Would you like to visit Prague but you are pressed for time? Tips for Trips brings you some great ideas how to discover the most beautiful places in a single day. You can use these instructions, of course, as tips for one-day trips and you can extend your stay to two days or a long weekend. Prague is reputed to be one of the most beautiful cities world-wide, already since the Middle Ages. Its unique historic centre is included in UNESCO’s List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, together with Prague Castle, Charles Bridge and many churches, palaces and gardens. Moreover, Prague is a city of an unforgettable atmosphere; it is vibrant and romantic, majestic and slightly mysterious as well as friendly and intimate. So what is the cocktail of new places, history and experience that Prague has mixed for you?
Where to Go If You Plan Staying for a Single Day in Prague
A good way to familiarise yourself with the most famous Prague sights is to stroll on the
Royal Way. The most beautiful tourist route through the historic centre, that once witnessed coronation processions of Czech kings and queens, starts in the Republic Square near the
Municipal House and finishes at
St. Vitus Cathedral at
Prague Castle. This route through centuries, passing along palaces, houses, churches and other sights of all architectural styles, measures almost three and many houses decorated with historic house signs. Those of you who love cubism can admire the
Black Madonna House, situated on the corner of Celetná Street and Ovocný trh, a true jewel among Prague cubist buildings built by Josef Gočár in 1911-1912.If you have some more time you can visit the
Czech Cubism Museum, one of the exhibitions organised under the
National Gallery, and relax in the
Grand Café Orient, the only cubist café in the world!
Royal Way leads through Old Town Square where you can find the
Old Town City Hall. Its front facade features the renowned
Prague Astronomical Clock; its parade of twelve apostles with other moving elements can be watched from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. at the top of the hour.
To the west
Prague Castle you will find narrow streets of the so called New World that will entice you to be explored as well as the Loreta Square featuring the
Loreta, a baroque complex with the so called Santa Casa, surrounded by cloisters, the Church of the Nativity and its world-famous carillon.
Around the Royal Way
The
Royal Way will show you the best of Prague’s historic centre but it is often enough to make a couple more steps to discover countless interesting places if you follow your map carefully.
From Old Town Square, for instance, it is only a short way to get to the sights of the former
Prague Jewish Town. Do not miss visiting at least shortly the old Jewish cemetery, the
Old-New Synagogue or the Spanish Synagogue. If time is on your side the
Jewish Museum has vast exhibitions that are worth visiting.
Charles Bridge you will cross the romantic island called
Kampa. You will find there the
Museum Kampa with 20th century art collections, a wide range of cafés and restaurants as well as pleasant places for your relaxation, many picturesque corners and the nearby famous Lennon’s Wall, near the Velkopřevorské Square.
In LesserTown Square (“Malostranské náměstí”) you will be able to admire one of the jewels of Prague baroque style,
St. Nicolas' Church, with a monumental dome and a bell tower. If you turn to Karmelitská Street, you will discover after several dozens of metres an inconspicuous entrance to the beautiful baroque
Vrtbovská Garden. Just a few steps from here you will see the Church of Our Lady of Victory where you can have a look at the famous
Infant Jesus of Prague. The statuette of Infant Jesus is said to perform miracles and is worshipped by Roman Catholics all around the world as an eternal symbol of innocence and purity. Karmelitská Street will take you to Újezd where you can take a
funicular to the Petřín hill, with a
lookout tower and a
mirror labyrinth.
When Prague Attracts You and Gets Hold of You
Prague might become for you what it was for the writer Franz Kafka: golden mother of hundred spires that never lets you go once you fall into its clutches. Don’t mourn time, extend your stay and discover more and more beautiful places the capital of the Czech Republic has to offer.
Mentioning Kafka, we can go on in this direction:
Franz Kafka Museum, located in “Hergetova cihelna”, is definitely worth visiting. If you want to choose from the numerous Prague museums, try the
National Museum in Wenceslas Square, the Museum of Decorative Arts,
National Technical Museum,
Public Transport Museum,
Museum of Communism or the
Absintherie, for example: the museum of absinth with a shop and a café where you can taste from French, Swiss and Czech absinths. In summer months you can travel on board a pleasure boat from Prague centre to Troja, for example, where you can visit the
zoo and a
botanical garden. In addition, if you want to enjoy a really nice view on the heart of Europe of hundred spires, the most beautiful sceneries are to be seen from the
National Monument at Vítkov or
Vyšehrad, a baroque citadel with underground tunnels and halls and a cemetery called Slavín where famous Czech personalities were buried.