Prague City Guide for Travelers

Just walking through Prague could keep you in awe and fill your itinerary with the unique but grand buildings, castle like architecture, monuments and statutes throughout the city. What lies inside of these gorgeous structures and the history thereof will absolutely jam-pack your schedule and offer you little time to enjoy that luxury hotel room….unless of course you schedule carefully and extend that vacation.

For a great start to seeing grand things visit Prague Castle. This is by far the most popular sight in Prague. This ancient castle is the largest in the world, measuring 570 m long, 128 m wide and has an area of 7.28 hectares. While the castle was originally constructed in the 9th century by Prince Boojvoj, the rulers that have lived there over the years created their own areas, adding and sometimes taking away from the styles within the castle. This makes for an eclectic mixture of styles as you tour this splendid one of a kind attraction. While it has kept the classical facelift it last took on during the 18th century during the reign of Maria Theresa, styles from other time periods are evident. Other notable sights at the Prague Castle include the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Picture Gallery of Prague Castle, The Imperial Stables, The Spanish Hall, The Rudolf Gallery, St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, The Mihulka Powder Tower, The Convent of St. George, The Basilica of St. George, The Royal Gardens, The Ball Game House, The Summer Palace, The Riding School, Golden Lane, White Tower, Daliborka Tower, Lobkowicz Palace, The Toy Museum, Schwarzenberg Palace, Archbishop Palace, Sternberg Palace, The Loreta, Capuchin Monastery, and finally Strahoy Monastery.

After seeing all of that, and a good night’s rest in your luxury or boutique hotel room, you may want to see Prague’s Lesser Town. This town was sounded in 1257 and sits on the slopes below the Prague Castle. This, unlike other Prague areas, has been most preserved to the days of the old. Some landmarks and other areas of interest here would include Nerudova Street, Lesser Town Square, St. Nicholas Church, Wallenstein Palace, the Church of St. Thomas, Vrtba Garden, Church of Our Lady Victorious, Maltese Square, Kampa Island, Charles Bridge, Vojan Park and Petoin Hill.

Even if your not Jewish, the Prague Jewish Quarter is certainly a place to visit as it holds rich culture and history from the World War II era and beyond. The types of attractions that this area has to offer include the Old Jewish Cemetery, The Jewish Town Hall, The Church of the Holy Ghost, St. Agnes’s Convent and The Rudolfinum. Synagogue’s such as Pinkas, Klausen, The Old-New, High, Maisel and Spanish are all situated in this area.

Old Town was on the map in 1091, and is the oldest of the towns in Prague though it wasn’t established until the 13th century. After New Town was founded in the 14th century, this area gained it’s practical name of Old Town. Here, you will find a plethora of attractions. It is unlikely that you will be able to see them all, so a careful planning may be in order. The good news? That you have a plush luxury hotel room where you can sit and decipher exactly what you want on your agenda. Your choices include the Powder Gate, The Municipal House, Celetna Steet, the Church of St. James, Estates Theatre, The Carolinum, Old Town Square, Church of our Lady before Tyn, Kinsky Palace, Jan hus Monument, Church of St. Nicholas, Old Town Hall, House at the Two Golden Bears, Church if St. Gall, Church if St. Martin in the Wall, Church if St. Giles, Bethlehem Chapel, Clam-Gallas Palace, Marianske Square, Charles Street, The Palace of the Lords of Kunstat, Clementinum and the Knights of the Cross Square.

Prague’s New Town was carefully planned out and founded by Charles IV in 1348. While it is twice the size of Old Town, it was mainly settled by tradesmen and craftsmen. This is the most modern area of Prague and doesn’t compliment the old world architecture and ambience of the rest of the city. There are some must see attractions in this area however. The list includes Welceslas Square, Church of Our Lady of the Snows, Franciscan Garden, National Museum, The State Opera, The Church of St. Ignatius, Jesuit College, Charles Square, Church of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, The Faust House, Slavonic Monastery, Church of St. Stephen, Church of St. Ursula and The National Theatre.

This is simply a partial list of all that Prague has to offer. Go for a lazy sight seeing ride via a boat down the Devil’s Stream or relax in your luxury or boutique hotel room. Venture out and see the various landmarks and monuments or soak up the grandeur of the area’s castles and mansions. Get in some history by visiting one of the many museums or visit one of the towns for some local culture. It doesn’t matter what suits your fancy, Prague surely has something to offer anyone, and a lot for the well rounded traveler.