Prague – Czech Republic
This month my mother and I went on a weekend trip to Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. After driving 7 hours to the heart of central Europe, I got to see the beautiful historical buildings in the center of the largest city in the Czech Republic. Now, after my visit, I wanted to share my experiences and tips for when you want to visit Prague, too.
Transportation
My mother and I drove to Prague with our car on a Thursday in May. We arrived at the hotel, located right at the Wenceslas Square, in the afternoon. The city was very full and it was hard to drive through the streets. Thankfully we reserved a parking spot at our hotel – otherwise we would have spent hours for finding a place to leave our car at and we would have needed to spent a lot of money on parking, too. I recommend asking at your hotel about parking options if you are planning on traveling by car, too. After we parked, my mom and I did not use the car in the city at all. Everything was close by and walkable. I have to admit that on some days we were tired from walking, but if we would have wanted, we could have used the public transportation.
Prague has a lot of trams. I recommend watching out when crossing the streets, especially if you are not used to trams on the streets. You are better not looking at your phone when crossing the street for your own safety.
Sights
The Prague Castle
There are multiple sights that should be on your list when visiting Prague, but one of the main sights is the Prague Castle, that is located in the antique neighborhood of the city. The castle is composed of multiple parts: The entrance of the palace courtyard, the St. Vitus Cathedral, the Vladislav Hall located in the Old Royal Palace, St. Georg’s Basilica, and the Golden Lane.
Me and my mom booked a “guide” with our visit, but you can also visit the place without booking a guide. However, you need a ticket to enter each building. Our guide unfortunately, just introduced the buildings to us so we knew what each one was about, but we had to explore the places on our own. If you do not book a guide for the castle I recommend reading about each place prior your visit e.g. on the website. On the castle’s website you can inform yourself also about tickets and open hours. I recommend to visit the castle earlier in the morning because then it is less full.
The Guard Ceremony
Once you visit the castle, to not miss the guard ceremony everyday at 12pm. You should be there half an hour prior the ceremony, so you get to have a good view on what is happening. I recommend combining the ceremony with the visit of the Prague Castle since it is at the same place and getting to the castle requires a little more walking, if you are exploring on foot. Here you can get a first impression:
The Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge, built in the 14th century, is a very known bridge in Prague that you should definitely see at least once. It connects the Prague Castle with the old town in Prague. Especially at night the bridge brings a gorgeous view because it is lit up. The bridge crosses the river Vltava.
The Astronomical Clock in Prague
Also know as “The Orloj” the clock in Prague is one of the main attractions in the city. It is attached to the old town hall and was built 1410.
The Wenceslas Square
This place is located in the center of the capital and reminds of the Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia. This heart of Prague is featured by many stores, and cafés that lead to an awesome shopping experience. My mom and I spent many hours visiting at the square.
Head of Franz Kafka
The Head of Franz Kafka is a rotating statue that turns every 15 minutes. In one whole hour the head rotates once completely. Franz Kafka is a very famous author who lived in the Golden Lane for a while where he also wrote some of his influential pieces in the 20th century.
Food
Prague is full of restaurants and cafés. If you want to eat at a specific restaurant you should reserve a day prior because some restaurants end up being full very fast. Especially the famous Café Savoy usually requires a reservation at least 2 days before your visit.
However, if you visit Prague you won’t unsee the traditional desert “Trdelník” or also named “Chimney cake”. The famous street food is something you should definitely try. The bakery comes with different flavors and can also be served with ice cream inside.
You can get a “Trdelník” almost everywhere in Prague. The stores reminded me of ice cream shops and I enjoyed getting to try the Czech taste.
Conclusion
Visiting Prague was a very exciting, and I recommend to visit the city get an impression of the beauty on your own. You do not need to plan an entire week for your visit, it is enough to spent three or four days there. However, I believe that the city is a must-see in Europe because of the unique history and the imposing architecture that the capital offers.
