Prague is a city known for it’s charming old town, baroque buildings, and famous spires- it is nicknamed the “City of a Hundred Spires”. I went to Prague without expectations. I had a few sites and restaurants on my list, but was excited to see what the city offered. We stayed in an amazing two bedroom Airbnb in Prague 1 near the center of the old town- and a 5 minute walk from Charles Bridge. It had large balconies on both sides of the apartment and was the perfect home base for our exploration of Prague.

Restaurants and Bars

Hotel U Prince

The rooftop terrace at Hotel U Prince boasts one of the best views of the Old Town Square. My mom and I had a late lunch on the rooftop. The food was a reasonable price but nothing to write home about. The view, however, was outstanding and worth waiting to snag a picture from the corner of the balcony.

Staroměstské nám. 460/29, Prague

Cafe Letka

Easily one of the cutest restaurants/cafes I’ve been to in the world. We went on a weekday morning and it was packed. The first table available had the window sill acting as a chair, but hey, it worked. A very vegetarian and vegan friendly menu, full of vegetables and healthier options when you’ve had one too many trdelník (spoiler, they’re not traditional Czech fair, but don’t let that stop you from having your fill). It’s also located in the Letná neighborhood of Prague 7.

Letohradská 44, Prague.

Cukrárna Alchymista

I wasn’t able to make it to this hidden gem but if you’re in the Letná neighborhood, I would recommend trying to get there! Its cozy atmosphere, beautiful hidden garden, and award winning cheesecake look very worth it. Let me know if you go!

Jana Zajíce 975/7

Styl & interier

Such a cool concept restaurant! Half interior design store and half restaurant with a beautiful courtyard. The meal was one of our favorites on the trip. I had steak and fries and my mom had a vegetable soup. Don’t miss out on the mouthwatering desserts either! Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures there but take my word, it’s beautiful. Just a word of advice, it is a bit hard to find and off the beaten path down an alleyway, but it’s SO worth it.

Vodičkova 708/35, 110 00 Nové Město

bakeshop

Located in Malá Strana, one of Prague’s most historic neighborhoods, Bakeshop was the perfect stop for quick pastry before heading up to Prague Castle.

U Lužického semináře 99, 118 00 Malá Strana

Perníckuv sen

I actually saw this bakery while looking at food tours around Prague. While we didn’t end up booking the food tour, we ended up stumbling upon it while walking around the city and I’m so glad that we did. The name translates to Gingerbread Dream and it really is. Although, each of the cookies we tried was delicious.

Haštalská 757, 110 00 Staré Město

beer walking tour

Instead of a food tour my mom insisted we do a beer tour since Prague is known for being a city of beer. If you know me, I love wine and cocktails. Beer, not so much. Even though I’m not a beer-lover, this tour was the perfect introduction to Prague. It met near the end of Charles Bridge, a 5 minute walk from our Airbnb. We were actually feeling the jet-lag that day and debated skipping the tour, but we rallied last minute. Our tour guide was a student who told great stories of the area on our walks from bar to bar. We hit three bars in total and had one beer each per bar. We were educated on the different beers and history of beer in Prague. Dinner was also included at the second bar and we could choose from a variety of traditional Czech fare.

Museums and attractions

Charles Bridge

The oldest standing bridge in Prague and second oldest in the Czech Republic. Construction was started in 1357. It’s gothic style is pretty breathtaking and makes for an impressive view of the Vltava river. If you want a good photo opp I suggest getting up with the sun. Which, I meant to do, but that never ended up happening.

Karlův most, 110 00 Praha 1

Old Town Square

One of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Prague, the Old Town Square is surrounded by pastel colored buildings from different eras. The Astronomical Clock, installed in 1410, is also located here. We were lucky enough to be in Prague around Easter and were able to see the Easter Market. There are also Trdelnik stalls on every corner!

Staroměstské nám., 110 00 Josefov

Prague Castle

Another popular attraction, Prague Castle is an enormous complex- the largest in the world actually! It was founded in 880 and continued to expand with subsequent rulers and reigns. The map to the castle looked relatively simple and our plan was to take the metro. We ended up on the Old Castle Stairs and were rewarded with a beautiful view of the city. Be warned, there are 121 long steps, but it was worth it. You can also take tram 22 from the Malostranská metro station and get off at Pražský. The complex is massive, so I would prioritize which sites you’d like to see.

Hradčany, 119 08 Prague 1

Lennon Wall

The wall actually has a pretty interesting story behind it. It has been covered with John Lennon and Beatles inspired graffiti since Lennon’s assassination in the 1980s. The communist regime didn’t approve of the wall’s message which resulted in a clash between the police and students. The wall is now owned by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta which allows the ever changing graffiti. To get a picture in front of the wall is a near impossibility. You’ll have to shoot some creative angles and crop out the crowds on either side.

Velkopřevorské náměstí, 100 00 Praha 1

Vysehrad

A historic fort that is the often overlooked “other castle” in Prague. Another recommendation by my friend. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to make it to Vyšehra but the grounds look absolutely stunning.

V Pevnosti 159/5b, 128 00 Praha 2-Vyšehrad

dancing house

Frank Gehry is one of my favorite contemporary architects and I was so excited to see the Dancing House. There is a restaurant and cafe on the 7th floor of the building. While food and drinks were overpriced it offered great views of the Vltava river.

Jiráskovo nám. 1981/6, 120 00 Nové Město

strahov monastery and brewery

We walked to the Strahov Monastery from the Petrin gardens. It was founded in the 12th century and grounds include a gorgeous library and monk-founded brewery. The library is beautiful but can only be accessed if you purchase tickets online beforehand. They also charge a small fee for any photography. The brewery dates back to the 13th century when monks brewed the beer. It reopened in 2000 as a microbrewery and serves delicious food and beer- some say the best in Prague!

Strahovské nádvoří 1/132, 118 00 Praha 1-Strahov

Spanish synagogue

The newest synagogue in Prague, built in 1868, it is also the most ornate. It’s designed in the Moorish revival style and is an absolutely beautiful building. It also functions as a wing of the Jewish Museum of Prague and is no longer operating as a synagogue.

Vězeňská 1, 110 00 Staré Město,

The old jewish cemetery

Because the city of Prague would not allow the Jewish community to expand the cemetery borders they resorted to burying the deceased on top of older graves. This continued for centuries, resulting in the crowding of over 12,000 gravestones, upwards of 100,000 remains, and the cemetery being higher than the surrounding streets.

Široká, 110 00 Josefov

Gardens

Letná Beer Garden

This was recommended to me by a friend and wow, the views! We actually wandered over here after eating at Cafe Letkna so we didn’t try the beer but the beer garden and park it’s set in were breathtaking.

Letenské sady, 170 00 Praha 7-Letná

Petrín Gardens

My mom and I decided to take the funicular to the top of the Petrín Gardens and we were not disappointed. While the rose gardens weren’t in bloom yet, a lot of the flowering trees were in peak season and the view down to the city was phenomenal. We didn’t go up the tower, which is a little pricey, and the free views were just as beautiful. There were miles of walking paths that took us over the seminary.

Petřínské sady 118 00, 118 00 Praha 1-Malá Strana

Prague Castle Gardens

We were in Prague a bit before a lot of the flowers were in bloom- a lot of the gardens had roses. However, the grounds of the castle and the gardens that we stopped in were beautiful. After our tour of the main castle attractions we wandered around the grounds and had lunch at the Gallery Cafe- a tourist trap but honestly a nice place to sit and take in the views.

I hope that you find this suggestions helpful! We only had 36 hours in Prague, so we truly just scratched the surface of the city. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below, or send me a message!