Prague on Saturday
May 25, 2015 10:24 AM Subscribe
I'll be travelling to Prague for work later this week and will have all day Saturday to explore. Please recommend things to do.
I'm sure I'll be back at some point so I'd rather have a leisurely day exploring, ideally take in a few things on and off the beaten track. Please also recommend somewhere a local person would go to have a nice meal and a couple of cafes for people watching. I'll be walking/using public transport - as far as I can tell my hotel is quite central and near the old town. I'd prefer not to be completely shattered at the end of the day - my flight leaves at 8.15pm and is long enough for a short nap but I'll then pick up a car and have to drive 120 miles the other end. Thanks!
I'm sure I'll be back at some point so I'd rather have a leisurely day exploring, ideally take in a few things on and off the beaten track. Please also recommend somewhere a local person would go to have a nice meal and a couple of cafes for people watching. I'll be walking/using public transport - as far as I can tell my hotel is quite central and near the old town. I'd prefer not to be completely shattered at the end of the day - my flight leaves at 8.15pm and is long enough for a short nap but I'll then pick up a car and have to drive 120 miles the other end. Thanks!
Ah yes, the place we went was here: čajovna (tea house) U Kohouta.
Enjoy Prague, it's a beautiful city. Don't miss the Old Jewish Quarter, but also be prepared to fight your way through endless tour groups etc. It's definitely a tourist destination.
Oh yeah, and if you have time, check out the Grand Cafe Orient, amazingly well preserved Cubist architecture and pretty good food.
posted by dis_integration at 10:56 AM on May 25, 2015
Enjoy Prague, it's a beautiful city. Don't miss the Old Jewish Quarter, but also be prepared to fight your way through endless tour groups etc. It's definitely a tourist destination.
Oh yeah, and if you have time, check out the Grand Cafe Orient, amazingly well preserved Cubist architecture and pretty good food.
posted by dis_integration at 10:56 AM on May 25, 2015
We just spent a week there -- got back on Saturday. There's a group of restaurants under the banner "Lokal" which does traditional Czech food well -- and there's a good mix of locals and tourists at the two locations we went to (Dlouha Street and the one on the Mala Strana side).
The tour of the Municipal Building is great -- it's a beautiful art nouveau masterpiece, built to showcase Czech (vs Hapsburg) abilities. The tour of the Old Town Hall (which has the famous clock) is also great as it delves into the early history of Prague. Of the tours and sites we visited, those two were worth it, and neither are expensive. These are not "off the beaten track", however.
posted by girlpublisher at 11:43 AM on May 25, 2015
The tour of the Municipal Building is great -- it's a beautiful art nouveau masterpiece, built to showcase Czech (vs Hapsburg) abilities. The tour of the Old Town Hall (which has the famous clock) is also great as it delves into the early history of Prague. Of the tours and sites we visited, those two were worth it, and neither are expensive. These are not "off the beaten track", however.
posted by girlpublisher at 11:43 AM on May 25, 2015
Right near Old Town square is Restaurace Mincovna, which we really loved. Authentic and large portions; suggested to us by a local.
I'd recommend, for escaping the tourist throngs, to take the funicular up to Petrin Hill and then walk back down. You get a beautiful view of the city and lots of greenery. This may eat up a good part of your day, though, depending on how fast you walk.
Another quiet part of Prague we enjoyed was the Wallenstein Gardens, right below Prague Castle. Of course the castle was mobbed with people, but the gardens were surprisingly quiet and quite charming, though perhaps made slightly less so by the screeching of peacocks :)
posted by madonna of the unloved at 11:58 AM on May 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'd recommend, for escaping the tourist throngs, to take the funicular up to Petrin Hill and then walk back down. You get a beautiful view of the city and lots of greenery. This may eat up a good part of your day, though, depending on how fast you walk.
Another quiet part of Prague we enjoyed was the Wallenstein Gardens, right below Prague Castle. Of course the castle was mobbed with people, but the gardens were surprisingly quiet and quite charming, though perhaps made slightly less so by the screeching of peacocks :)
posted by madonna of the unloved at 11:58 AM on May 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
You have to see the crazy-weird Soviet-era TV tower with creepy giant babies on it! It's totally bizarre - and free.
posted by Dr. Wu at 2:35 PM on May 25, 2015
posted by Dr. Wu at 2:35 PM on May 25, 2015
I live in Prague.
