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DESTINATION GUIDE

Travel Guide Prague printable version
Prague Introduction
Prague's Old Town Square at night: the astronomical clock on the left with the Church of our Lady before Tyn in the distance. Photo courtesy Czech Tourism

A Bohemian rhapsody of Gothic spires and Baroque palaces, medieval streets and Mozart melodies

Escape: To Petrin Hill's apple orchards perched above Prague, Franciscan Garden's rose and herb gardens near Wenceslas Square, Kampa Park hugging the banks of the River Vltava and the Botanical Garden's Japanese Zen garden.
Discover: A maze of cobbled streets, slender spires and low-ceilinged beer halls in the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Charles Bridge's stone arches spanning the River Vltava, medieval Prague Castle's astounding art and architecture.
Take Home: Bohemian crystal and porcelain from Preciosa, organic scents and soaps from Botanicus, prints and paintings from the Old Town's galleries, wooden marionettes from Manufactura and hand-crafted pottery from Keramika.
Prague Lowdowntop
Highlights

Prague waltzes through Ball Season (Feb), gets classical at the Spring Music Festival (May) and pirouettes at Prague Dance Festival (Jun). Celebrate Jan Hus Day (Jul), the International Brass Band Festival (Sep), Theatre Festival (Oct), Jazz Festival (Nov) and see Santa Claus on St Nicholas Day (Dec).

Electricity

220 volts

International Dialling Code

+420

Money (currency)

Local currency is Czech Republic Koruny (CZK)

Time

GMT: precisely, GMT plus 1 hour in summer

British Embassy

Address: Thunovska 14
Prague 1
118 00
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 257 402 111

Prague Information Service

Address:
Old Town Hall
Staromestske namesti 1
Prague 1
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 12 444
Web: Prague Information Service

Halifax Travel Insurance

Tel: 0800 032 1751

Web: Halifax Travel Insurance

Halifax Travel Money

Tel: 0845 246 0006

Prague Experiencestop
Best Attractions

Glimpse Týn Church's dreaming turrets and 12 Apostles parading hourly from the medieval Astronomical Clock. See Titian and Tintoretto masterpieces at the Picture Gallery and St Vitus Cathedral at hilltop Prague Castle, home to Bohemian royalty for more than 700 years. Unravel the city's rich, harrowing history at the Jewish Museum and 14 million artefacts at the neo-Renaissance Prague National Museum.

Best Hidden Gems

Row your boat gently down the Vltava River to spot the city's sights, or climb to Vysehrad citadel for sweeping Prague views. Uncover Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha's best works at the Mucha Museum, red-roofed Strahov Monastery and Pinkas Synagogue in memory of the Jewish Holocaust victims. Find the sumptuous Baroque Chapel of Mirrors at Klementinum, where Mozart once performed.

Best Views

Scale Petrin Tower for far-reaching views - on a clear day you can see the Czech Republic's higest peak, Snezka. Climb the 65-metre Powder Tower to spy Týn Church and Prague's famous spires. The Zizkov TV Tower's observation deck affords panoramic Prague views.

Best Buys

Fresh produce and handicrafts are piled high on Stare Mesto Market's wooden stalls (daily). Roam the Old Town's winding streets to find Bohemian crystal, blue-and-white porcelain, wooden puppets, lacework and quirky art in private galleries. Shop for Czech amber and gemstones in Wenceslas Square's jewellers.

Best Dining

Stare Mesto (Old Town) and Nove Mesto (New Town) fuse world flavours with calorie-rich Czech fare. Take a pew on the Old Town Square to feast on dumplings with pork and sauerkraut, or enjoy spicy goulash and superb views at Petrín Hill and riverside Kampa Park. Savour fresh bagels in Malá Strana (Lesser Town) and kosher food in the narrow cobbled streets lining Josefov (Jewish Quarter).

Best Nightlife

The Old Town serves Pilsner beer in centuries-old hospodas (beer halls) and Gothic cellars, and creative cocktails in its trendier haunts. Live music plays in Bohemian-style pubs in the laid-back Lesser Quarter, while Prague's top DJs entertain ultracool clubbers in the New Town and Zizkov - try Matrix and the Akropolis Palace for live gigs and all-night parties. Culture lovers enjoy ballet at the illuminated Estates Theater and high notes at Prague State Opera.