Attraction
Prague Castle
The vast hilltop seat of Bohemian kings and Czech presidents, home to St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St George's Basilica and Golden Lane.
There are more things to do in Prague than its compact size suggests, and most of the historic centre can be explored on foot. The Vltava divides the city: on one bank the Old Town, with Old Town Square, the astronomical clock and the former Jewish Quarter, and the New Town around Wenceslas Square; on the other, the Lesser Town climbing to Prague Castle and Strahov Monastery. Charles Bridge links the two, and Petřín Hill, Letná Park and Vyšehrad give wide views over the river and the red roofs.
Prague's food scene runs from beer halls serving goulash, roast pork and dumplings to Michelin-starred restaurants reworking Czech ingredients, with grand cafés from the early 20th century and a new wave of speciality coffee bars and bakeries. Evenings bring opera at the National Theatre, jazz clubs and some of the best beer in Europe. Three days covers the castle, the Old Town and the main museums, while four or five days leaves time for Vyšehrad, outer districts such as Vinohrady, Karlín and Holešovice, a river cruise or a day trip.
Attraction
The vast hilltop seat of Bohemian kings and Czech presidents, home to St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St George's Basilica and Golden Lane.
Attraction
Prague's 14th-century stone bridge across the Vltava, lined with around 30 Baroque statues and guarded by Gothic towers at both ends.
Attraction
The medieval Old Town Hall on Old Town Square, with its 1410 astronomical clock, a tower gallery 42 metres up and guided tours of chapels and…
Attraction
A museum founded in 1906 that cares for Josefov's historic synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery, telling the story of Jews in Bohemia and Moravia.
Attraction
The Czech Republic's largest museum, in a neo-Renaissance palace at the top of Wenceslas Square, with history and natural history galleries and a Pantheon.
Attraction
A Premonstratensian monastery founded in 1143 above Prague Castle, famous for its Baroque Theological Hall and Classical Philosophical Hall libraries.
Café
A first-floor grand café on Národní třída open since 1902, with Viennese-style coffee, Czech classics, homemade cakes and a historic billiard hall.
Café
A grand café near the Lesser Town end of the Legion Bridge, with a high historic ceiling, cakes from the Myšák pastry shop and breakfast served…
Café
The world's only Cubist café, designed by Josef Gočár in 1912, on the first floor of the House of the Black Madonna in the Old Town.
Café
A café opposite the National Theatre, open since 1881, with views of the Vltava and Prague Castle, all-morning breakfast and a pianist every evening.
Café
A pioneering speciality coffee bar near Masarykovo station, serving coffee from its own microroastery and other Czech roasters with bread and buns baked in-house.
Café
A bakery, café and shop in Karlín known for fire-baked sourdough bread, sweet pastries and breakfasts served until late afternoon, with the Štangl restaurant upstairs.
Hotel
A five-star hotel on the Vltava beside Charles Bridge, joining four historic buildings, with the AVA Spa and the riverside CottoCrudo Italian restaurant.
Hotel
A five-star hotel in a historic monastery in the quiet lanes of the Lesser Town, with a spa and the Monastiq restaurant serving contemporary Czech dishes.
Hotel
A luxury hotel of 101 rooms set within a 13th-century Augustinian monastery in the Lesser Town, with a spa and the St. Thomas Brewery Bar.
Hotel
A family-run five-star hotel from 1904 next to the Municipal House, with 86 rooms and suites, Art Nouveau and Neo-Gothic details and the 1930s-styled Tony's Café…
Hotel
A minimalist design hotel by architect Eva Jiřičná on a quiet Old Town street, a few minutes from Old Town Square, with its own bakery.
Hotel
A sustainably minded design hotel in the New Town near the Vltava, with terrace rooms, a penthouse suite, an Asian restaurant and a café in a…
Bar
A small cocktail bar inspired by Ernest Hemingway, known for classic cocktails, a large absinthe collection served the traditional way and fine rums.
