Prague Itinerary Suggestions - 6 full days (Aug 22 -29)

The Terazin concentration camp is a day trip north of town. Plzen, my favorite place, would be a two day trip maybe one night. Six days in one city, well there are things to do, but we have never stayed that long in one place nor felt we wanted to.

Prague has a rich musical culture. If you are into classical music then there is much for you to do. There is the National Music Museum (Cesky Muzeum Hudby), there is the opera (Don Giovanni was premiered by Mozart there, and is playing there during this summer season also), and then so many churches where they have nightly short concerts (usually about an hour). The Czech National Museum (Narodni Muzeum) is under renovation at present and it only has two small and rather uninteresting exhibits. The other museums (such as the music one) are connected with it, so there might be some sort of combo ticket deal that you can get for all of them. But don't go just to the National Museum (near Wenceslaus square), as you will likely be disappointed. Your hotel will have pamphlets with the various concerts taking place in local churches. The church of San Salvator (at the foot of the Charles Bridge) has great acoustics and has concerts almost every evening. The Church of St. Nicholas in Mala Strana (the Lesser Town, not to be confused with the St. Nicholas in Stare Mesto (the old town square area), is also a great place for concerts and an exceedingly beautiful church. As far as gardens go, the city has many very fine gardens that are lovely for walking. A couple of them even have small fields of grapes in them and are very quaint. Even though you are basically in the middle of town, these gardens are oases and you will feel as if you are out in the country. Search for Prague gardens to find more info. The gardens at Prague Castle also have a small vineyard in them. More...

...continued In connection with gardens and turning also to churches, be sure to visit the beautiful Franciscan Garden (Frantiskanska Zahrada), which is connected to the Franciscan church of Our Lady of the Snows. The church is amazing, with one of the tallest high altar reredoses in Europe. It is gothic that was later baroquified, and is singularly impressive. They claim to have one of the highest naves in Europe also, though I'm not sure about that. In any case, in front of the church is a courtyard entrance area, and most days there is an elderly Slovak lady there who sells hand-embroidered table runners (pulled thread and stitching) for very good prices. Other churches worth seeing are the St. Nicholas Church (Kostel Svateho Mikulase in Czech, which is in the area of town called Mala Strana, not far from the Charles Bridge); you have to pay a couple of Euro to get in but it is worth it. Also St. Vitus Cathedral, which has largely preserved its original gothic styling (i.e. without the addition of a lot of baroque elements), and also has very interesting stained glass. Then there is the Starov Monastery, with its gorgeous high baroque church and its incredible centuries-old library of 280,000 volumes. Near there is the Loreto Shrine of Prague, which has a copy of the Holy House of Loreto which is kept in Loreto, Italy, is extremely beautiful, an important historic place of pilgrimage, and also has a great treasury exhibit on display. (Incidentally, I have eaten at the garden restaurant immediately to the right of the Loreto shrine. It was good enough and a very pleasant setting, but the check was just a list of figures with nothing to indicate what they were for, and the tip was added in, even though it said on the menu "service not included". I would avoid places like that. More...

...continued There is, of course, the church of Our Lady of Victory which houses the Holy Infant of Prague image, as well. And these are only a few of the amazing churches in Prague. Across the street from it is a nice crepe shop run by a very pleasant young man. They do sell more substantial food, but most of it is quickly-prepared reheated stuff. The thing to get there is either crepes (which are made fresh - a great snack), or drinks. Other things to see: the Charles Bridge (Karluv Most), worth seeing on multiple occasions (great for strolling by night and by day). The clock tower, etc. All of the things that I have typed out here you can do in a few days. And I have left off a lot. But really, maybe 4 days max in Prague would probably be more than enough, and then you could take a side trip or two from there as well. Enjoy your trip!

