The capital of Czech Republic has somewhat been a bit of a hidden gem in terms of travel destinations. Leaning towards Eastern Europe, the country has recently grown in popularity for travellers. Stepping into the city and you will be transformed into a world filled with old squares and incredible Bohemian food. The Old Town offers a magical experience that no other European city can match. It is no wonder why Prague has surged in recent popularity.
It is now super easy to fly directly to Prague from pretty much anywhere in the world. Make sure to use sites like JetRadar to find the best flight deals. Alternatively, why not fly luxury with the likes of Qatar? If you are coming from afar, this is the best airline to take! I took them to India last year and was blown away by their quality and comfort!
For those worried about where to stay in Prague, then don’t worry at all! I am a big fan of using Airbnb while travelling – you get to stay somewhere local, somewhere homey and best of all, you get to talk to people who live in the city! If you haven’t experienced this yet, make sure to use my referral code to start your adventure! And for those looking for hotels, there are hundreds of fine options on Booking.com or Agoda!
Below is my top five reasons why Prague is the perfect city for a weekend getaway!
1. A Walkable City with Lots to See
A city that can be explored by foot is the ideal place for a weekend getaway and the Prague Old Town is just big and flat enough to be explored completely by foot. Founded in the 7th century, the Old Town has this incredibly romantic feeling to it. I am not sure if it is to do with the old buildings or the mix of styles from multiple periods but there is just this magical feeling to the whole place. The Old Town Square is the centre of it all and is a busy and buzzing part of the city. During festive periods like Christmas, you will find market stalls of food everywhere. The huts and the Christmas tree really adds to the Christmas spirit.
We love doing Free Walking Tours and try to fit one in at every city we visit. While in Prague we used Sandeman’s, but there are loads of other options available on Viator or TripAdvisor. So many options it is unbelievable! If you are old school, then check out these incredible deals for hard covers of Lonely Planet Guides!
Sitting just behind the square is the Church of Our Ladybefore Týn, a Roman Catholic church from the 14th century that quite literally towers over the whole square. This is a massive Gothic church and looks really mystical and mysterious in the backdrop of the Old Square!
Probably the most visited attraction in the whole of Prague is the Astronomical Clock. This clock was installed in 1410 and is the oldest operating astronomical clock in the world. This impressive piece has a lot of components, from representations of the Earth, views of the sky and zodiac rings, to depictions of the sun movement and the animated figures on the outside. It really is a complicated structure and very incredible how it was build so long ago!
A little walk into town and you might bump into one of the Charles University buildings. This University was established in 1348 and is the first University in Central Europe.
Josefov is the Jewish quarter and is a labyrinth of small buildings with little alleyways. We went on the Sandeman’s Free Walking Tour and there were so many cool little stories about this area. I would highly recommend going on this tour to find out more about this historical area. Make sure to ask about the infamous golem monster!
This walkable city has so much history, culture and is perfect for a weekend getaway!
2. The Views
Another reason why Prague is the perfect getaway is because the views in the city are simply stunning! My favourite spot to catch the sights is up at Letna Park, just on the other side of the river. It is an easy walk up of the stairs for some of the most stunning views of town. You will also get a glimpse of the bendy and beautiful river!
Another great picture worthy spot is by the river while looking up at the gorgeous castle. This is where the Sandeman’s tour ends and its the perfect spot for some snaps.
3. Prague Castle
Reason number three has to go to the Prague Castle. This beautiful castle complex is on the other side of the river and sits on a little hill overlooking the city. It was built in a Baroque style and has this very medieval feel to it.
In the middle of the complex is the St Vitus Cathedral, a beautiful church with very intricate details. The style reminds me of the cathedral in Cologne, with a merge of different styles.
During the Christmas period, there were little Christmas huts next to the cathedral. The coolest of them all was a blacksmith who was hammering away! It really added to the whole castle experience.
4. The Food
You cannot go on a weekend gateway and not have good food. Although Prague isn’t famous for anything in particular, it still has a great range of restaurants on offer. Restaurants will serve up some typical dishes such as pork knuckle, sausages and so on. But the biggest surprise we had was a fine dining lunch at Field. This Michelin starred restaurant has the most incredible 10 course menu.
The dishes were literally named after the ingredients found in the dish. Snail Parsnip Garlic Bacon was a dish filled with soft snails, creamy parsnip which came with a bit of crunch and cheese. Sturgeon, Vegetables Nut, Spruce was a real mouthful of lemon, macadamia nuts, fish and seaweed.
The most theatrical dish has to be the Lamb Gouda Raisin. There was a lot of smoke and dry ice effect that came with a little tart with gouda and raisins. It was very meaty and crunchy with a contrasting sweetness from the raisins! All very magical!
My favourite dish of the day had to be the 45 Days Aged Beef, Veal Brain, Celeriac, Morel. A combination of tasty beef, celeraic and an intense gravy matched with veal brain. A real mouthful!
All the dishes here were just amazing and well worth the money, especially if you were doing a short weekend getaway!
For those looking for a quick snack in the markets, make sure also to try out Trdelnik. You will find the chimney looking baked goodness pretty much everywhere you go. It looks sweet, soft and delicious!
5. The Wines
Prague and the majority of Central Eastern Europe is all very famous for their beers and lagers. What is a bit of an unknown is the quality of wines on offer, especially in Czech Republic. We managed to sample quite a range of different types of wines and concluded that local reds were not great, but the whites were stunning! The best place to try wines is at Vinograf Wine Bar. They serve up some really fresh and local wines and their range is pretty impressive! You simply can’t beat a nice glass of wine, especially if your on the perfect weekend getaway! :0
All in All
Prague was simply a magical city to explore and discover. There were so much history to see, places to visit and incredible food to enjoy. Here are only a handful of the best things to do in Prague and I hope it has given you enough to show that it is the perfect city for a perfect weekend getaway!
Stayed tuned for my next post – a quick trip to the Czech countryside!
Travel Essentials
Haven’t got that almighty travel backpack? Or in the market looking for the best mini suitcase? I got you covered with some of my go to travel essentials:
- Boundary Supply has probably the most functional travel backpacks on the market right now! Lightweight and perfect for any trip!
- WANDRD offers the best travel notebooks. All your travel thoughts, itineraries and details in one spot! They also do great travel bags too!
- G-RO: I have been a big fan of these guys since their Kickstarter days! I was one of the first backers! Their mini suitcase is so functional and easy to move around. Perfect for those long weekends!
- Priority Pass or Plaza Premium: This one is more for those flying in and out. Why not stop by a lounge for some relaxation and nibbles before your flight?
- Booking.com and Agoda are great places to look for hotels and places to stay!
- For those looking for a local home stay, try out Airbnb! Stay at someone’s home and get a chance to pick their brains for the best things to do in town! Check out my referral code!
- Viator: If you haven’t got time to plan out a trip, then check out some of their day tours and offers! Or head to Lonely Planet to grab a hard cover of the old school travel guides!
Don’t forget to check out my other travel posts!
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