Baker Mark - Prague & Czech Rlic City Guide

Welcome to Prague

Prague is the equal of Paris in terms of beauty. The history goes back a millennium. And the beer? The best in Europe.

The 1989 Velvet Revolution that freed the Czechs from communism bequeathed to Europe a gem of a city to stand beside stalwarts like Rome, Amsterdam and London. Not surprisingly, visitors from around the world have come in droves, and on a hot summers day it can feel like youre sharing Charles Bridge with half of humanity. But even the crowds cant take away from the spectacle of a 14th-century stone bridge, a hilltop castle and a lovely, lazy river the Vltava that inspired one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of 19th-century classical music, Smetanas Moldau.

Pragues art galleries may not have the allure of the Louvre, but Bohemian art offers much to admire, from the glowing Gothic altarpieces in the Convent of St Agnes, to the luscious art nouveau works of Alfons Mucha and the magnificent collection of 20th-century surrealists, cubists and constructivists in the Veletrn Palc. The weird and witty sculpture of David ern punctuates Pragues public spaces, and the city itself offers a smorgasbord of stunning architecture, from the soaring verticals of Gothic and the exuberance of baroque to the sensual elegance of art nouveau and the chiselled cheekbones of cubist facades.

The best beer in the world just got better. Since the invention of Pilsner Urquell in 1842, the Czechs have been famous for producing some of the worlds finest brews. But the internationally famous brand names Urquell, Staropramen and Budvar have been equalled, and even surpassed, by a bunch of regional Czech beers and microbreweries that are catering to a renewed interest in traditional brewing. Never before have Pragues pubs offered such a wide range of ales names youll now have to get your head around include Kout na umav, Svijansk Ryt and Velkopopovick Kozel (try ordering that after a few pints).

Pragues maze of cobbled lanes and hidden courtyards is paradise for the aimless wanderer, always beckoning you to explore a little further. Just a few blocks from the Old Town Square you can stumble across ancient chapels, unexpected gardens, cute cafes and old-fashioned bars with hardly a tourist in sight. One of the joys of the city is its potential for exploration neighbourhoods like Vinohrady and Bubene can reward the urban adventurer with countless memorable cameos, from the setting sun glinting off church domes, to the strains of Dvok being played on an out-of-tune piano.

Church of Our Lady Before Tn ()
KRZYSZTOF DYDYNSKI / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Why I Love Prague

By Neil Wilson, Author

How can you not love a city that has a pub with vinyl cushions on the wall above the gents urinal, so you can rest your head while you go? Where you can order a beer without speaking, simply by placing a beer mat on the table? And where that beer is probably the best in the world? But its not just exquisite ale and a wonderfully relaxed drinking culture that keep bringing me back to Prague. Theres wit and weirdness in equal measures a public fountain where two figures pee in a puddle, spelling out literary quotations; an industrial music club in a 1950s nuclear bunker; and a cubist lamp post. Quirky doesnt even begin to describe it.

For more about our authors, see .

Pragues Top 10

Charles Bridge ( )

Whether you visit alone in the morning mist or shoulder your way through the afternoon crowds, crossing Charles Bridge is the quintessential Prague experience. Built in 1357, it withstood wheeled traffic for 500-odd years thanks, legend claims, to eggs mixed into the mortar until it was made pedestrian-only after WWII. By day, the baroque statues stare with indifference at a fascinating parade of buskers, jazz bands and postcard sellers; at dawn, they regain some of the mystery and magic their creators sought to capture.

Mal Strana

PIETRO CANALI/GRAND TOUR/CORBIS

Prague Castle ( )

A thousand years of history is cradled within the walls of Pragues hilltop castle, a complex of churches, towers, halls and palaces that is almost a village in its own right. This is the cultural and historical heart of the Czech Republic, comprising not only collections of physical treasures, such as the golden reliquaries of St Vitus Treasury and the Bohemian crown jewels, but also the sites of great historic events such as the murder of St Wenceslas and the Second Defenestration of Prague.

Prague Castle & Hradany

DOUG MCKINLAY / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Prague, Queen of Music ( )

The city that nurtured Smetana, Dvok and Janek, and saw performances in his prime by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, has a place in musical history alongside that of Vienna. Two major festivals of classical music Prague Spring and Strings of Autumn grace the calendar, but the city is famous for more than just the classics. Prague has been a hotbed of European jazz since the late 1940s, and now theres a thriving live music scene that spans genres from hard rock to electronica.