Czech Republic: What to do in Prague – 2-Day Itinerary

 

Last updated: 01/08/2019

Our trip to Prague only confirmed one thing: the city is, in fact, one of the most beautiful in the world. It's hard to explain how enchanted we were by the architecture, beauty and hospitality of this Eastern European gem. In this post, we share a basic 2-day itinerary in Prague.

THE CITY OF PRAGUE

Cut by the River Vltava, Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. The fact that the river divides the city into two parts makes it connected by beautiful bridges. The city's history is very old and there is evidence of people who inhabited the region between 5,000 and 2,700 BC. Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles blend in the city's buildings, creating beautiful urban landscapes.

The city played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation (16th century), the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), and in the 20th century history as the capital of Czechoslovakia, during both World Wars and the Post-War Communist Era. In 1992, with the separation of the country in two, Prague ceased to be the capital of Czechoslovakia and became the capital of the Czech Republic.. In the same year, the extensive historic center of Prague was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

• Curiosities:
  • The Prague metro works well and has no turnstile. You need to buy the ticket before boarding and show it to an inspector if requested.
  • The official currency is not the Euro, but the Czech Koruna (1 Euro ~ 27 Czech Kora – ref. Jan/2017)
  • The official language is Czech, but all the city's main attractions are offered in English and the population speaks the language well (we had no problem being understood in museums, restaurants and historical places).

WHAT TO DO IN PRAGUE

It is much easier to plan the trip knowing the location of all attractions, isn't it? That's why we put all our tips on this interactive map, separating in colors blue and green each day of the tour. In red, are restaurant tips and, in black, the location of the hotel we stayed in and the city's main train station.

DAY 1: PRAGUE CASTLE AND CITY CENTER

1. PRAGUE CASTLE COMPLEX

Prague Castle is more than just a castle, it is a complex of incredible buildings, palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles between the 9th and 19th centuries. With 70 thousand m² of area, it is the largest castle in the world and is also listed as UNESCO World Heritage. As it is on the top of a hill, it offers beautiful views of the old center of Prague. The complex includes: St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, Golden Lane, a Pinacoteca, Rosenberg Palace, among other buildings. buy tickets online and avoid queues!

Read more: Czech Republic: Prague Castle

2. CARLOS BRIDGE (CHARLES)

The most famous bridge over the Vltava River in the city is also one of the most beautiful in the world! Made all in stone, construction began in 1357 and is 516 meters long, connecting the city center to the region where Prague Castle is located. In addition to the beautiful views that the bridge provides, what really stands out are the statues on both sides along its entire length. Are 30 Baroque-style statues which were placed between 1683 and 1714. Among the most notable sculptures are the statuary of Saint Luthgard, the Holy Crucifix and Calvary, and John of Nepomuk. From 1965 onwards, all statues were systematically replaced with replicas, and the originals are displayed in the Lapidary of the National Museum.

3. KLEMENTINUM

Klementinum is a set of historic Baroque-style buildings in the center of the city. At 20,000 m², it is the second largest building complex in Prague (after Prague Castle). The site began as a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period and was later transformed into a Jesuit college in 1556. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum, at the request of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, became an observatory, library and university. Since 1990, the building has housed the National Library of the Czech Republic. There are guided tours offered daily.

• Address: Mariánské nam. 5, 110 00 Prague 1-Staré Město, Czech Republic
• Tours: 
  • Hours: from 10 am every 30 minutes – maximum 25 people per tour
  • Price: 220 CZK
  • Language: In English, but information is printed in several languages, including Portuguese

4. OLD CITY SQUARE

This location is the heart of the city! And we have to confess that it got a “WOW” when we first arrived. Beautiful buildings, colorful and decorated, surround the entire area and deserve that you stop to observe them calmly. The impression it gives is that upon entering the square, it has stopped a little in time and takes us to the Prague of yesteryear.

There are a large number of restaurants and bars around the entire square, making tourists happy. At Easter and Christmas markets are set up with charming stalls selling local products to remind you of medieval markets. In the center of the square stands a statue of the religious reformer Jan Hus, who was burned alive for his “revolutionary” beliefs. The statue known as the Jan Hus Memorial was installed in 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of his death. Other highlights of the square are the City Hall building and the Nossa Senhora Týn Church.

ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK AND CITY HALL

In the old town hall building is the Prague Astronomical Clock which dates from the year 1410 and is the oldest astronomical clock in the world still in operation. The watch's mechanism has three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; “The Walking of the Apostles”, an hourly show with dolls of the Apostles and other moving sculptures (the figure of Death is represented by a skeleton); and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. There are legends surrounding the construction of the clock. One of the best known is that the craftsman who produced the watch was blinded so that he could not build any other example of such great beauty. You can visit historic rooms and go up to the tower of the old town hall (via elevator) to have a beautiful view of the old city center.

• Address: Staroměstské nám. 1, 110 00 Prague 1-Staré Město, Czech Republic
• Schedules: 
  • City Hall: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm / Monday from 11 am to 6 pm
  • Tower: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 10 pm / Monday from 11 am to 10 pm
• Entrance: 100 CZK

OUR LADY OF TÝN CHURCH

With towers 80 meters high, this is one of the most important churches in Prague. The entrance is half-hidden behind the restaurants that surround the square and, in a way, end up hindering the visualization of its facade. In the 11th century, there was a Romanesque church, which was replaced by a Gothic one in 1256. The construction of the current church began in the 14th century. The oldest pipe organ in Prague is inside this church. The organ was built in 1673 by Heinrich Mundt and is one of Organs most representative organs of the 17th century in Europe. It is difficult to reconcile opening hours with the travel schedule!

