Hostelworld Guide for Prague

The Essentials

It's a tired clich when it comes to many cities around the world, but Prague really is an enchanting mix of
the old and the new. The Nov Mesto (New Town) symbolises the new independent Czech Republic,
while the Star Mesto (Old Town) is one of the best preserved old towns in Europe as it remained
untouched in both World Wars. While these are both on the eastern side of the River Vltava, to the west is
Mal Strana (Lesser Town) where Prague's medieval castle dominates the skyline. Along with all the
sightseeing to do, Prague has more than its fair share of affordable restaurants, while search hard enough
and you'll find some of the cheapest (and tastiest) beer in Europe.

Exchange Rates
Getting There
By plane: Prague's Ruznye Airport is 10km from
the city centre. To get to the city catch bus #119
(Kc20), get off at the last stop (Dejvick Metro stop)
and catch the metro into the city centre.

In this Guide...
Useful Information
After Dark
Places to Eat
Top Attractions
Budget Tips
Where to Shop

By train: All long distance trains travelling to the

Czech capital terminate at Hlavni ndraz which is
in the city centre, just east of Wenceslas Square.
By bus: Nearly all international and domestic buses
travelling to Prague end their journeys in Florenc
Bus Station just east of the Old Town Square.

Getting Around
On foot: Prague's Old Town and New Town are
within walking distance of each other. The Lesser
Town is west of the river.
By tram: The best way to see all of Prague is by
tram as they cover all parts of the city. You can pick
up route maps in some metro stations.
By metro: While Prague's underground network is
easy to use (there are three lines) they don't cover
as much of the city as trams.
By taxi: Prague is notorious for rogue taxi drivers. If
using them in touristy areas haggle with drivers.

Hostelworld Guide for Prague

Climate
During the winter it can get very, very cold in the
Czech capital. December and January see
temperatures drop well below 0C, although the city
is extremely picturesque under a blanket of snow. It
remains very cold until the middle of March and it
isn't really until April that temperatures begin to rise.
July and August are the warmest months and this is
when Prague is at its busiest. September is a nice
month to visit, along with early October, although it
begins to get very cold again towards the end of the
month before winter.

Useful Information
Language: Czech
Currency: Czech Koruna (Kc)
Electricity: 220 Volts AC/50Hz. 2-pin plug.
Area Code: +420 (CZK) 02 (Prague)
Emergency Codes: Ambulance / Fire / Police
112
Time Zone: Central European Time (GMT+1)
Central Post Office: Jindi sk 14 (just off
Wencesclas Square)
Main Tourist Office: Na Prikope 20

Embassies / Consulates
USA: +420 257 530 663
UK: +420 257 402 111
Canada: +420 272 101 800
Australia: +420 296 578 350 (Consulate)
South Africa: +420 267 311 114
Ireland: +420 257 530 061
Germany: +420 257 113 111
Spain: +420 224 311 222
Italy: +420 233 080 111
New Zealand: +420 222 514 672 (Consulate)
France: +420 251 171 711
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Cheap Eats
Orange Moon, Rmov 5, Josefov Due to the
Czechs' tendency not to charge western-style
prices for eastern-style fare, you can enjoy a full
meal in this fusion restaurant for less than 10.
Choose from Indian/Burmese/Thai dishes. Open
daily 11.30am-11.30pm.
Coctail-Caf Restaurant, Karlova 6, Star Mesto
Considering its central location, you'd expect the
food to be a lot dearer than it is in this restaurant.
But here you can get anything from pizza to fish at
very reasonable prices. Try the 'Peen uzen
koleno' (roasted smoked pork). It's big enough to
feed a horse. Open daily 24 hours.
Pivnice U Svejk, jezd 22, Mal Strana This
restaurant is primarily geared towards tourists but
still does decent food at good prices. While it's good
for lunches, if you decide to refuel here after 7pm
you can do so to the sounds of a local accordian
player. Open daily from 11am-midnight.
Bohemia Bagel, jezd 16, Mal Strana For a
good old fashioned English or American breakfast,
this is where to go. The menu is full of pancakes,
scrambled eggs, and bacon and rashers. Open
Mon-Fri 7am-midnight, Sat & Sun 8am-midnight.

