How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is an amazing city of bridges, beer and beautiful Old World architecture right in the heart of Eastern Europe. While not the hidden gem that it was 10 or 15 years ago, Prague in many ways is the better for it, with new restaurants and bars now competing with Prague’s traditional draws for your attention. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy your trip.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Get to Prague. Not many people will fly directly into Prague; rather, most make the city their second destination in Europe, after Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam or London. What’s great is that it’s now very easy to get to Prague from any of those locations with the advent of cheap European airlines like Ryanair. If you fly in and out of London, for example, it’s now possible to fly for a weekend in Prague during your stay for about €30 each way, including taxes. Also, the train route from Berlin is a beautiful six-hour ride through the countryside.

2. Find the river. The Vltava, perhaps the world’s most vowel-challenged river, runs right through the heart of Prague, and the many bridges that cross the waterway are destinations in and of themselves. The most famous of all of Prague’s bridges is the Charles Bridge, built in the fourteenth century and named for King Charles. Thirty statues line the bridge, now a pedestrian-only walkway that provides wonderful views of the old city. A walk over the bridge is a great introduction to Prague.

3. Visit the Castle. Prague Castle is perhaps the most visited site in all of Prague, and is one of the biggest castles in the world. Visible from almost anywhere in Prague due to its location at the top of a hill overlooking the city, the castle is across Charles Bridge from the old town. No visit to Prague is complete without paying respects at the castle.

4. Drink a beer! For a culture that’s been brewing beer since the ninth century, it would be an insult to not sample some of that traditional beverage—if not over-indulge completely. Luckily, Prague has countless places in which to sample the Czechs’ finest contribution to world gastronomy. While many modern clubs and bars have sprouted up in the old section of town, they will all serve a large variety of literally hundreds of different local brews.

5. Walk around Wenceslas Square. Perhaps no place in all the Czech Republic is as well known as Wenceslas Square. Dominated at one end by the National Museum Building, Wenceslas Square is now the place for everything from Christmas markets to political demonstrations to shops and restaurants.