Wenceslas Square is not a square, but a 750-metre long boulevard. |
Shopping in the centre
The best place for shopping in Prague is Wenceslas Square which, despite its name, is a 750-metre long boulevard in the old part of the city. With its exclusive boutiques and a host of cafes, restaurants and bars it has earned itself the name "Champs-Elysées of Prague". Further down the boulevard lies Prikopy, the pedestrianised shopping area. Czech crystal and marionette dolls are just some of the more popular souvenirs. |
Prague is like a huge park
Prague is home to more than one hundred parks and gardens with more than one hundred years behind them. Divoká Sárka (Wild Sarah) is the largest park in the city, named after the girl in the Czech legend about Czech warrior girls. A different type of park is Prague zoo, one of the oldest in Europe. Petrin Hill is the centre of Prague’s green spaces – here you will find a scale replica of the Eiffel (not full scale, but impressive nonetheless).
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Relax by the river
The Moldau (more commonly known as the “Vltava”) offers many opportunities for relaxation. If you feel in a romantic mood, you can hire a boat on Strelecky island near the Národní theatre. Passengers on the river’s steamers can sit back and listen to all kinds of music from modern house to jazz and classical as they pass the sights of Prague.
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The city’s museums
The most important is the National Museum, which is in one of the largest buildings on Wenceslas Square, with its huge natural history collection and a vast library. Other museums of interest include the Jewish Museum and the Museum of Communism, to name just two.
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Shakespeare at the open-air theatre
If you are thinking of going to the theatre, we recommend a visit to the open-air theatre by Prague castle. The theatre is situated in the part of the castle known as Nejvyssí Prazské purkrabství and is where William Shakespeare’s plays are performed.
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Entertainment at the Krizik fountain
The Krizik fountain, with its fantastic cascades of water in all the colours of the rainbows, is a spectacle in itself. In addition, there is often an array of different events and performances being shown by the fountain.
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The city of 1,000 pubs
Beer is the everyday drink of the Czechs, giving Prague its nickname of “the city of beer”. The fact that so much beer is drunk is due to long history of beer in the Czech Republic. One of the most traditional beer pubs is U Fleku, close to the Národní theatre, famous for its dark beer. Just 90 km from Prague, in the town of Plzen (Pilsner), lies the famous Pilsner Urquell brewery.
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And the city of many clubs
On Stavince, one of Prague’s islands, lies one of the favourite clubs among Prague’s youth: Face To Face Music Club. Here you can dance, listen to great music, or simply unwind. Karlovy Lazne, with four dance floors for rock, techno, disco and the best from the 70s and 80s, is also popular.
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Hot and cold tips
A pleasant place in which to soak up the sun on warm days is Pryní prazská beach, in the Smichov area of the city, complete with a pool and a chance to play basketball and other sports. Concerts are put on the evenings by Czech artists. If you come here in the winter, you may prefer instead to go ice skating in some of the large indoor ice rinks or on the open-air courses.
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Fancy an adrenaline boost?
Welcome to the tough, 800-metre long bobsleigh course in Prosek, in Prague’s district 9. A real challenge for the more adventurous, but also worth a visit even for those who just want to have a look and enjoy a picnic.