Hey there! Thank you for stopping by to read about our weekend guide to Prague. This is a rundown of the best things to do and see in Prague. We lived in the Czech Republic for two years and would often zip to Prague on the train to spend the weekend to see the sights, enjoy the food, and the soak in the nightlife. Prague was nothing short of magical, so I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

A Weekend Guide To Prague, Czech Republic

Where to stay in Prague? 

When we look for places to stay we usually look for parking, a kitchen, and walking distance to all the sites.  Free Wifi is a must, and good reviews from other families who have stayed at the hotel.

Our Pick for Prague is  Apartments Wenceslas Square. We have stayed here many times, and you can choose your bedroom count; each unit has a full kitchen, too. The best part is all the apartments are located in the center of Prague, in the Mark’s and Spencer building, (Photo above) and is walking distance to all the sites. Parking is scarce in Prague, but the hotel does offer onsite parking with a reservation. It is also only steps from the train station and the subway. Compare Hotel Price Here.

Prague Castle/Palace

The Guinness Book of Records lists the Prague Castle as the largest ancient castle in the world. It occupies an area of almost 70,000 m² at about 570 meters in length and an average of about 130 meters wide. The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has over 1000 years of history! It should not be missed on a trip to Prague.

The complex is still a working-government building and still has a changing of the guards. The guards change every hour, on the hour, all day long; the best time to watch the guards change is at noon! At the gates are the two large statues of the titans fighting; they were built to protect the castle. The official website for opening times, tours, and information is here. 

Prague Castle Royal Gardens

The Royal Gardens are also a beautiful place to take a walk and enjoy the landscape; the gardens are also part of the Palace Complex.

St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle 

This is the largest and most important church in all of Czech Republic; it is still a working church even though is it technically owned by the Czech government. Inside is amazing stained glass and the tombs of some of the most important Roman emperors and Bohemian kings. This is actually the third church to stand on this site, the first one being built back in 930! However, the standing cathedral was commissioned in 1344. You can visit on your own or with a tour. For opening hours and prices, visit the St. Vitus website is here.

The Golden Lane, Prague Castle 

The Golden Lane was originally named for the alchemists in the palace who used to try and turn lead into gold. They really thought they could make this work! It also housed the guards who worked in the palace. Today, it is full of shops, souvenir stores, and local restaurants. The original Frank Kafka house is home number 22; he is the author who wrote about oppression and was Jewish Czech. This is a great stroll to take.

Petrin Hill, Prague

We had to include this in our weekend guide to Prague, it’s a must see view. You can ride the funicular to the top  of the hill. Petrin Tower has a small version of the Eiffel Tower – a maze of mirrors, an observatory, and a beautiful city gate.

The Hunger Wall is also there and was built in 1300’s. It was a brick wall that was commissioned to give the local people jobs for a poor economy, so it was called the Hunger Wall.

You can get an amazing view of all of Prague from here. It’s also a great place to have a picnic or let the kids run around for awhile.

St. Charles Bridge, Center Prague 

Take a walk on the St. Charles bridge and touch the statute of St. John of Nepomuk. It was the first statue built on the bridge. St. John was once the priest of the king. In 1393, the queen confessed to him about her lover. The king heard of this, and when St. John wouldn’t tell the king who the lover was he had him tortured. When torture didn’t work, he had him publicly executed by being thrown off the St. Charles bridge in front of all the towns’ people.

The queen and people loved him, and later he was made a saint for not breaking his vows of secrecy. If you rub him, it’s considered good luck and means you will one day return to Prague.

As you walk the bridge, there are many statues, however, the rest are copies with the originals at the Prague Art Museum.

Powder Tower, Center Prague

At the end of the St. Charles bridge is a tower. It’s called the Powder Tower. It was originally used as a gateway to the royal palace as a defense/lookout and a place to store gun powder. At one time there were a group of chemists in Prague trying to turn lead into gold, and they used the tower to do experiments. You can go up into the tower and from here you can see all of Prague.

Old Town ~ Staroměstské náměstí

In Old Town, you have the Astronomical Clock; it goes off every hour and the little statues dance. The clock has quite a legend associated with it.

Legend is, the clock was built by Master Hanuš in 1410. The city councilors  were so delighted with the clock that they later began to fear that Master Hanuš would build one like it for another European city. So, one dark night, they had him blinded so he could never build another clock like the one in Prague.

The Show at the Prague Astronomical Clock

Of course no weekend guide to Prague, would be complete without a stop to the famous astronomical clock.  Every hour, figures on the sides of the clock come to life, and two windows open up to reveal 12 apostles greeting the people in the city. On the side of the clock you will see a skeleton ringing a bell, a Turk shaking his head, a miser with a purse full of money, and a vanity looking in a mirror. The whole performance ends with the crowing of a golden rooster and the ringing of the huge bell at the top of the tower. It is also said that the golden rooster crows in the morning to scare the ghosts and devils out of Prague.

The clock dial tells you the day, week, month, and even the year. The Astronomical Clock also tracks Central European, Babylonian, and Sidereal time; it is the last clock left in the world to do so. It is also possible to see the position of celestial bodies on it. Last, you can find all the signs of the zodiac painted on the clock.

Lady of our Týn Church 

Directly across the square is the Lady of our Tyn Church, probably the most photographed church in Prague. It was built in 1385 and was the site of many Catholic and Hussite battles. Hundreds of thousands of Hussites were slaughtered here for their non-belief in the Catholic church. Some say that this church gave Walt Disney his inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle (others think it was the castle in Munich, Germany.)