A Good Way to Start the Day

Kva Kva Kva, Nrodn 37, Nov Mesto
Thanks to delightfully friendly staff, and mugs of
tea/coffee big enough to (nearly) swim in, there
is no better place to start the day than in here.
Located just two minutes from the northern end
of Wenceslas Square, you get 15 minutes free
internet with every 60Kc spent. Open Mon-Fri
7am-10pm; Sat & Sun 9am-10pm.
Wenceslas Square If you've been saying to your
friends lately 'Does my bum look small in these?',
this is where to go. Fast-food stands galore.

After Dark
Vinrna U Sudu, Vodikova 10, Nov Mesto
They say first impressions last. This isn't always
true. Upon walking into this bar it seems like a
quiet, local wine bar. But take a moment to explore
what is beyond the small bar which greets you and
you'll discover a bar that never seems to end - it
has 7 different zones. Open Mon-Thurs 8am-3am,
Sat & Sun 8am-4am, Sun 8am-2am.
Karlovy Lazne, Novotnho lvka 5, Star Mesto
Attracting Prague's weird and wonderful offspring
every weekend, Karlovy Lazne is Prague's very
own 'superclub'. Spread out over four floors and five
rooms, each one plays different genres of music so
there is something for everyone. Open nightly from
9pm-5am; admission 50Kc-100Kc.

Gay / Lesbian Prague

Unlike other capital cities in Europe, Prague
doesn't have one 'gay area'. Instead all the
main gay bars and clubs are spread out around
the city centre. Prague's main gay club is
Gejzeer (Vnohradsk 40). With two bars and
two dancefloors it is extremely popular. Termix
(Trebizskeho 4a) is one of the newest clubs on
the scene. Some bars which are popular with
the gay community include Friends
(Nprstkova 1), and Pinnochio (Seifertova 3).
Pivovarsk Dum, Lipova 15, Nov Mesto This
bar, frequented mainly by locals, is where to go
when you want to try something different. The pub
has its own brewery and produces such delights as
banana beer, cherry beer and coffee beer. It's also
a good place when you want to get out of the city
centre. Open daily 11am-11.30pm.
Rocky O'Reilly's, Stepanska 32, Nov Mesto Of
all of Prague's Irish bars, 'Rocky's' is by far the best
one. There's a good atmosphere during the week,
while on weekends it gets far livelier. Go and you're
guaranteed to have a bit of 'craic'. It's also a great
spot to catch live sporting events. Open daily
10am-close.
Chapeau Rouge, Jakubska 2, Stare Mesto
Attracting all walks of life (overseas backpackers
included), Chapeau Rouge is a three-story bar that
should meet your hedonistic demands. The first
floor is where you'll find a traditional bar, but
downstairs it's a different story thanks to the club on
one floor and live bands on the other. Open daily
from 10am-close.

Hostelworld Guide for Prague

Don't Miss
Prague Castle, Hradcansk nmst, Mal Strana
Built around 850AD, Prague's enchanting castle is
not to be missed. Home to St Vitus Cathedral, St
George's Basilica and Golden Lane, it is said to be
Europe's oldest surviving medieval castle. Open
daily from 9am-4pm/6pm; admission
350/250/150Kc.

Staromstsk nmst
Old Town Square (Staromstsk nmst),
Star Mesto Translating in Czech to
Staromstsk nmst, the Old Town Square is
where you will find some of Prague's most
beautiful buildings. These include the Old Town
Hall in the centre of the square and Tyn Church
which dominates the eastern side of the square.
Charles Bridge, Star Mesto This bridge is the
most famous of all the bridges which cross the
River Vltava and is crowded with tourists day and
night. But you can see why as it boasts
breathtaking views of the castle and provides free
entertainment during the warmer months when
buskers do their utmost to entertain tourists to earn
a few crowns.
St Nicholas Church, Malostransk nmst, Mal
Strana Along with Prague Castle, this church is the
other building which dominates the skyline on Mal
Strana. Taking over 80 years to complete, it
belongs among the leading baroque buildings in
Europe and is undoubtedly one of Prague's most
beautiful sights. Open from 9am-4/5pm; admission
70Kc.
Petrn Hill, Mal Strana For unrivalled views over
Prague, hop on a funicular from the station at jezd
in Mal Strana bound for Petrn Hill. Once you
reach the top (there are two stops) you can walk
around the park, get lost in the 'Mirror Maze', or
climb Petrn Tower (admission 50Kc).

