Prague. Photo: Shutterstock Prague is one of those cities where you can spend a full day exploring the famous sights and still feel as though you barely scratched the surface. In fact, no matter how many times you return to the beautiful European city, the feeling is the same: there is still so much more to see and do here, well beyond Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and the Astronomical Clock.
Getting from Prague Airport to the city center is quite easy. The trolleybus 59 combined with Metro Line A is generally one of the easiest public transport options. Bus 100 connects with Metro Line B, while the Airport Express provides a direct connection to Prague Main Station.
For a first visit, be sure to check your route before landing, based on where you plan on setting your base.
Known as one of the continent’s most walkawable cities, Prague is packed with medieval streets, riverside spots, and cool cafés tucked into hidden corners ready to be explored with ease. The city’s tram and metro system is also there to assist you when your tired feet give in from time to time.
If you are interested in…
Landmarks, choose accommodation in the Old Town (Staré Město)
Postcard views, choose Malá Strana, nestled beneath Prague Castle
Peace and quiet, choose accommodation on Kampa Island along the Devil's Canal (Čertovka) and near the Vltava River
Under-the-radar stays, opt for Vinohrady & New Town
Bohemian decor, choose the Žižkov area
Photo: SHEE HENG CHONG / Shutterstock.comStart with Petřín Hill, especially now that Prague's historic funicular is back in regular service starting September 22. The railway runs between Újezd, Nebozízek and Petřín, making it an easy way to reach one of the city's best-known green spaces without turning the climb into a workout.
The ride takes about four minutes and costs around €4 for a basic single journey, or about €3.60 when purchased through the mobile app. Children under 15 and seniors over 65 can travel free, while the funicular is also covered by valid 24-hour and 72-hour public transport tickets.
The ride, however, is only the beginning. Petřín is somewhere I would give myself several hours to explore.
The hill has gardens, wooded paths and plenty of quiet corners, along with the Petřín Lookout Tower, which was built in 1891 and inspired by the Eiffel Tower. The Mirror Maze is nearby and makes an easy stop, particularly if I am traveling with children.
Gaaratik / Shutterstock.comPetřín has another attraction that is much easier to miss. The Magical Cavern is a small fantasy-style art space created by a Czech painter. Inside, the experience feels completely removed from the Prague outside the door. The rooms are filled with glowing colors, strange creatures and dreamlike scenes from Argondian's imagined realm of Argondia.
Photo: marketa1982 / Shutterstock.comGrotta Cave in Havlíčkovy sady, better known as Grébovka, is an artificial cave created after 1870 that features several levels of artificial rock formations, passageways and terraces, along with a fountain and viewpoints.
The cave is free to visit. Havlíčkovy sady is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from November through March and until midnight from April through October. The park can be entered from U Havlíčkových sadů.
A river cruise is one of the easiest ways to see Prague from another angle. Boats pass beneath Charles Bridge and by Kampa Island, the Rudolfinum and the Old Town Bridge Tower, with Prague Castle visible above Malá Strana.
Photo: ShutterstockFor more action, Prague Kayak Experience offers kayaking on the river. SUP Prague also offers paddleboarding and canoe options. On a warm day, getting onto the Vltava rather than simply photographing it would be an easy change of pace.
For an evening, I would swap a conventional restaurant for Medieval Tavern “U Pavouka” in the Old Town.
The experience combines a multi-course Czech-inspired meal with sword fights, jugglers, belly dancers, fire performances and historical-style live music. The show lasts about 2.5 hours, with beer, wine and soft drinks included.
It is deliberately theatrical, with wooden tables, a dark tavern atmosphere and performers moving around the diners.
Photo: ShutterstockWhile exploring the city, be sure not to skip some of the landmark foods there, including trdelník, the famous chimney cake you’ll see being prepared at food stalls around the Old Town, Czech goulash, the famous bowl of rich beef stew with dumplings, or palačinky, the Czech take on thin pancakes (try them with jam and cream).
A beer spa is one of those Prague experiences that sounds slightly ridiculous until you actually try it. Instead of simply drinking a Czech beer, you sit in a private wooden tub filled with warm water, hops, malt and brewer’s yeast, while a cold beer is waiting for you on tap.
The Original Beer Spa uses large hand-carved oak tubs and beer-brewing ingredients, followed by time to relax on a wheat-straw bed.
There are several places offering the experience around Prague. Original Beer Spa has locations in central Prague, including Žitná and Rybná, while SPA BEERLAND - The First Tank Beer Spa Prague is on Revoluční 22. Spa Beerland also has a more unusual castle-style location in Hradčany, where the treatment takes place in a historic setting inspired by an alchemist’s workshop.
Prague's historic trams are an attraction in themselves, and Vintage Tram No. 42 is a fun way to see more of the city.
Photo: Dmytro Surkov / Shutterstock.comThe sightseeing route passes more than 60 landmarks, including Prague Castle, Malá Strana and the Powder Tower. It also reaches areas around Petřín and Strahov.
Prague has a surprisingly large collection of places that feel as though they have wandered out of a fantasy story.
CukrCafé Blackulus on Sokolská is a Harry Potter-style café with wizard-themed decorations, books, potions, elixirs and sweets. It is not an official Harry Potter venue, but it is an obvious stop for fans of the wizarding world.
Magická sova in Vinohrady takes the idea further as a wizard-themed bar with fantasy décor, magical cocktails, desserts, books and board games. It also hosts Harry Potter-themed movie nights and is aimed at visitors aged 12 and over.
For something completely different, Green Flamingo Absinthe Bar in the Old Town focuses on absinthe and absinthe cocktails. Its colorful interior makes it another unusual evening option.
Photo: ShutterstockOne of Prague's oldest surviving markets dates back to 1232 and continues to sell everything from fruit and flowers to Prague magnets, postcards, wooden toys, ceramics, jewelry and glass items.
Photo: Alex_Mastro / Shutterstock.comPrices vary between sellers, so I would walk around before buying. The location is particularly convenient, sitting between Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square.
Photo: Aniczkania / Shutterstock.comThe Astronomical Clock remains one of the Prague sights I would not skip. Dating to 1410, the Orloj is one of the world's oldest astronomical clocks still operating.
Every hour, its moving figures perform the Walk of the Apostles. I would arrive a few minutes early because the square can become crowded around the hour.
Photo: Travel Faery / Shutterstock.comNext, head toward the Dancing House on the Vltava riverfront, also known as “Fred and Ginger” because its two towers resemble a dancing couple.
Another quick stop is David Černý's Franz Kafka Rotating Head near Národní třída. The 11-meter sculpture is made from 42 stainless-steel layers that rotate independently, repeatedly breaking apart and reforming Kafka's face.
Leon Rafael / Shutterstock.comSlow things down with a concert at the Mirror Chapel inside the Klementinum.
Photo: Nadezda Murmakova / Shutterstock.comThe Baroque interior is decorated with mirrors and frescoes, making it an atmospheric setting for classical music.
Its location, close to Charles Bridge and Old Town Square, also makes it easy to combine with dinner and an evening walk.
While you can tick off the famous sights, the experiences you will remember most are often the stranger, quieter and more unexpected ones. Give yourself time to wander, take a wrong turn, stop for something sweet or a Czech beer, and let the city surprise you. Even after several visits, Prague still manages to leave something new for the next trip.