Prague's historic centre survived the twentieth century almost untouched. Cross the Charles Bridge at dawn, climb to the castle, get lost in Malá Strana's lanes and finish the day with a Czech lager in a traditional pub.
Good to know
- Best time to go
- April, May, June, September, October and December
- Flight from New York
- about 8h 25m nonstop
- Local time
- —
- Currency
- Czech Koruna (CZK)
- Languages
- Czech
Flight time is an estimate based on distance; actual schedules vary by airline and route.
Highlights
- Charles Bridge at sunrise
- Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral
- Traditional beer halls
History
Prague grew around a castle founded in the late ninth century by the Přemyslid dynasty, rulers of Bohemia. Under Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor from 1355, it became one of the great cities of Europe: he founded Central Europe's first university in 1348, began St Vitus Cathedral and built the stone bridge that now bears his name. The reformer Jan Hus preached here before being burned at the stake in 1415, sparking the Hussite wars. The Defenestration of Prague in 1618 helped trigger the Thirty Years' War. After centuries under the Habsburgs, Prague became the capital of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918. Nazi occupation and four decades of Communism followed, until the peaceful Velvet Revolution of 1989.
Culture
Czechs drink more beer per person than anyone else in the world, and the pub is the centre of social life. Pilsner-style lager was invented in nearby Plzeň in 1842. Food is hearty: svíčková (beef in a creamy vegetable sauce with dumplings), roast pork with sauerkraut, and trdelník pastries sold to tourists. Prague also has a deep cultural life, from Kafka's legacy to puppet theatre, classical concerts in Baroque churches and the Prague Spring music festival each May.
Landmarks
© DXR · CC BY-SA 4.0 Charles Bridge
Begun in 1357, this stone bridge across the Vltava is lined with thirty Baroque statues of saints. Touch the bronze plaque of St John of Nepomuk for luck, and visit at sunrise to see it nearly empty.
© Moyan Brenn from Italy · CC BY 2.0 Prague Castle
Among the largest ancient castle complexes in the world, it includes the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace and Golden Lane, a row of tiny houses where Kafka once wrote. It remains the seat of the Czech president.
© Tadeáš Gregor · CC BY-SA 4.0 Old Town Square
The heart of the old city is ringed by Gothic and Baroque buildings. On the Old Town Hall, the astronomical clock, installed in 1410, puts on a small show of moving apostles every hour.