Mark Your Calendar

January - Three Kings Day Held on the 6th of
January every year, this festival marks the end of
Christmas with carol singing and bell ringing, while
volunteers collect donations to give to the poor.
March/April - Easter Markets Hundreds stalls are
set up at the Old Town Square and Wenceslas
Square where you can buy everything from
hand-painted eggs to wooden carved toys.
April - Burning of the Witches Originally a festival
to prevent evil from occuring, today this event sees
a fairground staged at Bubenec and an all-night
bonfire party take place on Kampa Island.
May - Prague Marathon Athletes from all over the
world travel to run in this 26 mile race. To keep the
spirits of the runners up, the streets are lined with
street entertainers and musicians.
June - BMX Freestyle World Championships
This is the year's biggest events in BMX world and
attracts the best riders. Held in the city's Stvanice
Island (Mystic Skatepark), it shouldn't be missed.
July - Mystic Skate Cup Prague's annual
skateboarding competition attracts the world's
biggest names who compete for a prize of $30,000.
July/August - Chamber Music Festival Known as
'Ameropa', this annual music festival celebrates the
joy of music-making with the world. Combining
different styles, the event always offers a
collaboration between instrument and voice.
September - Prague Autumn International Music
Festival In the 14 years it has been running, this
music festival has become a permanent part of not
just Prague's, but also Europe's musical life.
October - Prague International Jazz Festival First
staged in 1977, Prague's annual international jazz
festival attracts the best of homegrown talent as
well as other artists from across the globe.
November - Festival Alternativa If you find
yourself in Prague in the month of November and
are looking for something different to do, visit this
festival. It showcases the best in alternative drama
and dance and won't be forgotten.
December - Christmas in Prague Prague
becomes one of Europe's most enchanting cities
every Christmas as hundreds of stalls are set up in
the Christmas markets in the Old Town Square.
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Get Connected
Call Point, Vodikova 20, Nov Mesto This small
internet shop just off Wenceslas Square only has 7
machines but they have fairly speedy access. If you
want to make a quick call home you can do that
also. Word of warning though - if you have a sore
leg steer clear as the computers are up a very
steep, winding staircase! Open daily from
10am-10pm; 1Kc per min.

Internet Majk, Rytirska 18, Nov Mesto Found

down a small arcade, this cybershop is apparently
where you will find the 'fastest connection in
Prague'. There are over ten machines to choose
from so you ll never have too much of a problem
finding a spare one. Open Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat
10am-9pm, Sun 11am-8pm; 25Kc for 15 mins,
100kc per hour.
Internet, Kamizikova 6, Star Mesto There are 7
terminals to choose from, and if you feel like
decorating your room, or buying a present for
somebody back home, you can buy one of the
prints that hang on the wall for around 100Kc. It
won t win any prizes for its name, but it could do
for its location as it is just off the Old Town Square.
Open dailiy from 10am-10pm; 1,50Kc per min.
Tiscali, jezd 16, Mal Strana Located beside
Bohemia Bagel, you can send emails or browse the
web in this brightly coloured internet caf to the
sound of funky tunes. It also doubles up as a bar so
you can have a beer afterwards. They also have a
branch on Masna, just two minutes from the Old
Town Square. Open Sun-Thurs 9am-10pm, Fri &
Sat 9am-midnight; 1,80Kc per min.

urls
www.karlovylazne.cz
www.praguepubs.co.uk
www.hrad.cz
www.czechtourism.com

Hostelworld Guide for Prague

Retail Therapy
Wenceslas Square, Nov Mesto More like a long
boulevard, Wenceslas Square and the streets
which break off it are where you can find some
stores belonging to many of the world s
best-known brands. This includes H+M, Benetton
and many more. The area also has heaps of sports
stores if you wish to buy yourself a new pair of
trainers.
Karlova, Star Mesto If you feel like succumbing to
the hundreds of touristy shops that sell all sorts
kitsch, Karlova, a street to the east of the Old Town
Square, is where to go. Its numerous shops are
driven towards tourists, so you can pick up all sorts
of memorabilia from your time in 'Praha'.