Thank Bryan for all your help! Wow! I am printing this out right now to use as a reference. You are so very kind! So many great tips! Really appreciate it! Many thanks! Faith www.milesmomma.com
"Creating family adventures one mile at a time"

Faith, what part of Prague will you be staying in? Just wanted to give you our feedback from a recent trip (May). We really preferred the Mala Strana (Lesser Town/Castle Area) to the Old Town area where we stayed. It was much less crowded (once you get away from the Charles Bridge) and quieter. I can recommend lunch outside along the river at the Hotel U Jezulatka. The things we enjoyed the most were the Castle and being on or near the river. We were only in Prague for 3 days and therefore only spent about 2-3 hours at the castle (which is actually a complex of several areas). I think you could easily spend more time there. If I was to go again, I believe you can get a ticket that is good for more than one day. I would go in the afternoon the first day and then back as soon as it opens the next day hoping to avoid the huge crowds of tours that seem to be there midday. Also, visit the Monastery which makes excellent St Norberts beer. The Estates Theater in Old Town is stunning and apparently stood in for Vienna's Opera House in the movie, Amadeus. Kavarna Obecni Dum (Municipal House Cafe) is supposed to be one of the most beautiful. We had breakfast there twice. U Provaznice had a wonderful garlic soup and was really popular.

Thanks Kathy for all your great input! We are staying at the Prague Park Inn because we are using points. I'm a huge miles/points gal (www.milesmomma.com - my site). From what I've read it's a quiet area and 1 block from the tram that will take us to all the sites. Suppose to be very close to the river. Hoping it will be a good location away from the crowds. Thanks for all the great tips. I've printed them and am adding them to my notes.

Also go to Charles Bridge in the evening. In Summer there's usually some entertainment for tips. I've seen on previous visits fire baton/juggler act, water glass music, and classical violin just to name a few. Take your time & have fun. I love to people watch while eating a picnic snack. There are some pretty good wine bars if beer is not your taste. Don't forget to look up to see some beautiful architecture. Sandeman's has a free walking tour that meets infront of the tourist office in Old Town Square that is a good introduction to the city. Tip at the end only what you feel the tour was worth to you or what you can afford. They also have some paid tours to day trip destinations outside the city. As others have mentioned, include some night musical entertainment - there's something for everyone's taste. Shopping can be cheaper away from the main tourist area. Personally, I like shopping at Tesco (5 floors of shopping including a grocery in the basement!!!) in New Town area at Naradni 6 which is about a 7 min walk from Old Town square or 3 min walk from Wenceslas square. A very Czech style department is Kotva in Old Town at Republic square 8, somewhat expensive for Czechs but alot cheaper prices for glass, crystal, porcealan than the main tourist center. Both have places to catch a snack and a drink.

I live right around the corner from the Park Inn and have to recommend Vysehrad! You'll be very close - just walk up the hill towards the big, black cathedral. It's not very touristy - seems like mostly locals go there for picnics. It's a castle complex with a lot of green space to walk around. There is a very pretty cathedral, a cemetery with famous Czechs buried there and amazing views of Prague. It is one of my favorite spots. Also, I recommend Prague Castle at night. One of our favorite things to do is to take the tram there in the evening to walk around. It's practically deserted. You won't be able to go in the buildings, but there's nothing like sitting in a courtyard alone staring up at St. Vitus Cathedral. If you are there during the day and want to get away from the crowds, walk through the stag moat - its gorgeous. Walking along Golden Lane is fun too. Also, Petrin Hill is gorgeous. You can take a funicular up to the top (your tram ticket will get you up there). Once at the top, you'll have great views do Prague as you walk down the hill to the castle. I was really disappointed in Strahov Monastery. I would not recommend it, but the beer there is the best I've had in Prague. St. Vitus Cathedral is worth the price. Walking along the Vltava is a must (you can walk to the main sights from your hotel if you like walking - maybe 2 miles). You have to see the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square. Some people don't like Wenceslas Square but it's so important in Czech history that I think it's worth a visit. I hope that's helpful! If you need dining tips or have any other questions, I'm more than happy to help!

Thanks Faith, I like SLO & used to go there all the time with friends. I hope my advice helps you out. There are quite a few folks like myself on this board that frequently go to Prague. I'm surprised Ilja has not chimmed in yet. He's a font of info. Go ahead & send me a private message if you have any further questions. Too bad I'll just miss you there this year as I will be landing there Sept 2 to visit inlaws, but will not be staying in Prague area until Sept 4. Don't worry if there's a slight delay in my answer as I'll be in Costa Rica in a week & sometimes web access can be spotty.

Thanks Jennifer & Debbie. So much helpful information! Boy.....there are so many wonderful travelers on this site. I'm so thankful for all the advice. If you are heading up my way ever Debbie and need advice, just PM. I'd love to share all our local secrets with you. I'm born & raised in SLO.

