Prague, Vienna, Croatia - What are your gems to share?

Zagreb has a lot of very good museums, mostly art-related. Of those, my favorite is the museum of naive art, which is quite small (and probably not accessible for those who can't do stairs) but very impressive. The Museum of Broken Relationsjips is fun, strange though it sounds.

I can only speak for Prague but before I answer will you have your bikes in Prague or are you just hiring them for the actual tour?
Also worth posting on the individual country forums as you will get a wider audience for your question,I only picked this thread up by accident as usually I am looking at the Czech forum.

I like the Heurigen in the Vienna Woods at the edge of the city. You can get there by trolley. I also like the market in Vienna just outside the ring strasse. Make sure to look for the art nouveau painted buildings on the perimeter of the market. Prague will be pretty busy. We enjoyed walking around the area just outside Prague Castle and then down to Mala Straha. Also from Prague Castle you can walk to the lovely monastery. The Charles Bridge is of course a must do. Perhaps you would be able to go there just after sunrise when the lighting will be beautiful and probably fewer people.

Unclegus

Thank you. I should have thought to look at your posts, since I have seen your name on a number of Prague posts. We will be on foot in Prague. Current thoughts: DAY -0- (Wed. eve.) - ARR at airport 17:30 - Find our hotel and crash.

Day 1: Tram to Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, castle, St George Basilica, Golden Lane, Lobkowic Palace, Garden Walk, Mala Strana, Czech Museum of Music, Petrin Hill???, Charles Bridge. NO IDEA about the evening (Thurs eve). Your thoughts?

Day 2: New City, Wencelas Square vicinity, Old City, Astronomical Clock, Jewish Quarter. Again, NO IDEA about the eve. (Friday eve). Suggestions?

SAT. MORN ... Cafe or market for breakfast??? What thoughts do you have about that? (In terms of logistics, we are staying on Soukenicka, not far from - and to the east of - the Old Town.) Then we are looking for bus or train, probably train (Regiojet, I am thinking) to Vienna.

Acraven

Thanks. The Museum of Naive Art looked pretty good to me, as well.

Julesmenssen

Thanks. QUESTION: Market? Nachtsmarket? Other?

Yes, Naschmarkt. Lots to love there. Food, architecture, graffiti.

In Mala Strana, there is the beautiful baroque St. Nicolas church

Saturdays are great market days.there is a big farmers market at Dejvicka just a very short walk from the metro, some great food stalls ,beer wines and cider available and sometimes live music. I am always there on a saturday when in the city as I stay in this area. great for a 9.00am beer.
there is also a great market in Naplavka right on the river just down from the dancing building, more stuff from the ethnic communities of the city but fun place , great food and of course beers wine and ciders,live music sometime as well,great place in the summer and a place I often go for Saturday lunch. bring something to feed the swans.
this area is also great for an evening stroll, loads of places to have a drink or a meal .
Letna park beer garden is my place for a few late afternoon or evening beers in the nice weather, huge park for a nice stroll and some great views over the city, you can eat there too, either street food type stuff or there is a higher end restaurant in the beer garden. I will be spending a bit of time there when I visit again in August.
I think what you have planned during the day is fine, but head off the main streets and you might just find a little gem or two of your own.
you are pretty central but head directly down to the river as there are a few places on the river you could try, one of my favourites is Lod Pivovar or the brewery boat, 6 beers made on board and some great food, top deck is a grill restaurant and is openair, main deck is a classic restaurant doing typical czech food in a bistro style, limited menu though.Down satirs in a pub with a typical Czech pub menu and beer snacks.
Hope this all helps.

My wife and I love Zagreb. It's a great town, not so big. The Museum of Croatian Naive Art is such fun. I really enjoyed it, and have gone on 2 occasions. Last summer, we were there on Saturday, and found a great flea market on Ilica St E of the main square. Such great stuff!! We bought a nice little deer picture for 50 K, and there was all kinds of other stuff.

This summer, Croatia and Serbia are in the World Cup. We watched the Champions Cup final last summer in Zagreb in an ourdoor bar - such a great time.

As there are well over a dozen markets in Vienna, I could understand the confusion of referring to "the market." These days, Naschmarkt is for the tourists and many stalls are now selling trinkets, which is very disappointing to say the least. For a more authentic market, I would suggest Karmelitermarkt on a Saturday morning or Brunnenmarkt. I also have a soft spot for Rochusmarkt, my local market, on Fridays and Saturdays. It is small but might with local farmers and some interesting places for a bite to eat.

I have previously provided tips on cafes, but to summarize, go to Diglas for cakes, go to Demel for the elegance, go to Gerstner for the strudel, go to Sperl for what you think a cafe should look like, go to Vollpension for the best overall grandma cake experience.

For restaurants, I would recommend Plachutta for Tafelspitz, a wonderful iconic Viennese dish, Huth for schnitzel, Bitzinger with the pink rabbit for Wurstel, Palmenhaus for a sunny lunch, Rebhuhn for an excellent local meal (walk down the nearby Servitengasse for some classic ambiance.

For heurigen, Schuebel-Auer is my favorite for food for certain, followed by Feuerwehr Wagner. I also really like the Stammersdorf area, Wieninger in particular as their food is outstanding.

Jazz - I have no idea.

Churches - Karlskirche, Kirche am Steinhof, Stephansdom

Museums - Really depends on your taste. Any good guidebook or internet search will give a good overview. My personal favorites are the KHM and the Belvedere.

Parks - Oberlaa, Volksgarten (for the roses), Augarten, Stadtpark

Must-sees/gems - No idea as I don't know your interests. Time of year would also be helpful.

Thanks, Emily,

We arrive Sat Sept. 1 (aftetrnoon or eve) and depart Wed Sept 5. I hear you about markets vs. markets.

Belvedere, KMH, Karlskirsche and Stephansdom are already on our plan. Thanks much for your thoughts on heurigen; I am sure they are well-informed, given your other Vienna posts. Same for parks and restaurants and cafes.