All Kinds of Everything

Havelsk Trziste Initially this market may seem
like it's driven exclusively towards tourists. But
saunter on past selling trinkets and you'll see
this market, which dates back to the 13th
century, has other stalls where you'll pick up the
freshest of fruit and other niceties. Open daily
from 10am-5pm.
Tesco, Nrodn 26, Nov Mesto With four floors to
shop on, you can buy absolutely anything in this
huge department store. Electrical goods can be
found on the 4th floor, cooking utensils (your hostel
may be short a ladle!) are on the 3rd, clothes are on
the 2nd, lingerie, ahem, are on the 1st while on the
ground floor are the trustworthy travel guides. Open
Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 10am-8pm.
Bontonland, Vaclavske nmst 1, Nov Mesto If
it's a new CD you're after you'll find it here as
Bontonland is the Czech Republic's largest music
megastore. Along with the world's most popular
acts, if you want to see what the Czech youth of
today like to get down to, there is a large section
dedicated to nothing but Czech acts. Open Mon-Sat
9am-8pm, Sun 10am-7pm.

Budget Tips
Visit a museum for free Some of Prague's main
museums are free on certain days. This includes
the National Museum on the first Monday of every
month, most of the main galleries on the first
Tuesday of every month, and the Prague City
Museum on the first Thursday of every month.
Visit Valdstejnsky palac (Wallenstein Palace) If
you're pockets are empty and you don t know what
to do you can visit this palace in the Lesser Town.
Built between 1624 and 1630, twenty three houses,
three gardens and a municipal brick kiln were
raised to make way for the palace and its grounds.
Open Sat & Sun 10am-4pm (last entrance 3.40pm);
admission free.
Buy day/multi-tickets for public transport As
enjoyable as it is to roam the cobbled streets of the
Old Town and cross Charles Bridge to the sound of
buskers, at some stage you may need to utilise
Prague's public transport. When you do, buy
day/multi-tickets. A day-long ticket costs 70Kc, and
a 3-day ticket will set you back 200Kc.

The Bells! The Bells!

Every hour from morning until night, hundreds
gather at the astronomical clock on the Old
Town Hall in the Old Town Square for the
'Procession of the Apostles'. Lasting five
minutes, this 'procession' sees the 12 apostles
nod as they pass over the clock on the hour as
a bell rings somewhat morbidly.
Visit Prague Castle Even though it is the Czech
capital's number one attraction, you don't actually
need to pay in to the castle. To walk around the
grounds, and even into St Vitus Cathedral is free. If
you do visit the castle try not to miss the changing
of the guard which takes place on the hour.

A Day in Prague...
Start the day with a cup, sorry, jug of tea or coffee
and a bagel in Kva Kva Kva. They have various
types of both beverage, such as 'Hawaii Tea' and
'Salvador Coffee'.
Get tram #18, 22, 23 or 57 from Narodni trida (just
up from Kva) to 'Prazsky hrad' (Prague Castle)
stop and visit the castle.
Catch the changing of the guard before exploring
the castle. Visit St Vitus Cathedral, one of Europe's
most magnificent, and exit the castle through
'Golden Lane'.

Walk down the castle steps, taking in views over

the Vltava. Make your way down to U Svejku on
Ujezd for some lunch.
Across from U Svejku is the funicular station to
Petrn Hill. Costing 12Kc, the trip takes five minutes.
Once atop climb Petrn Tower for views over the
whole of Prague.
Once you return from the hill, visit St Nicholas'
Church. Marvel at the fresco on the ceiling. Cross
Charles Bridge en route to the Old Town Square.
Relax in the Old Town Square. Sip a (albeit
expensive) beer for a while and watch the
'Procession of the Apostles' at the astronomical
clock.
Five minutes from the Old Town is 'Orange Moon' a
reasonable, yet classy restaurant. Grab a bite to eat
before hitting the town.
Get lost in 'Vinrna U Sudu' just off Wenceslas
Square in the New Town. This traditional Czech
pub never seems to end. Finish the night off in style
in Karlovy Lazne!

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