A week in Prague is a sea of unforgettable impressions, pleasant emotions and excitements. So that you can see the main attractions of the wonderful city, which is called "Zlata Prague", we have developed a route, following which you can get a full picture of the Czech capital and see the most interesting sights.
1 day - acquaintance with the Old Town Square
Old Town Square
This square is the heart not only of Prague, but of the whole Czech Republic, a sacred place for its inhabitants and an interesting object for tourists from all over the world. This is the historical center of the capital, which was mentioned as far back as the 12th century as a large bustling market located at the intersection of European trade communications. With the gradual expansion of the boundaries of the city, with the change in international routes, the importance of the Old Market declined, and the trade square became known as Old Town, receiving official status in 1895.
How many joyful, solemn and tragic events have taken place here over the past centuries: festivities, holidays, coronations, Hussite performances and cruel executions - everyone has seen the stones of the Old Town Square! That is why it is so loved by the residents of the capital, which is why there are so many historical monuments here. On 15 thousand sq. m. reflects the life of past generations, harsh prose and romance in architectural and sculptural masterpieces, carefully preserved by descendants.
The Town Hall, erected in the 14th century as an administrative building, is a unique Gothic architectural structure that has significantly expanded since then due to the Renaissance-style buildings attached to both sides. Now it is a whole architectural complex with a magnificent view - the main decoration of the square and a genuine rarity.
On the high portal (the tower, completed in 1364), there is an astronomical clock beating every hour (a real theatrical performance with a funny plot). The family coats of arms of members of the City Council are still located under the cornice of the house adjoining the central tower, and the historical inscription: "Prague is the head of the kingdom" is preserved. Nowadays, the sounds of Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" are heard from the pink town hall building: in it (in the building) there is now the Wedding Hall.
One of the old houses near the Town Hall with an amazing history of its 2nd birth deserves undoubted attention. When it was about to be demolished due to its dilapidation, highly artistic Renaissance paintings were discovered under the Baroque plaster: magnificent medallions depicting various rulers of the past, subject compositions from mythology, sculptural outlines of allegorical figures symbolizing philosophical concepts.
The extraordinary grace and beauty of the images saved the house, which was carefully restored, and now its beautiful facades are deservedly admired. Probably, it is no coincidence that an organization responsible for the protection of the capital's monuments is now located here. Address: Old Town Square, 1/3. Metro: stop. Staromestska, tram: А, 17, 18, 53 - stop. Old Town Square
It is impossible to ignore the Church of St. Nicholas, the green domes of which are visible from afar. This holy place has an ancient history, as early as the 13th century there was a small parish church of the Hussites. After a fire, already in the 18th century, the temple was rebuilt, acquiring a modern majestic look. Today it hosts religious services and concerts of classical organ music. Address: Old Town Square, 27 A, corner of Parizhskaya Street. and Old Town Square. Open for visits: Tuesday-Saturday, from 10.00 to 16.00; Sunday 10.30 - mass; 12.00-05.00 - concerts; Monday - 12.00-16.00.
Monument to Jan Hus
The name of the legendary leader of the uprising is known to all schoolchildren, and it would be unfair not to see his monument close. It is impossible not to notice a large-scale sculptural composition, as if growing out of the ground. It expresses respect and gratitude to the great reformer, champion of justice, and reflects the historical milestones of the state. The center is crowned with the figure of Jan himself, below - the symbolic statues of his associates, among which stands out the sculpture of a young mother - a symbol of the country's revival. The erection of the monument, which became a national affair, a patriotic civil action that perpetuated the memory of the national hero of the Czech Republic, who was burned at the stake, continued for 12 years.
Tyn Church (Church of the Virgin Mary in front of Tyn)
A significant cultural and historical building, which was built in the 2nd century, is an unsurpassed pinnacle of temple architecture in the world. It embodies the best features of Gothic and Baroque, majesty and monumentality, simplicity and severity of the classics. The amazing shape of the domes of the high towers (80 m) is a testament to the architectural uniqueness and perfection that you can admire endlessly.
The interior decoration of the temple is expressive and large-scale: 19 altars with magnificent decoration; 14 large art canvases with images of Mary and Christ; stone pulpit of the Gothic style; a sacred tin font with relief images of the apostles - everything is worthy of attention. Address: Old Town Square, Praha, 1. Metro: st. Staromestska; tram: А, 17, 18, 53 - stop. Staromestska. Opening hours: every day, from 10.00 to 17.00.