Thank Debbie so much for your help. One question I have right now. We are trying to decide for a day trip between Cesky Krumlov & Kutna Hora. The travel time to Cesky Krumlov is making the decision a bit hard. Kutna Hora is closer but not sure if it's as nice as Cesky Krumlov. What are your thoughts?

Both C.K. and K.H. are worth visit. C.K. is absolutely picturesque fairy tale town better for overnight than day trip. Very good information about both towns is in Rick Steves book: Prague & the Czech Republic. Debbie is surprised that I did not chim in yet. There was already so much information given; OK, let's add just a little: for shoppers: Holesovicka trznice (market), much bigger than one on Havelska street, better prices because almost no foreigners shop there. Mucha Slavic Epic already moved from Moravsky Krumlov and you can see it in Veletrzni Palac. Go and see Krizik Fountain. There is a music performance synchronized with geysirs of water. Google it for more information and program.

Thank you Illja for your additional comments and great shopping tip. We will be sure to do our shopping there and not the touristy areas. Thanks so much! We are planning an overnight trip to Cesky Krumlov. We are reading Rick's book on everything. Kinda a Rick Steve addict.
We are going to stay at Krumlov Hostel. Looks like....Rick recommends. Does anyone know the cost of the bus ticket to Cesky Krumlov or where I can look up bus times and ticket prices. I checked www.idos.cz but it's really hard to figure things out even with translating the page.

I googled Student Agency bus and found that ticket price to Cesky Krumlov is 195 crowns. Probably the best would be to go to their office to find information and buy the tickets. The address of the office: Jecna 37. I would go by subway to I.P.Pavlova and then it's a short way to walk. Another office is in Central Bus Station in Florenc. These information I got from google and they seem new.

If you are going to ck and using student bus agency ensure you buy a return ticket with a reservation at th same time you buy your departure ticket. You can buy them from the driver, but often they sell out in the summer. I managed to get the last seat on the bus from the driver, and made it back, or else I would have been stuck. Just something to keep in mind-since there is nothing at the ck bus depot.

Did a day trip to Kutna Hora and loved it. My 2 cents. Have a great trip.

The two towns are very different but both are great to see. If you do Cesky Krumlov here are two budget sleeps which you may consider, but you should reserve now if you want to stay there: Penzion Olsakovsky http://www.olsakovsky.cz/en/penzionek Penzion Hana Sladová http://www.ckrumlov.cz/sladova email: hana.sladova@seznam.cz
You can do Kutna Hora for a day trip on your own or with less fuss you may want to consider a tour with a company like Sandeman http://www.newpraguetours.com/daily-tours/kutn-hora-and-the-bone-chapel.html as the bone chapel is quite a ways from St Barbara church.

My vote is for Cesky Krumlov. My mother (50) came to visit me in Prague last summer and we did 2 nights in Cesky and absolutely loved it. We did a tour of the castle, walked around the gardens, sat by the pond and fed ducks, meandered the turning cobble stone streets and sat by the river in a cute cafe with cappuccino and fresh apple strudel. It was just beautiful and it made for a very special time. I'd also recommend buying the bus tickets from Student Agency online through this website. http://bustickets.studentagency.eu It would save you going to the bus station to buy the tickets and such. If possible... buy them online, reserve your seats and print the tickets before you come to Prague. It will make things much easier!

We just returned from a trip to central Europe including three days in Prague. Apart from the sights mentioned by others (some of which I regret missing) I'd recommend: (1) The Jewish quarter, especially the old cemetery, perhaps the highlight of our whole trip. The Holocaust memorial, inside one of the synagogues, is very moving and effective. (2) The Lobkowicz Palace Museum on Castle Hill, with it's Breughel landscape and Mozart-Beethoven artifacts. Most of the items are mediocre family portraits but the overall effect with the audioguide (narrated by the current Lobkowicz family head) is very instructive and interesting. (3) The Charles Bridge early in the morning with nobody around except a few overnight drunks and annoyed serious photographers.

Thanks everyone for all your awesome input. So so helpful! We have decided on Cesky Krumlov. It just seems too lovely to miss. We are booked at the Krumlov House Hostel recommended by Rick. We are going for an overnight trip, which will give us a evening and 1 full day. We have booked roundtrip tickets on the student agency book several of you recommended (thank you). We can walk from our hotel to the bus stop. Thanks again for all your advice on everything. P.S.
We are planning to do a Jewish Quarter Tour with Whitmann recommended by Rick.