I’ve lived here for four months. It’s not enough. Not enough time to do and see and eat everything that Prague has to offer, but I tried to get pretty close. I ate cake at every cafe I could… just for you! For this guide to my favorite city on earth. This is the culmination of the adventures of a girl who is probably avoiding her homework and exploring a side street instead. Enjoy.
Food
Czech food can be… Czech. Not really for the vegetarian or the faint of heart, these people love hunks of meat, cheese and LOTS of potatoes. But in case you don’t, I included some other options as well!
- The Black Madonna
- Famous cubist building with amazing cubist cakes
- Lokal
- Creme de la Creme
- The best gelato in Prague
- U Pinkasu
- Traditional Czech food
- Good to make reservations beforehand
- Hany Bany
- Super cheap and quick food
- Cash only
- Bageterie Boulevard
- Fast food better than you’ve ever had in the US
- Javarka and Co
- Pho U Letna
- Vietnamese/Thai
- Cash only
- Chickn
- American food for when you’re homesick!
- Fried chicken, fries, mac and cheese
Cafes
Cafe culture in Prague is my favorite. You can pretty much get coffee and cake almost any time of day with no judgement. My kind of people.
- Mistral Cafe
- Mama Cafe
- Study spot!
- Interesting food options!
- Cafe Plecnik
- Favorite study/hangout spot
- Iced coffee!
- Grand Cafe Orient
- Right above Black Madonna
- Cash only
- Cafe Louvre
Things to Do
The best part? Most of these things are free! (or very inexpensive)
- Tour of Town Hall in Old Town Square
- Tour Prague Castle
- Kampa Gallery
- Museum of Communism
- learn more about the crazy history of the Czech Republic and central/eastern Europe
- Drink a beer at Letna Beer Garden
- Cheap beer, incredible views
- Klementinum tour
- Beautiful baroque library near Charles Bridge
- Buy souvenirs at Pragtique
- trendy little store with souvenirs by local designers
- Explore JZP
- Hip, trendy area in Prague 3
- Get off at the green metro line metro stop “Jiriho of Pobrady”
- Climb Petrin Tower
- Can buy tickets on the spot (~$4 for students)
- Get drinks at The Dancing House
- Take elevator to top floor and buy a drink to sit outside and look over the city
- Try the hot mulled wine
- Especially if you’re here in the winter time!
- See an opera at the Estates Theater
- Mozart’s Don Giovanni premiered here in 1787
Places to Go
These are the places you see on the Prague Instagram accounts and those drone travel videos on Facebook. They are not overrated.
- Old Town Square
- In the summer it’s filled with tourists but it’s still one of my favorite places because it showcases the eclectic architecture of Prague perfectly.
- Go inside the Church of Tyn
- Jewish Cemetery + Museum
- Tickets required but such a cool experience
- Wallenstein Palace and Gardens
- Free!
- Perfect to picnic + example of incredible Mannerist gardens
- Charles Bridge
- Best in the early morning or evening because it’s less crowded
- Amazing view of Prague!
- Wenceslas Square
- Lots of shopping
- Historical location of most political protests including the Velvet Revolution of 1989
- Petrin Hill
- Great views of the city and the location of the Petrin Tower (baby Eiffel tower about 1/6 of the size of the real one)
- Vysehrad
- Super old church (Romanesque) on a hill with an amazing view
- Prague Castle
- The current Czech president still works here and there’s a fantastic Gothic cathedral in the center
- Lennon Wall
- Iconic, perfect for the classic Prague pic but also an incredible social message symbolizing the strife of the Czech people and that never ending search for peace on earth
Night Life
Prague actually has a pretty wild nightlife scene. The beer is also way stronger (and better) here so enjoy responsibly!!!
- Retro
- Club
- No cover for girls on Wednesdays!