Prague: hop-on hop-off bus, 24 or 48 hour ticket - 20 €
45-minute sightseeing cruise to Chertovka Canal - 14 €
Tourist card in Prague for 2, 3 or 4 days - 58 €
50-minute river cruise - 13 €
New Years Eve Dinner Cruise with Fireworks - 160 €
Folklore dinner with music and dancing - 57 €
Hot air balloon flight over Prague - 199 €
Day 2 - discoveries on Petřín Hill
Viewpoint
To see the panorama of the city from above, we recommend visiting Petřín Hill, a picturesque hill, where there are 8 gardens and parks with various attractions. Ancient times of pagan beliefs are associated with the hill, when this place served as an arena for worshiping the god Perun (this is evidenced by the remains of temples). Above, an amazing view of Prague opens up: even for the sake of it, it is worth visiting here, not to mention those interesting objects that were made for the opening of the international industrial exhibition in 1891 and are now national monuments.
Observation tower
The Observation Tower is a reduced, modified copy of the Eiffel Tower, built with public donations. The tower has 3 levels: underground, lower and upper. In the underground there is a museum of literary heroes of the writer Jan Cimrman. The lower tier - shops, souvenir shops, cafes. Upstairs there is an observation deck, where tourists are very fond of climbing. Opening hours: from April to October, every day, from 10.00 to 22.00; November-March: Sat, Sunday, from 10.00 to 17.00. Tickets cost 60 CZK.
Mirror Maze
A few meters from the tower, there is a fascinating attraction called the Mirror Maze, a favorite entertainment place for children. Everyone is interested in the historical panorama depicting an episode of the Thirty Years War - the battle between the Czechs and the Swedes on the Charles Bridge. The holy place is the "Chapel of Calvary", the facade of which is painted with a scene of the resurrection of Christ in the "sgraffito" style. The Church of St. Lawrence, the Hungry Wall, the Stefanik Observatory will leave deep impressions.
Rose garden
An amazing sight - the Rose Garden - captivates with the beauty of the various types of roses presented in it in huge numbers. Roses are planted in 3 forms of flower beds: fans, circles and parterres. The entrance is open during the warm season of the year.
How to get to Petrin
Petřín Hill can be reached by funicular - a narrow-gauge railway, laid from the stop. County to the Observation Tower. Funicular working hours: April-October, every day, from 09.00 to 23.30; November-March, from 09.00 to 22.20. Carriages leave every 10-15 minutes, you can use public transport tickets. To stop.The county is brought up by trams N 9, 12, 20, 22, 57, 58, 59, 91.
If on one of them you get to the stop. Hellichova and go down to the Vltava, you will find yourself on the island of Kampa, where you can see real tourist "highlights": a charming English park, an old millwheel, the Chertovka stream and architectural masterpieces in the Renaissance and Baroque style. If you go closer to the Charles Bridge, then you can come to the famous wall of John Lennon with numerous declarations of love from his fans. Near Charles Bridge you can rent a very popular Segway and use it to go around the entire Petřín Hill.
Day 3 - a trip to Prague Castle
Prague Castle is a fortress city with an ancient history, which since 1354 became the seat of Charles IV, the Roman emperor. It was from this time that active work began on strengthening and expanding the castle and rebuilding the royal palace, carried out with unprecedented luxury, covering the roof with gold as a sign of the all-powerful imperial power.
Significant changes were made to the fortress ensemble in the 17th century after the destructive capture of it by the Swedes under Maria Teresa. Prague Castle is the largest residence of government officials, a magnificent architectural complex, where each building is a cultural and historical monument. After passing through the gate, guarded by a guard, you need to turn right to the ticket sales points, which contain a list of attractions. A detailed price list is posted at the ticket office, which indicates the cost of all categories of tickets.
Royal Palace
The majestic building of the Royal Palace - one of the main attractions - houses the Chapel of All Saints, the Spanish Hall, the Vladislav Hall, the Czech Chancellery. In each of these rooms, you can see amazing relics - evidence of the power and wealth of kings. The spacious rooms amaze with the splendor and beauty of the interiors.
Basilica of St. George
The oldest building, preserved from the 10th century. n. e., an invaluable monument of temple architecture, which cannot be overlooked. The elegant Baroque façade and 2 early Gothic white towers (Adam and Eve) are striking. The sculptures, located on both sides under the triangular pediment, depict the founders of the temple: Prince Vratislav and Princess Mlada. Reconstruction of the 17th century preserved the ancient features of the unique church as much as possible.
Cathedral of St. Vita
The real pearl of Prague Castle is the Cathedral of St. Vita is a monumental majestic building. Its high pointed spiers (the highest - 96 m) are visible from anywhere in Prague. Outwardly, the cathedral looks like a perfect work of art: the stone walls are decorated with openwork patterns, the front portals are covered with images of chimeras and gargoyles acting as gutters; stories from the life of St. Wenceslas.
