 250 for a guided 50 to
spot). 60-minute tour.
169
Tours and Excursions Best Deals
Dresden (11-hour tour) Art Gallery you can admire the “Six-
Regularly organised excursion tin Madonna”, the famous picture by
shared with others, guided and Raphael, as well as many notable
including all fees works by the Old Masters from the
From a fishing village, Dresden grew 14th to 17th centuries (Rubens, Rem-
into a spa and a royal residence, and brandt, Poussin etc.).
later became the capital of Saxony.
The galleries of Zwinger and Alberti-
num, the Hofkirche and Frauenkirche TOUR DETAILS
churches, and Semper‘s Opera are — Tour date/time: This tour
among the most important sights of starts at 8.45am and only oper-
Dresden. During the 2nd World War ates on Tue. Wed., Thus. and Fri.
the city was completely destroyed — Price: CZK 1750 per person.
by a massive bombardment, but was — Includes: Free pickup from
renovated and rebuilt. In the famous your hotel (optional).
Baroque palace of Zwinger and the
170
Dresden
(10-hour private tour)
Flexible private excursion.
On demand anytime you wish,
exclusive of entrance fees and guide
TOUR DETAILS
— Tour date/time: Recom-
mended pick-up time is from
7am to 11am.
— Prices:
1-4 people – CZK 4320.
5-8 people – CZK 5310.
— Excludes: Tour Guide and en-
trance fees are not included.
171
Language If you are keen to learn some basic
words and phrases, we recommend
The national language is Czech. How- the Czech phrase book by Lonely
ever, English is widely spoken (espe- Planet. Believe or not, even knowing
cially by the younger generation), as a few short sentences will always de-
is German and Russian (mostly by light the locals, who will be pleased
the older generation). Czech is the at your efforts and admire your trying.
national language though. Czechs usually speak German,
Unlike English, each Czech letter is English or Russian as a second
always pronounced the same way, so language though their ability will
once you are familiar with the Czech vary. This may be more obvious
alphabet you will be able to read. when talking with the older genera-
Stress is usually on the first syllable tion. Before the revolution in 1989,
of a word. The Czech language can learning Russian was compulsory in
be quite difficult to learn and many schools. Today, almost no one learns
English speakers find it very hard to Russian and most people prefer to
pronounce. speak English or German.
Pronunciation ň as ni in opinion
a as in cat q is pronounce kv
á as in bar r is rolled
c as ts in its ř combines rolled r and zh sound
č as ch in cheap in measure
ch as ch in loch š as ss in mission
ď as in duration ť as t in overture
e as in elf u as on could
é as ea in wear ú and ů as oo in soon
ě as ye in yell w is pronounced v
i as in kit y as i in kit
í as ie in belief ý as ie in belief
j as y in yellow ž as zh sound in measure
173
Famous Czechs
Politicians Soccer Players
• Václav Havel (1936-2011) • Petr Čech (*1982)
Czech playwright and dissident and • Pavel Nedvěd (*1972)
later Czech president, one of the • Tomáš Rosický (*1980)
great men to emerge from the anti- • Josef Masopust (1931-2015)
communist revolutions.
• Václav Klaus (*1941) Tennis Players
former prime minister and ex- • Tomáš Berdych (*1985)
president of the Czech Republic. • Ivan Lendl (*1960)
• Madeleine Albright (*1937) • Petra Kvitová (*1990)
Czech-born American politician and • Radek Štěpánek (*1978)
diplomat. • Martina Navratilová (*1956)
174
Notes
175
Disclaimer
This book has been written to
Copyright 2018 provide information to help
Prague Airport Transfers s.r.o.® you during your visit to Prague.
Every effort has been made to
make this book as complete
and accurate as possible. How-
ever, there may be mistakes in
typography or content. Also,
All rights are reserved. this book contains information
No part of this book may be repro- on seeing Prague only up to
duced or transmitted in any form the publishing date. Therefore,
without the written permission of the this report should be used as
author, except for the inclusion a guide – not as an ultimate
of brief quotations in a review. source of Prague tourist infor-
mation.
MANAGING EDITOR: Štěpán Jara The purpose of this book is to
educate. The author and pub-
LAYOUT: Radek Havlíček lisher do not warrant that the
information contained in this
PHOTOS: Royalty-Free Stock Photos book is fully complete and shall
by Depositphotos, Dreamstime, not be responsible for any er-
Icponline and Shutterstocks rors or omissions. The author
and publisher shall have nei-
Ideas for future editions? ther liability nor responsibility
[email protected] to any person or entity with
respect to any loss or damage
MAPS PROVIDED BY: caused or allegedly caused di-
Služby cestovního ruchu rectly or indirectly by this book.
a kartografie, s.r.o., IČ: 60915790,
[email protected] Stay in touch
The copyright remains the sole For up-to-date information,
property of SCRK.CZ, and any advice and tips about Prague
unlicensed reproduction of maps visit www.prague-guide.co.uk
is strictly forbidden.
Advertising
26th edition [email protected]
Published January 2018
176
Rental of a Limousine
Spoil yourself and hire a top class luxury limousine to travel from
the airport, to a wedding, for a romantic tour of Prague or simply for
a luxury transfer from your hotel to the theatre or restaurant.
Call us on freephone
800 870 888 or +420 222 554 211
email us at [email protected]
or book online at our website.
WWW.PRAGUE-AIRPORT-TRANSFERS.CO.UK