The medieval city of Prague will blow you away with stunning architecture, engrossing history and so many enthralling streets to wander. Pair this with a thriving café culture, a humming nightlife and numerous ‘tourist attractions’, and you have one of Europe’s must visit big cities. A few fellow travellers and friends had returned from Prague and raved about their visits, and how right they were! From the first moments where we wandered across the Charles Bridge And into the main square exclaiming “is this place real life”, right until our last few minutes sitting in Petřín Gardens enjoying the summer sunshine.. Prague holds a place in our heart.
We visited Prague for a whirlwind 48hours, acknowledging on entry that we wouldn’t even get close to seeing everything. Our motto for our stay was to ‘take in the vibe’, and we left 2 days later confident we had done just that. Read on for our brief itinerary, along with a few suggests for when you visit this marvellous city (and visit you should!).
Day 1:
- Step 1: Arrive & check in – Arrived via train from Budapest (another wonderful city, see our highlights here!) in the late afternoon, checking into our accommodation.
- Step 2: Wander the streets – we decided to spend the first evening just wandering the streets of the old town. This first few hours had some of our favourite moments, where we were continually blow away by the impressive medieval architecture.
- Step 3: Dinner – While the heart of Prague’s old town is filled with restaurants, we are very skeptical of the ‘tourist traps’. A little research uncovered Prague’s Vietnamese population and numerous restaurants. There are over 80,000 Vietnamese people living in the Czech republic who began settling there during the communist period. As Melbournian’s we are avid Vietnamese lovers (and have visited in 2018, see some highlights here). We decided to visit Bahn-mi-ba Rybna, which delivered us some excellent Bun to stave of the hunger cravings.
- Step 4: Drinks with a sunset view – While searching for a bar or pub we stumbled upon Capadlo Summer Terrace. The hum of happy revellers drew us into this little bar situated right on the banks of the Vltava River. Grabbing a beverage we perched and enjoyed the sunset. We were lucky enough to be treated to a little beaver enjoying itself in the river as the sun slipped below the horizon.
Day 2:
- Step 1: Visit the Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral: Sitting on the hill, it is impossible to miss the impressive castle and church. We wandered up the hill to take in the views. We particularly loved entering the cathedral where the stained glass and stunning high ceilings took us back to our visit to Kings College in Cambridge (see here).
- Step 2: Coffee – You know the drill. Coffee is bordering on a religion for us. We make sure to do some research when visiting a new city, and Prague was no exception. We headed to the highly rated Kafemat in the Bubeneč District. This little café instantly took us back to Melbourne, and the coffee was exceptional. It’s a little out of the town, but if you’re a coffee lover it may be worth a visit. If you’re looking for great coffee in the Old Town keep reading for our other recommendations.
- Step 3: Gym – Okay, this isn’t for everyone. Yes, we are those crazy people who exercise when on holiday. We located a gym (Euforie) just up the road from our accommodation and smashed out a good session.
- Step 4: Lunch – We wanted to check out some authentic Czech food without the tourist price tag. Our research highlighted Lidova Jidelna Tesnov as a lunch destination ‘for the locals’. The reviews we read prepared us for authentic food, a great pricetag, but not to expect a top class dining experience. We arrived to the little canteen to find locals on their lunch break. The menu displayed no English, and the lovely staff couldn’t understand a word of what we were saying. We managed to order without any idea what we were getting. Our food was placed onto plastic trays, and we sat amongst the locals. The food was authentic, with hearty and flavourful stews and sauces on our beef and chicken. The total cost was around $12 AUD for 2 meals. If you want some authentic food for lunch (lunch only!), this was an experience off the ‘tourist path’ that we thoroughly enjoyed.
- Step 5: Coffee #2 – We finished lunch and headed to EMA Espresso on the fringe of the Old Town. This café had a wonderfully light aesthetic, a playlist that reminded us of Triple J back home, and high quality coffee. Definitely recommended!
- Step 6: Exploring the Old Town – We could have honestly spent days wandering these streets. There were numerous alleys to explore. We particularly enjoyed getting some respite from the sun in the main square and people watching.
- Step 7: Střelecký Island: The island sits in the middle of the Legion Bridge, offering views of the river and Charles Bridge. There are little bars and food trucks down here, with a particularly good vibe in the early evening and into the night.
- Step 8: Dinner – We headed to Paprika for some Middle Eastern food. We have eaten a lot of this cuisine, however the hummus here was one of the best! Definitely an option for those looking to try some food other than the heavier traditional Czech dishes.
Day 3:
- Step 1: Get up early and wander the town – We enjoy wandering the old towns in the morning before the tourists roll in, when temperatures are cooler (important when travelling over summer) and the cities themselves are a lot calmer. We particularly enjoyed wandering along the Charles Bridge and down towards the main square.
- Step 2: Coffee – We returned back to EMA Espresso to another excellent coffee! There were many more great coffee shops out there, however most of the ‘non touristy’ ones were outside the old town or on the fringe.
- Step 3: Lunch at Bahn Mi Makers – We love Vietnamese, and decided to grab a Bahn Mi before checking out from our accommodation. There are a multitude of options to choose from for Vietnamese in Prague, and both our choices were excellent. We also heard about a larger Vietnamese community outside of the main city called ‘Little Hanoi’ which would have been very interesting to visit if we had more time.
- Step 4: Time to check out and onto the next destination. Alas, our wonderful stay in Prague has come to an end. We had a busy, but fulfilling 48 hours in Prague filled with great sights and excellent food. The great coffee and Vietnamese food was an unexpected highlight! The city is charming in the evening when it springs to life.
A few recommendations for your visit to Prague:
Don’t miss!
- Walking the medieval Charles Bridge
- Visit the enchanting Main Square and check out the famous Astronomical Clock
- Wander the delightful Old Town Alleyways for hours on end
- Check out the impressive Prague Castle and associated cathedral
- Visit the vibrant Střelecký Island (especially in summer) for a bite to eat or drink
- Taste some of the amazing Vietnamese food
- Walk along the impressive Wenceslas Square
- Sit and relax in some of Prague’s beautiful gardens and parks
Food, Coffee, Bars in Prague
Good Coffee:
- Kafemat
- EMA Espresso
Authentic Cheap Eat: Lidova Jidelna Tesnov – lunch only, don’t expect fine dining.
Good Vietnamese: so much to choose from
- Bahn-mi-ba Rybna
- Bahn Mi Makers
Good Bars:
- Capadlo Summer Terrace
- Střelecký Island – Bars outside
Want to stay in Prague?
Take a look at some options to stay in the medieval city of Prague below:
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