A unique decoration is the Golden Gate - the main entrance for noble persons. They represent a triple arch of the Gothic style, the walls of which are covered with mosaics of gilded Venetian glass, depicting scenes of the Last Judgment. There is also an Orthodox crucifixion of Jesus, which is a mystery of the Catholic church.
Zlata street
A unique street of its kind, consisting of neat houses closely adjoined to each other, similar to fairytale houses, in which in the 16-17th centuries. in. lived "red arrows" who guarded the prisoners. The tiny street got its name on the basis of the legend that alchemists allegedly lived in the houses who mined gold from stone. Nowadays, the quaint buildings are home to souvenir shops, eateries and shops. Opening hours: April-September, every day, from 05.00 to 24.00; October-March, from 05.00 to 23.00. Ticket offices are open from 09.00 to 16.00.
Day 4 - acquaintance with Malaya Strana
This area of Prague is considered a Baroque architectural reserve due to the abundance of baroque style palaces in it. Its center is Lesser Town Square, surrounded by the palace masterpieces of the Liechtensteins, Smirzhitsky, Sternbergs, each of which is an example of the magnificent Baroque.
Church of st. Nikolay (Mikulas)
The heart of the square is the church of St. Nicholas (Mikulas), created in the Prague Baroque style. For the first time, the divine music of Mozart's Requiem sounded in it 2 weeks after the death of the composer. Everything is great in the architecture of the cathedral: moldings, sculptures, columns, balcony railings. The huge fresco of the central vault, depicting scenes from the life of the Saint, is very impressive; the majestic statues of the followers of Christ and the copper sculpture of Nicholas himself. Address: Malostranskaya pl., 2/25. Opening hours: March-October, every day, from 10.00 to 20.00; November-February, 10.00-18.00. To get there: tram - 12, 20, 22, 57.
Wallenstein Palace
To get a complete picture of baroque palaces, you need to take Wallenstein as a model. This is not just a building, but a whole palace and park complex with amazingly beautiful floral design. A labyrinth of evergreen shrubs, sculptural monuments, an artificial stalactite cave are extraordinarily beautiful. The luxurious building of the palace amazes with the richness and pretentiousness of decoration outside and inside, especially its "Knight's Hall" with a height of 2 floors. The ceiling plafond depicts the Duke of Wallenstein in the image of the god Mars on a chariot; the picturesque frescoes are painted with mythological subjects from Ovid and Virgil. The palace now houses the Czech Senate and the Pedagogical Museum. Address: Valdsstejnske nam 17/4. Tram: 12, 20, 22.57 - stop. Malostranska pl. Open for visits on weekends, from 09.00 to 17.00.
Nerudova street
It is also an interesting object, a real rarity among the streets of Prague, along which the Royal Road ran in the Middle Ages. Here, on the old mansions, instead of a number, the owner's coat of arms is attached. This pedestrian zone, where the embassies of Romania and Italy are located, where you can see the true flavor of the medieval city: Baroque and Renaissance facades, Gothic cellars, intricate door handles, picturesque arches, doors with ornate patterns.
Karmelitskaya street
No less interesting is the street. Karmelitskaya, located on the slope, because here is the Church of the Virgin Mary the Victorious. It is very popular, since on the central altar of the church is a figurine of the infant Christ, rumored to have a miraculous protective power. Thousands of pilgrims come to worship the Christ figurine.
House of the Black Lion
Of tourist interest is the house "At the Black Lion", which was once a hotel, which was visited by the legendary Nelson and the Hamilton couple.
Day 5 - Zoo
Although there is a zoo in any country, the Prague one is worth special attention: it is two-level, covers an area of 60 hectares and is ranked 7th among the best zoos in the world. Its territory is very picturesque, excellent conditions have been created for animals, close to natural ones. It is home to 4422 individuals representing 672 species of fauna. The lower and upper levels are connected by a funicular (20 kroons). The inhabitants of the zoo live in open and closed pavilions, and the 3 largest closed ones give a complete picture of rare species of animals and birds:
The Indonesian jungle is a kind of elliptical glass structure, where 100-130 species of tropical fauna live in a comfortable environment (+ 30).
Near Africa - the same type of pavilion in which rare species of representatives of the fauna of South Africa live: mongooses and porcupines, macaques and monkeys, dwarf antelope and turtles; pelicans and flamingos, cape parrot, marabou - a fascinating sight of exotic individuals.
The South America Pavilion introduces llamas, baboons, and a variety of monkeys.
The rest of the small pavilions and aviaries contain certain species of wild mammals, including tigers, lions, gorillas, huge reptiles, and penguins.