The botanical garden near Albertov is really nice for a stroll, quite big, freely accessible. If you wanna go for actual nature, walk by little cliffs, streams, that sort of stuff, Divoka Sarka is also beautiful and pretty close and easy to reach. On top of Vitkov hill there is a nice national memorial museum and on the roof of that museum there is a super impressive view. If you're more into modern and contemporary art, you can go to DOX like the person above suggested, or, also in Prague 7, you can go the national gallery at the Veletrzni Palac, (in the same area as DOX) which is huge, has a great, diverse collection and easily takes a few hours to properly get through. Costs about 200 CZK.
If you want to eat like a local - get out of the old town unless you are with a local who knows where to eat, watch the prices (i haven't eaten a meal that cost more than 200 czk in the last year I think). Personally I quite like U Veverky, in Prague 6, if I want to eat some typical Czech stuff. They make a great svickova there. There is a lot of choice though, just stroll around in vinohrady or holesovice or something. And depending on the sort of local you would like to eat like, you might instead best go for one of those hip burger places or to some raw/vegan/organic place.
A place with a good reputation for coffee is EMA. When I went there it seemed like a pretty busy place. Good coffee though. I don't like the tea houses here, but this is because I don't like the new age/hookah smoking/white guys with dreadlocks vibes that come with it here, so maybe the problem is with me and not with the teahouses. I would also recommend to try some Czech craft beers, but that is perhaps no option if you need to drive later on.
Enjoy Prague, it's a great place.
posted by Deece BJ Pancake at 4:21 PM on May 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
The botanical garden near Albertov is really nice for a stroll, quite big, freely accessible. If you wanna go for actual nature, walk by little cliffs, streams, that sort of stuff, Divoka Sarka is also beautiful and pretty close and easy to reach. On top of Vitkov hill there is a nice national memorial museum and on the roof of that museum there is a super impressive view. If you're more into modern and contemporary art, you can go to DOX like the person above suggested, or, also in Prague 7, you can go the national gallery at the Veletrzni Palac, (in the same area as DOX) which is huge, has a great, diverse collection and easily takes a few hours to properly get through. Costs about 200 CZK.
If you want to eat like a local - get out of the old town unless you are with a local who knows where to eat, watch the prices (i haven't eaten a meal that cost more than 200 czk in the last year I think). Personally I quite like U Veverky, in Prague 6, if I want to eat some typical Czech stuff. They make a great svickova there. There is a lot of choice though, just stroll around in vinohrady or holesovice or something. And depending on the sort of local you would like to eat like, you might instead best go for one of those hip burger places or to some raw/vegan/organic place.
A place with a good reputation for coffee is EMA. When I went there it seemed like a pretty busy place. Good coffee though. I don't like the tea houses here, but this is because I don't like the new age/hookah smoking/white guys with dreadlocks vibes that come with it here, so maybe the problem is with me and not with the teahouses. I would also recommend to try some Czech craft beers, but that is perhaps no option if you need to drive later on.
Enjoy Prague, it's a great place.
posted by Deece BJ Pancake at 4:21 PM on May 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
Oh yeah! The recommendation above to try out Czech craft beers reminds me of the Strahov Monastery Brewery. If you go to the castle it's not a bad walk to the Strahov Monastery where they have a craft brewery (big mash tuns right there and the smell of wirt throughout the place). Excellent beer, friendly people. This really makes me want to go back to Prague!
posted by dis_integration at 6:09 PM on May 25, 2015
posted by dis_integration at 6:09 PM on May 25, 2015
I live in Prague, too (hi to Deece BJ Pancake!) and if I were in your shoes, this is what I would do (if the weather is nice):
Have a leisurely breakfast near my hotel, then catch a tram to Letenské sady which is a beautiful park with excellent views of Prague. (Tram stop Chotkovy Sady). There are a few kiosk-type places in the park itself, so I'd get a coffee or tea and stroll through the park, admiring the views, people watching, taking photos aiming for either:
Letenské náměstí (nice cafes and buildings across the main road along Šmeralova) or
Strossmayerovo náměstí where there is an interesting church and a few cafes (one is new and seems pretty cool - just on the corner, by the tram stop). The area around there is a little grungy but getting more hip, so there are some interesting cafes and shops.
Next, I'd take tram 25 from either of those stops to Břevnovský klášter, which is a very pretty monastery with nice grounds and most importantly, a very good brewery and excellent (excellent!) restaurant, Klášterní šenk, which serves very good traditional Czech food. Definitely make a reservation ahead. The halušky are my favourite, beware of the pork knee, unless you are really, really hungry.
