Prague

The “City of a Hundred Spires,” with Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and the Astronomical Clock, Bohemian beer and Christmas markets, and the Bone Church and castles nearby.

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, straddling both banks of the Vltava. Having been almost untouched by World War II, it has preserved architecture from every era, including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau, and is known as the “City of a Hundred Spires”; its historic center was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The east bank holds the Old Town (Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, the Jewish Quarter) and the New Town (Wenceslas Square, the National Museum, the Dancing House). The west bank has the castle district on the hill (Prague Castle, Strahov Monastery, Loreto) and the Lesser Town below (St. Nicholas Church, Kampa Island, Petřín Hill), with Charles Bridge linking the two banks; Vyšehrad to the south on the river is the legendary site of the city's founding. For day trips, head to the Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Church) and the Cathedral of St. Barbara in Kutná Hora, 65 km away, or to Karlštejn Castle, 30 km away. April–June and September–October have the most pleasant weather, and May brings the Prague Spring music festival; July–August has the biggest crowds; the Christmas market on Old Town Square in December is fairytale-like. From the airport, take bus 119 and then Metro Line A, about 40 minutes to the center; the metro and trams are dense, tram 22 goes straight up to the castle, 30-minute and 24-hour tickets work on all of them, and the historic center is best explored on foot. Plan on 3 days: the Old Town and Jewish Quarter, the Castle and Lesser Town, and the New Town with Vyšehrad or a day trip, one day each. Tips: pickpockets work the crowds at the Astronomical Clock's hourly show; taxi overcharging is serious, so use Bolt/Uber; avoid street currency exchange booths; watch for bread charges and service fees in restaurants.

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Itineraries