Prague City Tourist Guide
Czech Republic Travel

From: World Travel Guide • Europe Travel Guide

See also: Prague Festivals


Prague Travel Guide, Czech Republic
The City of Prague is bursting with history, charm, art, entertainment, fine dining and architecture and has everything to offer from the quiet cobbled traditional streets that can be found around Prague Castle to the busy shopping, dining and party district that never sleeps surrounding Wenceslas square, Old Town and New Town. Within Prague there are also plenty of places to unwind, relax and watch the world go by with many parks and riverside walks readily available to stroll through as well as paddle boats waiting to take you out onto the water for a different view on Prague.

Areas of Prague
Prague is made up of around 6 areas which include Castle Quarter, Lesser Town (Mala Strana), Jewish Quarter (Josefov), Old Town (Stare Mesto), Vysehrad and New Town (Nove Mesto).

Travel Weather
The climate in Prague consists of fairly hot summers and very cold winters. Prague's summer months of July and August can often see temperatures anywhere between 15 and 30 *C. During March, April, May and June the temperatures start to rise during the day and at night. Between the months of May and August sees the most amount of rainfall with July often the wettest and often accompanied with strong winds. During the Autumn months of September, October and November temperatures are usually around 15 to 20 *C. The winter months of December, January and February are very cold with temperatures often around zero or just above during the day which then often drop at night to well below freezing. One of the best times to visit Prague is in the Spring or Autumn when temperatures are not at either end of the temperature scale and are often very pleasant.

City Transport Guide
Prague has a modern and fairly efficient transportation network covering the city, making it easy to travel between destinations.

Public Transport
The public transport consists of the Prague Metro, Prague Tram System, Funicular and buses and all run on a similar ticket system. Tickets for use on the bus, metro and tram need to be obtained before you board them, tickets can be purchased from several locations such as the stations themselves, newspaper stands and the tourist information offices. Once you have your ticket you need to validate it which can be done either when you get onboard the bus or tram or by using the validating machine on the station. You can either get a non transfer ticket or a transfer ticket, the latter will after it has been validated permits you to travel for a set time which is usually 75 minutes during the week and 90 minutes at the weekend whilst transferring between the metro, bus, funicular and tram, other tickets include a 24 hr ticket, three day and 5 day ticket, these types of tickets only need to be validated only once when you use them for the very first time. It is worth remembering that you will need an extra luggage ticket if you wish to carry on any large suitcases or bags and there are ticket officers who will fine you on the spot if you do not have a valid ticket.

Cuisine Guide
There are hundreds of bars, cafe and restaurants to suit just about every taste you can imagine If your after a traditional Czech beer hall and dining room then visit the U Medvidku which is just South of Old Town and is where you will find traditional Czech meals, a small brewery and many local residents, alternatively if your after something a little bit more up market and glamorous then visit Kampa Park which has wonderful views of the river and Charles Bridge as well as excellent Mediterranean food. And if you wish to dine in a totally unique, historic and cozy setting then go to Saint Henry Tower ( Jindrisska Vez) which has the Zvonice restaurant situated within the Belfry.

Language Spoken
The main language spoken in Prague is Czech.

Prague Boat Trips
A great way to view Prague is from the River Vltava, there companies offering sightseeing cruises as well as lunch and dinner boat cruises during the day and night which allow you to gently cruise along and view many areas that you would not normally be able to see from the mainland. And if you want to have a little fun on the water then there are also paddle and row boats available for hire on Zofin Island which is around 600 meters to the south of Charles Bridge.

Prague Shopping Guide
There is a huge variety of shopping facilities in Prague that vary from small market stalls and boutiques to larger more well known Western chains. Parizska, Old Town Square, Palladium Shopping Centre, Slovansky Shopping Centre, Myslbeck Shopping Gallery, OC Chodov, Palac Flora, Wenceslas Square are all fairly large shopping areas and the best markets can be found at Havelska and Staromistske namisti. The popular Christmas Market takes place in Old Town Square and St Wenceslas Square and starts at the beginning of December.

Prague Safety
Be aware that there are pickpockets who target some of the more crowded areas such as public transport, the airports and locations like Charles Bridge and Old Town Square by the Astronomical Clock which both get very crowded with tourists. Wenceslas Square is great to visit during the day but care needs to be taken at night time when the prostitutes lurking can lower the tone and make the area a little bit on the seedy side. When it comes to transport home taxi's hailed off the street have a bad reputation so it is best to use taxi ranks and be careful of being overcharged an alternative is to use the public transport which is relatively safe, cheap and efficient.

Prague Tourist Information Office
Prague's main tourist information centre is located in Old Town Hall which is in Old Town Square and it is from here you can purchase a Prague Card which will allow you entry into many of attractions in Prague as well as maps of the city and transport information and tickets.

Prague Festivals Guide
There are several festivals held throughout the year the most well known are the Prague Spring Festival which features the very best local and International artists performing at the Rudolfinum Concert Hall and Municipal House.

More about Prague Festivals

Prague City Travel Attractions Guide
Prague has many wonderful museums, galleries and historic areas to visit and explore which If you plan on visiting some of the many attractions in the city, then a Prague Card is well worth purchasing as it covers around 50 sites including Prague Castle and is available from many tourist information centres.

Prague Night life
The three most well own concert halls are the Dvorak Concert Hall in the Rudolfinum, the Smetana Concert Hall in Municipal House (Obecni dum) and the Prague State Opera House, there are also many other fantastic locations within the City such as St George's Basilica and Lobkowicz Palace within Prague Castle or St Nicholas's Church in Old Town Square all of which hold regular classical concerts throughout the year.

For Opera, Classical music and Ballet then the National Theatre, Prague Estates Theatre and the Prague State Opera House are the place's to go and if you like a little Jazz then visit the Grand Cafe Praha next to the Astronomical Clock where you can enjoy dinner and a show.

Prague's varied and colorful nightlife scene is bursting with DJ's, musicians, locals and tourists pretty much all year round and is a well known and popular destination for Stag and Hen Nights as both the drinks and entrance fee's to the clubs are relatively inexpensive. There are no shortage of bars and clubs in Prague with many clubs having local and International DJ's playing and you will find that there is always something going on to suit just about every taste.

Venues such as cocktail bars, music bars, gay bars, sports bars , jazz clubs, disco's an intimate tavern or a larger than life dance venue are all to be found in Prague so you are sure to find what you are looking for.


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