There is the territory of the Children's Zoo, where you can ride a tram that runs continuously back and forth (a ticket for a child costs 10 kroons). There is no limit to the delight of children: they can closely communicate with pets, give them food (sold in special machines), observe their behavior.
The tourist service here is at a high level: 4 car parks, 2 bicycle parking, catering facilities, public toilets, playgrounds, a swimming pool, various types of transport - everything is provided for a comfortable long stay of tourists.
Open every day. April, May, September, October - 09.00-18.00, summer months - 09.00-19.00; November, December, January - 09.00-17.00; February, March - 09.00-17.00. Christmas, New Year - 09.00-14.00. Ticket prices: adult - 200 CZK; children from 3 to 15 and students - 150 CZK; pensioners from 70 years old - 1 crown; family (2 parents and 2 children) - 600 CZK; car parking - 100 CZK. Free - children under 3 years old.
How to get to the zoo
From the center: metro (red line) st. Nadrazi Holesovice, exiting the metro, turn left, take the stairs up and left, where stop. bus 112, on it - to the final stop. April-September, Sunday, Saturday, holidays - special bus "Zoodus" (1 crown). From the Charles or Chekhov Bridge you can swim to the zoo by boat, at the same time see other sights of Prague on the banks and get great pleasure from traveling along the river.
Day 6 - Vysehrad
It is unforgivable to visit Prague and not see the oldest fortress in the Czech Republic, because a visit to it gives an accurate picture of the Middle Ages. According to some historians, it was from Vysehrad that the history of Prague began. This is quite logical, because from the elevation on which the fortress is located, an excellent view of the area opens up, which was important for its inhabitants in those days (10th century). Now it is a beautiful picturesque panorama of the capital, and the Vysehrad district itself is the center of ancient palaces and mansions, a romantic place shrouded in many interesting legends. The architectural calling card of Vysehrad is the oldest Cathedral of Peter and Paul, erected at the beginning of the 11th century on the model of a Roman temple. The battered main walls of the church survived the fire; as a result of several reconstructions, two 4-cornered towers (Adam and Eve) with high neo-Gothic spiers), crowned with stars, were built on; side chapels in the Baroque style.
Above the entrance of the central façade, there is a bas-relief with the plot of the Last Judgment; the external grandeur of the temple strikes no less than the magnificence of the interior decoration: colorful glass stained-glass windows, sculptures of Peter, Paul, Cyril and Methodius; fresco depicting the Virgin Mary of the Rain. Each element of the decoration has its own legend, and this makes a visit to the church even more fascinating, to this is the peaceful atmosphere of the adjacent territory with an old well, narrow paths and ancient monuments. Open for visits: every day, from 09.30 to 17.30. Entrance - 100 CZK.
Next to the church there is another place worthy of attention - the Vysehrad cemetery, where 600 famous and respected Czech citizens, whom the whole world knew, found eternal peace. The main attraction of the historic cemetery is a grandiose monument - the Slavin sarcophagus with an eloquent philosophical inscription: "You are dead, but you are still talking" - underneath are the remains of 50 celebrities of the Czech Republic. Here, each tombstone is a kind of sculptural or architectural masterpiece, created as a symbol of memory and admiration for those who are buried under it. You need to walk around Vysehrad until the evening, when the Singing Fountains turn on at 19.00 - a stunningly beautiful sight that is worth seeing. Fortress working hours: November-March (every day, 09.30 - 17.00); April-October: every day, from 09.30 to 18.00. Admission is free, sightseeing is paid, from 20 to 60 CZK.
How to get to Vysehrad
Metro (line C), stop. Vysehrad. Tram: 3, 7, 17, 52 - stop. Viton; 7, 18, 24.53, 55 - rest. Ostrcilovo namesti. If there is a desire and time, you can walk along the Vltava embankment from the National Theater, admiring the surroundings.
Day 7 - a trip to the shops and shops of the Palladium
Palladium Shopping Center with a huge variety of shops and will take you away from excruciating shopping throughout the city. Here there is an opportunity to buy everything that the soul asks for and even what was not planned to buy at all. The huge old building attracts everyone's attention with its external beauty and richness of its internal content. The search for purchases here turns into a pleasant walk: the calm, cozy atmosphere of small cafes allows you to relax and refresh yourself, discuss purchase plans, and calculate expenses. 5 floors are occupied by shops of both local firms and world famous ones; the interiors are decorated in such a way that one gets the impression that this is a temple of art, and not a trading establishment. Address: pl. Republic, 1. Namesti Republik. Tram: B, 5, 8, 24, 26, 51, 54.
