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John lennon - lennon wall

Hello there ! 
The city of Prague has surprised me the most for its architecture. Several styles are gathered in one building or area. Builders basically kept the first building and added up new rooms or walls from different architecture styles or century which at the end give a beautiful picture. The convenient size of the city gives the opportunity to walk from one place to another. If you love exploring secret places or narrow streets, Prague has plenty.

Vysehrad fortified medieval castle and exhibition - view on the vltava
Budget

Budget for 2 days

Hotel : Eur 60 per night
Tram : Count around EUR 1 (Mostly walked around the city)
Restaurants : From EUR 5, you can have full meal and drink
Visits : I mostly explore the outside streets and building, no fee
Museums & castles : There are a few museums & visits available. Links for Prague’s tourist information

where to stay in Prague ?

I chose a hotel located in the city center to be close to all the points of interest and void taking transportation. Elite Hotel: Very authentic decoration & style. The breakfast was really delicious with a lot of choices. I love their scrambled eggs.

  • 3 minutes walk from the subway line going to the direct bus for the airport: airport to Hotel: 40 minutes.
  • Walkable distance of the places of interest
  • Address: Ostrovní 125/32, 110 00 Nové Město, Tchéquie
elite hotel prague
library in prague
  • The Forbidden City (1420)
  • Temple of Heaven (1420)
  • Summer Palace (1750)
  • Ming Tombs (1420)
  • Zhoukoudian (Archaeological site)
  • Great Wall (from 220 BC)
  • The Grand Canal (1,794 km, From 5th century BC).

My local friend & Hotel management highly recommended me to go to Vysegrad. Was the best idea, I loved it. Peaceful place, not crowded, with great architecture and a perfect overlook over Prague. The plus is you get to see Prague on your way there. Do not hesitate to walk rather than taking the streetcar.

municipal court in prague
park in prague under the snow
to do

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ONLY HAVE HALF DAY ?

1 - VYSEHRAD : HISTORIC QUARTER

Vysehrad, my local friend highly recommended it. Quiet place with few tourists. Only 30 minutes walk from the city center. During the journey, there are several buildings, parks & churches. Perfect sightseeing tour to discover the city and its spirit. The destination is a beautiful church with a park & cemetery located on the top of the hill. Surrounded by ancient fortification, there a path all around. What I loved the most was the stunning view of Prague and its river. The scenery was even more impressive due to the snow and blue sky.

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

Vysehrad fortified medieval castle and exhibition
Vysehrad fortified medieval castle and exhibition
Vysehrad fortified medieval castle and exhibition
saints peter and paul basilica bazilika svatého petra a pavlad exhibition - view on the vltava
saints peter and paul basilica bazilika svatého petra a pavla

2 - CAFÉ LOUVRE ON NARODNI STREET

On my way back I stopped by a coffee place called Café Louvre on Narodni street, it is an old building built in the 19th century. The owner kept the same atmosphere and interior design which give a certain charm to the place.

cafe louvre - grand cafe prague
to do

what to do in a full day in Prague

1 - OLD TOWN SQUARE OR STARÉ MĚSTO

Emblematic quarter, the heart of the city. Surrounded by colorful historical architectures. At the center the place a Statue of Jan Hus. If you come to Prague you can’t miss it.

prague main square by louis

2 - ASTRONOMICAL MEDIEVAL CLOCK

The Astronomical clock is from 1410. Thanks to the hard work & knowledge of the clockmaker the middle age clock is still working today. Through time it has been damaged by fires & almost destroyed during the second world war. A beautiful piece of art created by the Genius Master Hanuš. More information: Here

astronomical medieval clock

3 - CHARLES BRIDGE

Then walk toward Charles bridge, from where you can see the castle on the top of the hill. Cross Charles bridge and wander around the narrow streets on the other side. I haven’t been to any museum or castle visits. It all depends on your personal interests & preferences. My time was short, I enjoyed a lot the atmosphere of the city, architecture, food & streets.

charles bridge - Karlův most iconic 14th century structure with view
charles bridge - Karlův most iconic 14th century structure with view

4 - LENNON WALL

In Mala Strana, The John Lennon Wall is attracting a lot of tourists. Full of colors, drawings & tags, it is now a pretty interesting piece of art. The wall has quite an interesting history as in the first place it was used as a place to protest again communism. After the murder of the former Beatles on the 9th December 1980, the wall has been filled in with Lyrics. Living in Prague: Here more information

John lennon - lennon wall

5 - THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR IN PRAGUE - Virgin Mary under Chain Kostel Panny Marie pod retezem

I was walking around the old city of Prague when I suddenly saw the Templar Cross. Was an interesting discovery. After searching online, there is a story about the Headless Templar: Here the Story. The House of the Black Madonna in Prague is also nearby, it seems there is a Black Madonna in every single Templar church. For the little History, in Prague, it seems that the eyes of the Black Madonna lead to a tiny street called: Templova. In the past, the Knight Templar Church was standing right there.

Virgin Mary under Chain Kostel Panny Marie pod retezem

6 - Prague Castle - Pražský hrad

A large complex of construction from the 9th century, did you know that Prague Castle is the biggest castle in the world? Sitting on the hills on the west side of the Vltatla river, the castle is covering over 7 hectares. Its architecture has nothing in common as it is composed of several architectural styles. The result comes from several destruction and constructions occurring through the past centuries.

Pražský hrad
Pražský hrad prague castle

7 - SAINT VITUS CATHEDRAL

At its origin, the Cathedral was a Romanesque Basilica, after several reconstructions the result is a beautiful Gothic Cathedral. Built-in the heart of Prague castle the actual monument construction started in 1344. The Building was designed by a French Master Builder ( Mathias of Arras). Experts can recognize that he brought the French Gothic style. For centuries the edifice has been left unfinished, its completion was in the 19th and 20th centuries. We can notice some Renaissance and Baroque elements in the finished building.

view from prague castle

9 - HRADCANY SQUARE

Hradcany is a square close to Prague castle (Hradčanské náměstí). A popular tourist attraction that leads you to Martinic palace and  Saint George basilica. From the square, there’s a view over Prague and Vltava river. A nice stroll is waiting for you here. 

matthias gate - matyasova brana
Matyasova brana - matthias gate square
park under the snow prague

Tips for your trip :

1 Avoid eating and drink around the old town square, overpriced and not that good. ( Local friend’s tips).

2 Use a bank to exchange money, rates are usually better.

3 Prefer to use CZK to EUR.

4 –  Use Uber or Taxify instead.

Niederbauen mount Switzerland
Niederbauen mount Switzerland
About an escape in Niederbauen Mount : For this post, I mostly published pictures. Niederbauen mount is a beautiful station at the top of the mountain. In summer you can paraglide from the top and fly over the “Lac des Quatre Cantons”. Mount Niederbauen has several hiking paths available to explore the mountain. If you’re lucky and the weather is clear a wonderful view of the lake will leave you breathless. We took a cable car to get to the top of the mountain. Splendid scenery. Snow was au Rendez-vous.

Enjoy,
Xxx

Cecile

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