If you look closely at both of the spires, they are not symmetrical; one is larger. It is to represent the feminine and masculine sides of the world. The church is a working church but you are welcome to go inside and walk around.

Jan Haus Freedom Monument

The monument was built for the people who had been exiled from Czech for religious persecution. It is a big green statue in the middle of the square. Haus was tortured and burned at the stake for speaking out against the Catholic church. After his death, many of his followers continued his teachings and fought in wars against the Catholic church (Hussite wars). Even today, 90% of the Czech community is not Catholic but Protestant or Atheist.

St. Nicholas Church, Old Town Prague 

The large white church with green tops in the square is called the St. Nicholas Church. During the 1800’s it was turned into a Russian Orthodox church. During WWII, the Czech military used to live in it, and it was used as a battle station. After the war it was turned back to the Hussite religion which is what it is today. It has all been restored since the war. Now it is a church and a site for musical concerts.

There are lots of restaurants in the square for snacks or drinks. Beware of the prices and the food.  Rule of thumb for traveling Europe – never eat in the main square! However, enjoy a nice cup of coffee or a great glass of Czech wine.  You can check out our page on where to eat and drink in Prague if you need some suggestions.

Jewish Museum/Cemetery, Jewish Qtr. 

The Jewish Museum is behind Old Town. There are tours of the museum and grounds, and there is a lot of history to be found here. On Sunday afternoons they give tours for children to understand the history of the Jewish religion and to help fight anti-semitism. The Jewish cemetery is there as well and it holds over 1200 bodies, and some graves are 12 people deep. There are many exhibits including drawings from children who lived in the Jewish ghetto and an exhibit on the history of the Jewish religion in Czech.  The museum and information can be found here, and the museum is definitely worth a visit.

New Town Prague ~ nové Město

The Opera House

Follow the signs to Nove Namesti (meaning new square) and you will come out at the beautiful Opera House. This grand place is not only a great photo opt, but has an afternoon tea and pastry service every afternoon – a great place to have tea and cookies and relax.

Need to do some shopping?

The biggest and best mall in Prague is the Palladium Mall. It is four stories and jam packed with shopping, gourmet food, and over 20 restaurants. It is all glass inside and just a beautiful piece of architecture. If you need anything, just want to wander, or have run into some bad weather, stop in to take a peek. Check out the best Food and drink Prague has to offer.

Wenclass Square

Wenceslas Square used to be a horse stable and now is the actual center of Prague. At the top of the street you will see the Statue of Wenclass I, the Duke of Bohemia. The statue was erected for freedom of the Czech people and is covered with saints to protect the ongoing life and history of the Czech people and culture.

Fred and Ginger Dancing House

The building was built after the Velvet Revolution. It was one of the first new buildings built, and it symbolizes the dance that the people of Czech did after the Russian occupation left the Czech Republic. location – Jiráskovo nám. 1981/6, Prague 2.

Lennon’s Wall 

The song by the Beatles, Revolution, helped spur the Velvet Revolution and overthrow of the communist government in Czech. The wall was the one place that the Czech people could express their opinion without being exiled or persecuted. The communist party and the local students clashed here many times. The communists called them crazy alcoholics, deranged, and followers of Leninism. Today, it’s a cool place full of street art and graffiti that the Czechs keep as a symbol of their freedom. Located at Velkopřevorské náměstí (Grand Priory Square), Malá Strana, Prague 1.

By: Jorge Láscar [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

National History Museum

This incredible building sits at the top of Wensclass Square and is just gorgeous inside. It also houses a lot of history and artifacts about the Czech. They have ongoing exhibits and multiples sites you can visit to explore the amazing history of the Czech Republic and its people. Their website is here.

National Memorial, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

You can find all of these monuments at Vitkov Hill. The details of opening hours, history, information on getting there, and costs are here.

There you have it! Prague in a nutshell. It is lot of information and things to see so just take your time and wander the city; that is the best way to see it. It is a magical city.

Can we help you with other things while visiting Prague?

No weekend guide to Prague would be complete without some local food.  Make sure you check out our article on the best foods to eat while visiting the Czech!

Looking for tours in Prague?

Our go to tour company is Viator.com we have used them all over the world. They have the top tours and can be trusted to only work with the best and most trusted companies. For my personal pick,  3 great tours to take are ~  Trip to Karlovy Vary,  or Kutna Hora Day Trip. If you want a tour guide instead of wandering around Prague, the Full Day Prague Tour is a great tour, and you will learn so much about the history of Prague. 

Looking for cheap flights? Our Cheap Flight Checker is JETRADAR, you can compare prices from anywhere in the world to Prague with all the airlines.

Car Rental?

Our go-to car rental company is Fox Rent a Car, we use them worldwide. You can also try Expeida.com – cars,  to compare all car rental company prices.

Language?

Want to Learn a little conversational Czech before you go? A great option is with Pimsleur Language Programs. We have learned 7 languages with Pimsleur and love their products.

Legal Documents?

Please remember that your passport must be valid for at least 90 days (some countries request six months) after you leave the Czech Republic. Please make sure your passport is updated or you can be turned away at the airport. Our go-to, last minute help is RushMyPassport.com.

Insurance?

Do you need travel insurance for any unforeseen illness or challenge? Our go-to travel insurance company is Allianz or Travelex Insurance  both you can compare prices and plans to fit your needs.

I hope you enjoyed our weekend guide to Prague! We also hope you love Prague as much as we did. Have I left anything out? I would love to hear your favorite things to do and see in Prague! Are you planning a visit to Prague? Ask us anything and we will do our best to answer it.

– Stacey

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