• Address: Staroměstské nám., 110 00 Prague 1-Staré Město, Czech Republic
• Schedules:
  • March to December: Thursday to Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 5 pm / Sunday from 10 am to 12 pm
  • January to February: Wednesday from 5 pm to 6:30 pm / Thursday from 10 am to 12 pm and from 5 pm to 6 pm / Friday from 10 am to 12 pm and from 2:30 pm to 4 pm / Sunday from 10 am to 12 pm

5. POWDER TOWER

The Powder Tower is one of 13 of the original city gates. The construction date is estimated to be 1475. The tower was intended to be an attractive entrance to the city rather than a defensive tower. Initially it was called the New Tower and eventually became known as the Powder Tower after being used to store gunpowder in the 17th century.

• Address: nam. Republiky 5, 110 00 Prague 1-Staré Město, Czech Republic 

DAY 2: VY CASTLESEHRAD AND WENCESLAU SQUARE

6. WENCESLAU SQUARE

Wenceslau Square is a very important commercial and cultural area in the New Center of the city. There, several important events in Czech history took place, such as the Prague Spring (1968) and celebrations. The name is a tribute to Saint Wenceslas, patron of Bohemia. The square has a rectangular shape and has 45,000 m² of area. In the center is the Monument to Saint Wenceslas. The square is part of the historic center of Prague which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

7. NATIONAL MUSEUM

The National Museum is one of the most important museums in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1818, it currently has a collection of approximately 14 million items covering natural history, history, arts, music, library science, among other areas. The museum is made up of several buildings in neo-Renaissance style.

• Address: Václavské nam. 68, 115 79 Prague 1, Czech Republic
• Schedules: daily from 10 am to 6 pm – check other locations and information in this link

8. DANCING HOUSE

The “Dancing House” is the nickname given to the building of Nationale-Nederlanden, one of the largest Dutch insurance companies. Those responsible for the project are the Czech-Croatian architect Vlado Milunić and the American-Canadian architect Frank Gehry. The work was completed in 1996 and, since then, it has become a tourist attraction in the city due to the fact that it has a very unconventional design that seems to be dancing!

• Address: Jiráskovo nam. 1981/6, 120 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic

9. VY CASTLE COMPLEXSEHRAD

Anyone who thinks that Prague Castle is the only beautiful castle in the city is wrong. Vysehrad Castle is another beautiful architectural example of the city. It is an old fort that was probably built in the 10th century. The complex is huge and has a lot of cool things to see. We highlight some of the main attractions.

1. Cihelná brána (Brick Gate): exhibition on the development of Vyšehrad castle defense structures;
2. Vyšehradské Kasematy: well preserved, these are old castle casemates that are accessed through the Brick Gate;
3. Gorlice: it is a room that is inside the casemate on the right where some of the original statues of the Charles Bridge are stored;
4. Kapitulní chrám sv. Petra to Pavla: the Cathedral of São Pedro and São Paulo, with beautiful Gothic towers 50 meters high, was founded in the 11th century, it is on top of a hill and from there you also have a beautiful view of the city;
5. Vyšehradský hřbitov: this is the Vysehard Cemetery, where several Czech personalities are buried;

6. Vysehrad Park: It is a beautiful park that is close to the Castle.

• Address: V Pevnosti 159/5b, Prague 2 – Czech Republic
• Schedules: daily November to March 9:30 am to 5 pm / April to October 9:30 am to 6 pm
• Entrance: CZK 60 (includes Brick Gate exhibition + Bunkers + Gorlice) / there are other types of tickets on sale, including other attractions in the complex

10. KAFKA MUSEUM

This tip is to spare time or if you are interested in learning more about the life and work of Franz Kafka, considered by critics as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. The exhibition opened in 2005 and is composed of two sections: Existential Space (how the city affects the writer, how it shapes his life, the imprint it leaves on him) and Imaginary Topography (the way Kafka creates the layers of his city).

• Address: Cihelná 635/2b, 118 00 Prague 1-Malá Strana, Czech Republic
• Schedules: daily from 10 am to 6 pm
• Entrance: CZK 200

ECONOMY TIP: PRAGUE CARD

Save with a Prague Card, a discount card in 2, 3 or 4 days versions. With it, you are guaranteed entry to the main tourist attractions in Prague the way you prefer. Enjoy discounts on tours and shows and free access to major tourist sites such as Prague Castle and public transport. access this link for more information.

TOURS AND EXCURSIONS IN PRAGUE

Prague is an amazing city and there are many cool options to enjoy the best of the city. Check out some of them below.

WHERE TO EAT IN PRAGUE

When hunger strikes, it's worth taking a look at a neat post we wrote with suggestions for restaurants in the city, in which we tell you a little bit about our gastronomic experiences in Prague.

Read more: Czech Republic: 3 restaurants in Prague

WHERE TO STAY IN PRAGUE

We stayed at Sovereign Hotel, a super cute 4 star hotel right next to Prague main station and in a super convenient location. To see all our impressions of the hotel, check out the post” Czech Republic: Prague hotel tip“.

There are many other accommodation options in the city with good value for money. It is worth booking in advance to guarantee the best prices.

BOOK NOW your hotel and save up to 50%. Travelers readers are with a SUPER DISCOUNT! And the best, with FREE CANCELLATION*!

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*check the hotels with free cancellation on the website

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Read more about Prague:

• Czech Republic: 3 restaurants in Prague
• Czech Republic: Prague Castle
• Czech Republic: Prague hotel tip