- Stalin Containall
- An outdoor event on weekend nights during the summer by the Metronome where the infamous statue of Stalin used to stand before 1989
- They sell beer from carts and it’s a true Euro grunge scene
- Lucerna
- Club atmosphere
- Sometimes there are specific shows, check online first for tickets
- 80s/90s night is my favorite! Usually on Fridays and sometimes Saturdays
- Worth the 100 crown ticket
- Bukowskis
- Free sangria starting at 7 on Tuesdays until they run out
- I don’t understand how it’s possible but it’s like… completely free, no strings attached. Go.
- U Sudu
- Underground cave-like bar
- Dog Bar
- Vzorkona is the real name but Americans just call it dog bar because… there are dogs there
- Very chill and a much more Euro vibe
- Zazemi
- An actual Czech student bar
- Live music most weekends!
- Duplex
- Very clubby club
- 300 crown cover
- Zizkovoska
- Super cool grunge student bar where they have trivia once a month and jam sessions on Sunday nights (+ soup!)
Day Trips
All of these places are between an hour to three hours away from Prague by train! If you have an extra day or two these are fascinating places in the CZ.
- Plzen
- About an hour away, this is where the famous Pilsner Urquell is brewed!
- Take the factory tour, you get a glass of unpasteurized beer from the barrel at the end
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- A tiny historical town with shops, restaurants and hiking!
- Kutna Hora
- Home of the infamous “bone church” this is a creepy yet amazing little cathedral tucked away in Moravia.
- Karlstejn Castle
- The second home of Charles the lV, a Gothic castle featuring a small chapel of religious relics on top.
Other tips:
Czech peoples aren’t rude; they’re just reserved. Don’t expect strangers to return your smile or a cashier to act like he doesn’t despise you. And don’t take it offensively– it’s culture, not wrong or bad; just different.
Take the metro. Prague has one of the easiest public transit systems I’ve seen in Europe. It’s not expensive and is honestly an experience in itself. My favorite for people-watching.
You only need to tip up to 10% in the Czech Republic. Service industry employees make real livable wages here, not like in the US. If you feel like leaving a bigger tip than that you definitely can, but it’s not expected.
Dobry den. That means like “good day” in English and they will say that to you in every store or restaurant you walk into. It’s polite to say it back, even if it’s the only Czech you know!
Most restaurants you can go and choose a table on your own without waiting to be seated, unless there’s a sign that says otherwise. Just saving you from a few embarrassing moments when is everyone staring at you standing by the door and you don’t know why.
Go inside churches! One of my favorite things about Europe is most historic churches are open all day. These are beautiful examples of architecture and art, the perfect place to think/meditate + in the summer they are some of the only buildings that stay cool since they’re made of basically all stone.
My ultimate advice for Prague? Take it in. Take in the fact that this was a land unvisited by tourists from over 50 years because it was hidden behind the Iron Curtain. Take in the fact that what you’re seeing now is as untouched by the western world as we will ever experience it again in our lifetime. Take in the fact that people live, eat, breathe and work here so respect that; this isn’t Disney World, this is their home. Take in the beer that made me change my mind about beer and the people that made me change my mind about people.
To je Praha.
One of my favorite most recent items! I’m into oriental-style decorative art and this little bud vase is amazing.
Another thing I tend to gravitate towards is feminine motifs. I think it’s super fascinating how different cultures/times portrayed women and my room is now covered in strong femme examples. This one is from a Pacific island circa mid-70s.
I’m a sucker for kitschy and unnecessary little things like this but how beautiful is the dragonfly motif?
Lamps are inexplicably expensive even at Target. This little marble guy was a $1.50 and I’ll throw on a little white shade.
Mugs. Big fan. Always. Need. More.
Kitchenware is a great thing to pick up for cheap at garage sales. It’s usually in almost perfect condition and kitchen shit can get really expensive even at Ikea. I also prefer the vintage styles.
Okay so I don’t yet have a coffee table, but I still buy coffee table books. Aesthetically pleasing books that you’ll probably never read but MUST have as a respectable Gen Z’er are everywhere at second hand markets. I loved this little houseplant book cover and the vintage dictionary circa 1950 was too cool for me to pass up. Anthropologie would probably charge you $30 for one of these tbh.
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