Bar
A legendary Old Town beer hall, once the favourite of writer Bohumil Hrabal, serving Pilsner beer and simple pub snacks to tables of regulars.
Bar
A modern jazz and blues club on the Smíchov embankment of the Vltava, with live music most nights, river views and a kitchen open until midnight.
Bar
Prague's oldest jazz club, on Národní třída since 1958, with live jazz every night and a stage where Bill Clinton once played the saxophone.
Bar
An alternative club and café in Holešovice, filled with futuristic machine-like sculptures, with live bands and electronic music on two stages most nights.
Bar
A wine bar and restaurant near Wenceslas Square with a wine wall, sommelier advice, Czech and Moravian wines and seasonal food with pairings.
Restaurant
A long, lively Old Town beer hall from the Ambiente group serving tank beer and well-made Czech pub classics such as fried cheese, schnitzel and sausages.
Restaurant
A Michelin-starred Old Town restaurant serving a multi-course modern Czech tasting menu built almost entirely on ingredients from within 250 kilometres.
Restaurant
Chef Radek Kašpárek's Michelin-starred restaurant near the Convent of St Agnes, known for creative, nature-inspired modern cooking based on Czech ingredients.
Restaurant
A busy butcher's shop and canteen near Wenceslas Square where Czech beef and pork are cooked over an open fire and served with beer at casual…
Restaurant
A brewery pub founded in 1499, with eight halls and a garden, where the 13-degree dark lager brewed on site is served with old Bohemian dishes.
Restaurant
A small Old Town butcher's shop from the Ambiente group that cooks burgers, meatloaf, sausages and tartare at the counter from Czech meat.
Thing to do
See opera, ballet or drama in the gilded 1880s National Theatre on the Vltava embankment, a symbol of Czech national revival with English surtitles on many…
Thing to do
A Saturday morning farmers' market on the Vltava embankment, with more than 90 stalls selling Czech produce, cheese, bakery, street food, beer and coffee.
Thing to do
A large park on a plateau above the Vltava with sweeping views of the Old Town bridges, the Metronome on the former Stalin Monument site and…
Thing to do
Prague's 216-metre TV tower in Žižkov, with an observation deck at 93 metres, a restaurant at 66 metres and David Černý's giant crawling babies on its…
Thing to do
A large hillside zoo in Troja on the northern edge of Prague, with Elephant Valley, the Indonesian Jungle pavilion, gorillas and a chairlift up the slope.
Tour operator
A food tour company started in 2011 by a group of Prague friends, running small-group foodie tours, private tours and wine trips to Moravia.
Tour operator
A Vltava cruise operator running since 1993, with 50-minute sightseeing cruises, lunch and dinner cruises and small eco-boat trips through the Devil's Channel.
Tour operator
Prague's historic river company, founded in 1865, running sightseeing and dining cruises, trips to the zoo and restored paddle steamers from Rašínovo nábřeží.
Tour operator
A family-owned bike tour and rental company in the Old Town since 2002, running guided city, park and countryside tours on bikes and e-bikes.
Tour operator
Guided walks run by Prague's official tourist organisation, with daily first-time visitor tours from the Old Town Hall and private tours with licensed guides.
Three days covers Prague Castle, the Old Town, Charles Bridge and the main museums, while four or five days allows time for Vyšehrad, outer districts, a river cruise or a day trip
The Old Town and Lesser Town are best for first-time visitors who want to walk everywhere; the New Town is central and good value, and Vinohrady, Karlín and Holešovice are quieter residential areas with good transport links
City buses connect the airport with metro stations, and an airport express bus runs to the main railway station; taxis and ride-hailing cars take around 30 minutes depending on traffic
Prague is generally cheaper than Western European capitals, especially for public transport and beer, although hotels and restaurants in the Old Town are priced for visitors
Prague is generally safe, but pickpockets operate in crowded areas such as Charles Bridge, Old Town Square and on trams, so keep valuables secure and check bills and exchange rates carefully