A picture-perfect storybook: 48 hours in Prague
Prague Charles The In Snow, Bridge
With a picture-perfect cityscape, that could be straight from the pages of a storybook, the Czech capital is best enjoyed during the autumn and winter months when the Interrailing students have returned to the classroom and the city becomes a winter wonderland, taking on a beguiling air with subtle hints at the magical season just ahead.
With the Vltava River running through it, Prague is also known as ‘the City of a Hundred Spires’, although a hundred might not do it justice.
Famous for its Old Town Square, the historic Old Town, dominated by bright baroque buildings,
Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock which gives an animated hourly show, Prague is a living, breathing, fairytale movie set.
Add to that the cultural heritage, the cafes and the architecture and 48 hours in Prague feels like an excellent idea indeed.
Of course, Prague can be chilly in late autumn and winter, with average temperatures a few degrees lower than Ireland but on the plus side, it rains less.
The flight time is around 2 ½ hours and the journey time from Václav Havel Airport into the city is around 40 minutes on the Airport Express Bus which also connects with the city's main train station.
Once you arrive, the Metro has 3 lines, taking you anywhere in the city you need.
A walk around the city is a wonderful way to admire the magical buildings and shopfronts. Navigating these narrow streets is a pleasure and stopping for a ‘vánoční svařák’ (mulled wine) feels entirely appropriate in the cooler months.
Start at Old Town Square to visit the Astronomical Clock, or ‘Prague Orloj’, a medieval clock which dates from the 15th century, making it the oldest astronomical clock in the world.
Join the crowd in front of the tower and watch the show, which takes place on the hour every hour, from 9am to 11 pm.
Characters that make an appearance include portrayals of vanity, greed and death followed by the procession of The Twelve Apostles.
If you visit between 30th November 30th and January 6th, Old Town Square is also home to one of the magical Christmas Markets, with another in nearby Wenceslas Square just a few minutes’ walk away.
From here, head down Charles Street (Karlova Ulice) the main route from the Old Town Square to the famous Charles Bridge (Karluv most).
Completed in 1402, Charles Bridge is one of the most beautiful and photographed monuments in the world.
The bridge is guarded by 30 statues of saints that represent the most important personalities of European and global history.
Crossing the bridge brings you to the Malá Strana (Lesser Town) from where you continue up Nerudova Street to the stunning Prague Castle, the largest castle complex in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
A Unesco World Heritage site, Prague Castle is considered most likely to have been founded around the year 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty.
Today, it consists of an array of palaces and clerical buildings of differing architectural styles, from the remains of Romanesque-style buildings from the 10th century through to the Gothic alterations during the 14th century. Both guided tours and self-guided audio tours are available.
If walking becomes tiresome or you just want to experience THE most glamorous hop–on–hop–off journey ever, then grab a ticket for the Vintage Tram and discover the city at your own pace.
The vintage tram cars date from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy right through to the more recent cars from the 1960’s, and all offer a great way to navigate the city.
If you do make the pilgrimage to Prague Castle, make time for a visit to the House of Lobkowicz, the only private building in the Prague Castle complex.
Home to a museum that houses the art collections of the Lobkowicz family, there are paintings by Canaletto and Rubens, as well as musical instruments and hand-annotated manuscripts by composers including Beethoven and Mozart
The museum is also home to the oldest and largest private library in Central Europe. You can also book a wine tasting or tour at Zámek Lobkowicz Roudnice winery which has been in operation since 1603.
Located on the Lesser-Town banks of the Vltava River, The Franz Kafka Museum opened in 2005. A brooding homage to the famously eccentric Czech-born writer, the exhibition consists of two parts –‘Existential Space’ which delves into the way Prague shaped the author himself and ‘Imaginary Topography’ which explores Kafka’s enigmatic references to unnamed locations that appear in his works.
There is something magical about attending the opera in Europe, especially over the winter months.
A visit to the Prague State Opera is no different. Scheduled performances between now and Christmas include La Traviata, Puccini’s La Bohème, Madam Butterfly and Hansel and Gretel.
Located in the historic centre of Prague, Kunsthalle’s mission is to document and showcase the art scene of the 20th and 21st centuries both in the Czech Republic and Europe in general.
Kunsthalle is home to three large gallery spaces, a design shop and a café and terrace with stunning views over Petřín Hill and Prague Castle.
There are a range of artists' residencies and short-term exhibitions of modern and contemporary art from both Czech and International artists from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Located on the banks of the Vltava River, Café Slavia is reputedly the oldest café in the city and aniconic establishment in Prague culture.
The café of choice for artists, writers, and intellectuals since opening in 1884, writers Karel and Josef Čapek, along with a host of other luminaries frequented the understated Art Deco café.
Traditional specialties of the house include beef tartare with truffle mayonnaise and dried egg yolk, a classic schnitzel or Czech pancakes with sour cherries.
Café Slaviais equally good for breakfast, drinks, afternoon cake or dinner. Nab a window seat for stunning views of Prague Castle and the National Theatre.
More gastropub than restaurant in style, make no mistake, Vycep is all about the food.
A refreshing treat in a city where many restaurant menus favour traditional Prague ham and pork knuckle, Vycep serves delicious, creative food with panache in a cool room.
Choose from the good value lunch or dinner menus or splurge on the tasting menu with an option for either a beer and schnapps pairing or a wine pairing.
The unmissable sourdough potato and buckwheat bread is served with veal bone marrow butter and buckwheat miso.
Beloved by locals, the Prague city branch of the Lokal pubs group serves up to 1500 people daily with hearty traditional foods with an extensive range of beer taps to match.
A long, cavernous room, reminiscent of a modern-day beer hall, the food menu changes daily but expect good value dishes such as chicken broth with noodles, Ćevapi (grilled minced meat rolls) with onions, mustard and buttered potatoes, too many sausage dishes to mention and schnitzel in many forms. Never fear, there are some salads on the menu too.
The Holešovice area has undergone something of a transformation in recent times with the year-round Holešovice food and produce market being the epicentre.
In a renovated steam mill, Vnitroblock houses an industrial café, restaurant, cinema, the DOX centre of contemporary art, a distillery, clothing stores and a barber shop.
A former industrial quarter, the Praha 7 neighbourhood is today filled with street food vendors, produce stalls, gallery spaces and creative pop-ups.
A leafy, pedestrianised boulevard that links Wenceslas Square and Republic Square, Na Prikopedates back to the 13th century and is lined with shopping malls, boutiques and specialty shops.
Pay a visit to the Moser Crystal outlet for stunning Czech glassware.
Located just a ten-minute walk from Wenceslas Square, Alfons Boutique Hotel is adjacent to bothMetro, bus and tram stops making getting around town a cinch.
Inspired by the works of world-famous Czech painter Alfons Mucha and the Art Nouveau period, rooms are tasteful and cosy withall the trappings one would expect from a good four-star hotel.
For those travelling with a group,there are also 2-bed apartments with kitchenettes. Rooms from €90 per night.
A luxury boutique hotel just steps away from Old Town Square, The Emblem is a family-run hotel and a design lover's dream.
The walls are adorned with commissioned works from both local and European artists and the list of designers tasked with bringing the hotel vision to life is impressive.
Rooms are slick and classic in style, with all the functional conveniences of a modern hotel, but it’s the shared hotel spaces that make you want to linger for longer.
The overall impression is a cosy, Bohemian-inspired haven, albeit in the centre of the city. Rooms from €125.