So, lunch and a beer and then on to tram 22 to Pohořelec, which gets you right above the castle and conveniently close to Strahovský klášter and their brewery with delicious beers.
It is then a gentle down hill stroll through a very historic part of Prague to Prague Castle (the cathedral is really lovely if you can get inside), then down to the main tourist area of Charles Bridge (watch your bag). Before you go across the bridge, you can go to the left and down and there is a pretty neighbourhood with a nice feel. There is a cafe/pub near there which is one of the few non-tourist traps, but I can't remember it's name. They sell beer for around 30 crowns, while the rest sell for 45 crowns or more.
Once you get across the bridge, you can follow the stream of tourists to Old Town Square, which is worth a look. Chapeau Rouge is nearby and it's quite a cool place for drinks and dancing.
Other nice places to eat or drink include the Hanging Coffee near Prague Castle (nicely weird and not too expensive, food is good, beer reasonably priced)and the cafe inside of the City Library near Charles Bridge (as you come in the doors, turn left. Studying students food, cheap, good cakes, excellent people watching).
posted by brambory at 1:26 AM on May 26, 2015 [6 favorites]
Have a leisurely breakfast near my hotel, then catch a tram to Letenské sady which is a beautiful park with excellent views of Prague. (Tram stop Chotkovy Sady). There are a few kiosk-type places in the park itself, so I'd get a coffee or tea and stroll through the park, admiring the views, people watching, taking photos aiming for either:
Letenské náměstí (nice cafes and buildings across the main road along Šmeralova) or
Strossmayerovo náměstí where there is an interesting church and a few cafes (one is new and seems pretty cool - just on the corner, by the tram stop). The area around there is a little grungy but getting more hip, so there are some interesting cafes and shops.
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Next, I'd take tram 25 from either of those stops to Břevnovský klášter, which is a very pretty monastery with nice grounds and most importantly, a very good brewery and excellent (excellent!) restaurant, Klášterní šenk, which serves very good traditional Czech food. Definitely make a reservation ahead. The halušky are my favourite, beware of the pork knee, unless you are really, really hungry.
So, lunch and a beer and then on to tram 22 to Pohořelec, which gets you right above the castle and conveniently close to Strahovský klášter and their brewery with delicious beers.
It is then a gentle down hill stroll through a very historic part of Prague to Prague Castle (the cathedral is really lovely if you can get inside), then down to the main tourist area of Charles Bridge (watch your bag). Before you go across the bridge, you can go to the left and down and there is a pretty neighbourhood with a nice feel. There is a cafe/pub near there which is one of the few non-tourist traps, but I can't remember it's name. They sell beer for around 30 crowns, while the rest sell for 45 crowns or more.
Once you get across the bridge, you can follow the stream of tourists to Old Town Square, which is worth a look. Chapeau Rouge is nearby and it's quite a cool place for drinks and dancing.
Other nice places to eat or drink include the Hanging Coffee near Prague Castle (nicely weird and not too expensive, food is good, beer reasonably priced)and the cafe inside of the City Library near Charles Bridge (as you come in the doors, turn left. Studying students food, cheap, good cakes, excellent people watching).
posted by brambory at 1:26 AM on May 26, 2015 [6 favorites]
One final thought - if the weather isn't very good or if you want less walking, it is possible to see a lot of Prague via the very good network of trams. You can buy an all day ticket from a news agent for 110 crowns (about 4 GBP). Stamp it when you get on the tram and you have a full 24 hours - it should also work for the bus to the airport. Tram 22 will bring you up by the castle with nice views as you go up (and down), as well as through the historic area below the castle. Many trams will take you along the river. Google maps is pretty helpful for planning routes using the 'Directions' > 'public transport' functions.
posted by brambory at 1:43 AM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by brambory at 1:43 AM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Lots of wonderful suggestions - thank you everybody!
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:08 PM on May 26, 2015
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:08 PM on May 26, 2015
Seconding the Monastic brewery, in addition to any suggestion involving the delicious beer here. Really amazing city. Do your best to explore beyond the Old Town.
posted by ageispolis at 6:42 PM on May 26, 2015
posted by ageispolis at 6:42 PM on May 26, 2015
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Prague has a very unique tea house scene. I went to one with some Czech friends that I'll try to remember and come back to post it. It was very out of the way, dark and even Turkish feeling, with great tea ... although I would've had a hard time ordering without someone fluent in Czech to help me out.
If you want to get away from Prague 1, I'd recommend heading out to DOX, Prague's contemporary art museum
posted by dis_integration at 10:44 AM on May 25, 2015 [1 favorite]