Praha survived the 20th century's violence largely intact — no firebombing, no wartime demolition — which is why it looks the way it does: a complete medieval city with Gothic towers, Baroque churches, Art Nouveau train stations, and Cubist houses all in the same city block. The tourists know about Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square. The Praguers know about the wine bars in Vinohrady, the jazz clubs under the city, and the riverside breweries where the Vltava bends.
What to do there
- 01
Charles Bridge at 5am — walk onto the bridge an hour before dawn and you'll find it with maybe three other people. The 30 Baroque saints, the castle on the hill, the fog on the Vltava, the light coming up behind the Old Town. This is what every photo of Praha is trying to be. By 9am there are 500 tourists and buskers. The window is narrow.
- 02
The Letná beer garden above the river — a terrace cut into the hill behind the National Gallery, with plastic chairs and cheap Kozel poured from a keg and a view down the full curve of the Vltava. Praguers come after work. Nobody is selling anything. Bring cash.
- 03
Lokál on Dlouhá Street (Dlouhá 33, Staré Město) — the definitive Pilsner Urquell tank bar, where the beer is delivered unpasteurised from the Plzeň brewery and pulled correctly: the tank bar technique produces a different beer than the same lager anywhere else. Order the svíčková (beef sirloin in cream sauce with bread dumplings). This is Czech pub food at its absolute best.
- 04
Vinohrady on a Saturday evening — the residential neighbourhood east of Wenceslas Square, full of Art Nouveau apartment buildings and wine bars that opened after 2010 and serve Czech and Moravian natural wines almost nobody outside the country has heard of. Veltlínské zelené from Moravia tastes completely different from Austrian Grüner Veltliner; try it at Vinograf (Mánesova 13).
- 05
The Old Jewish Cemetery and Josefov — the walled cemetery where 12,000 Jews are buried in up to 12 layers because the community had no more land to expand into. Some graves date to 1439. The synagogues of Josefov (the old Jewish quarter, preserved partly by the Nazis as a 'museum to a vanished race') contain the most complete Jewish archive in Central Europe.
Best time to go
May and September are the sweet spots — comfortable temperatures, manageable crowds. July and August are peak tourist season. December has Christmas markets and the whole city smells of mulled wine.
Insider tip
The public transit system is one of the best in Europe — metro, tram, and bus on a single integrated ticket for about 40 CZK ($1.75). The tram network covers the whole city including areas the metro misses. A 24-hour pass is 120 CZK. Don't take the tourist buses.
Plan this trip
Where in the world
Sound of Praha
Make this your once-in.
Tell us how you want to feel and we'll find the right destination.
Start dreaming →