Flight time
2h 10m
Best season
April, May & September
Budget
Budget
Best for
History, nightlife, value for money
Overview
Why Prague for a city break?
Prague has the most beautiful medieval city skyline in Europe — that much is not disputed. The castle above the Vltava, the Gothic spires of the Old Town, Charles Bridge at dawn with the mist coming off the river: it's the kind of place that makes you feel like you've stumbled into a different century. The miracle is that the city survived the 20th century's various upheavals largely intact, which is why it looks like this when almost nothing else in Central Europe does.
It's also remarkably affordable for a city of this quality — a pint of excellent Czech lager in a local pub still costs around £1.50, a three-course dinner with wine can be done well for £25 a head, and hotel prices remain significantly lower than equivalent Western European capitals. Fly from most UK airports in just over two hours. The shoulder seasons — April to May and September — are the sweet spot: warm enough for outdoor terraces, not yet overwhelmed by the summer stag-party crowds that have unfortunately become part of the Old Town's atmosphere.
Where to stay & explore
Prague's best neighbourhoods
Vinohrady
The local's choice — a residential neighbourhood of Art Nouveau apartment buildings, excellent wine bars and restaurants, and a genuinely Czech atmosphere. Stay here over the tourist-heavy Old Town.
Malá Strana
The Little Quarter beneath the castle — baroque palaces, cobbled lanes, hidden gardens. More atmospheric than the Old Town and significantly less crowded. Worth crossing the river for.
Žižkov
Prague's bohemian neighbourhood — more bars per capita than almost anywhere in Europe, the bizarre TV Tower (with babies crawling up it), and a locals-only energy that rewards the adventurous.
Things to do
What to see in Prague
1
Prague Castle complex
The largest ancient castle in the world by area — the complex includes St Vitus Cathedral (the Gothic interior is breathtaking), the Old Royal Palace and the Golden Lane. Go early morning before the tour groups arrive. The views over the red rooftops from the castle ramparts are the finest in the city.
2
Charles Bridge at dawn
At 6am in the shoulder seasons, Charles Bridge is almost empty — just the 30 baroque statues, the mist off the Vltava, and the castle above. By 9am it's a people-jam. This is not a close call: get up early, walk it before the city wakes, then find a café in Malá Strana for breakfast.
3
Old Town Square & Astronomical Clock
The Astronomical Clock's hourly show is underwhelming up close but the square itself is one of the finest in Europe — the Gothic Týn Church, the baroque St Nicholas Church, and the Old Town Hall tower (climb it for the views). Avoid the restaurants on the square itself; everything within 200 metres is a tourist trap.
4
Veletržní palác (National Gallery modern art)
Prague's modern and contemporary art collection is housed in a magnificent 1920s functionalist trade fair palace — and is almost completely overlooked by tourists. The collection includes major works by Czech artists alongside Picasso, Klimt and Schiele. Go on a weekday afternoon when it's near-empty.
Food & drink
Where to eat in Prague
Lokál Dlouhááá
Czech pub / tank lager
The gold standard of the Prague pub experience — Pilsner Urquell served directly from tanks in the basement (far fresher than bottled), excellent svíčková (beef in cream sauce) and a local crowd. Part of the Ambiente group that has quietly elevated Czech pub food across the city.
Eska
Modern Czech / Žižkov
The best restaurant in Prague for understanding what contemporary Czech cooking looks like — fermented, foraged, seasonal, deeply rooted in central European tradition but entirely modern in execution. In a converted industrial space in Žižkov. Book ahead.
Café Savoy
Viennese café / Malá Strana
A beautifully restored fin-de-siècle café with a stunning neo-Renaissance ceiling, excellent pastries and one of the best breakfast menus in the city. The svíčková at lunch is definitive. Go for the room as much as the food.
Itinerary
3 days in Prague — a suggested itinerary
Day 1
Cross the river, find the castle, lose yourself in Malá Strana
Prague Airport is 30 minutes from the centre by bus and metro (line B to Náměstí Republiky, around 40 Czech crowns — about £1.50). Drop your bags in Vinohrady, then head straight across the river to Malá Strana. Walk up through the castle gardens — the Zahrada na Valech are free and give you extraordinary views — and arrive at the castle from the south side, which most tourists don't. Spend two hours in the complex: St Vitus Cathedral first, then the Golden Lane. Walk back down through Malá Strana's cobbled streets, stopping at Café Savoy for a late lunch. In the evening, take the tram up to Žižkov and drink at the bars around Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad — Pivní bar Kulový blesk is excellent for Czech craft beer.
Day 2
Charles Bridge at dawn, Old Town, an afternoon in Vinohrady
Set your alarm. Charles Bridge at 6am is one of the finest experiences in European travel — the city barely exists yet and you'll have the 500-year-old statues largely to yourself. Walk across to the Old Town side, find a bakery for coffee and a croissant, then explore the Jewish Quarter (Josefov) before the tour groups arrive. The Old Jewish Cemetery — layers of graves stacked on top of each other over centuries — is quietly devastating. The Old Town Square after 10am is tourist-central; navigate through it and escape south towards Wenceslas Square and the National Museum (recently renovated, genuinely impressive). Afternoon in Vinohrady: the farmers' market at Náměstí Míru on Wednesdays and Fridays, wine at Veltlin natural wine bar, dinner at Eska in Žižkov.
Day 3
Veletržní, Holešovice market, one last Pilsner
Take the tram to Holešovice — one of Prague's most interesting emerging neighbourhoods, with the National Gallery's modern art collection at Veletržní palác (buy the ticket: it's extraordinary). The Sunday farmers' market at Holešovice is excellent if you're there at the weekend. Walk south through Letná park for the views over the Vltava bend — the beer garden at Letenský zámeček is the finest outdoor drinking spot in the city. Back towards the centre, one last lunch at Lokál for tank Pilsner and goulash. The airport bus leaves from Náměstí Republiky every 30 minutes — easy.
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