Prague
Prague's prominent role in medieval Central Europe is rewarded with this inclusion. It has seen continuous urban development from the Middle Ages to the present, resulting in an architectural ensemble of outstanding quality.
Visit May 2003
Last year's experiences with Florence made me a bit wary to visit Prague in late spring / early summer. Since the fall of communism it has become such a popular tourist destination that I was afraid to be among crowds.
And, unfortunately, I was right. Streams of people pushed themselves through the old center and over the Charles Bridge. The first kilometer from the central train station into town reminded me of the Nieuwendijk, that particularly ugly part of Amsterdam (with fast food stalls, exchange counters, souvenir shops and overpriced terraces).
Isn't there something nice to say? Why should anybody want to go there? A good thing to do is to walk into a paralel street next to the main routes, and gaze at the elaborate facades of the houses and public buildings.
More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery
Reviews
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just landed back about 4 hrs ago from Praha , Absolutley amazing . I have never seen a place with so many hidden secrets . The bars are endless .... Yet , You could walk by one of these busy labyrinths whilst looking at the beautiful buildings around you . The Food ............. The Best i have ever tasted . Try the beer cheese , i loved that and the steaks are incredibly lean . Just avoid the tourist areas for eating , they are overpriced to the the ones hidden about a hundred yards away wiyh the equal if not better food . U fleku .... a must for the first time visit . But , dont let them force the drink at you . nein danke, works . dont know why , but it did . For the ale taster and the lets go out and have a good drink type , ask for dark beer , most places sell it and it is local brew . i just called it laughing juice . great place . just ignore the usual vices in passing on your stagger back to the hotel and ..... DO ..... agree a price before using a taxi ............BIGTIME |
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Prague itself has it's own identity if, you want to see it's identity you must see the astinomical clock in the old town square.And you must see Chareles bridge! |
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Prague is one of the most awesome cities in Europe.
Standing on the Karlsbridge at night and seeing the Hradin and the Moldau is so romantic. The Jewish Quartier is also very interesting. |
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Hi all, Just got back from Prague after a 3 day visit. Found the city stunning and to be honest there were not masses of tourist around (maybe november is a quiet time). The usual historical landmarks were impressive, however the standout aspect for me was going on the 'life under communism' walking tour - a fascinating and thought provoking 2 hour walk hosted by an enthusiastic politics student from the local university. |
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Marcel (Germany):
Praha, Prague, Prag - the Golden City. Unfortunately I only spend one day there during my trip to Czech Republic in August 2005, but it was great! It's amazing how many tourists stay on Carl's Bridge at the same time. The whole city has so much to see, so many interesting churches, the castle, the Jewish Cemetery and facades of so many perfectly restaurated houses. Fantastic!! |
| Date posted: March 2006 |
Graeme Ramshaw (UK/US):
 Is Prague a heavily touristed town? Without a doubt. It draws people from around the world, and, with the expansion of cheap European airlines, the crowds are only going to get bigger. Is Prague a town that in spite of its drawbacks still deserves an extended visit? Absolutely! While I often complain about the sheer number of tourists that descend on towns like Florence and Prague, one has to admit that they have it right. Prague is a scintillating experience, worthy of visit even at the most popular times of the year. Go for the spectacle, go for the fairy tale setting, go for the beer, it's all there to be enjoyed in Bohemia's capital. I particularly enjoyed walking around the Josefov district and the Old Town Square, gazing upon the truly beautiful Tyn Church that rises above the houses. Just a wonderful city. |
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Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
Another vote in favor of Prague from me. It´s true, the city can get enormously crowded at any time of the year and day, but this is true for other cities as well and people seem to criticize only Prague for it. So if you want a quiet city just for yourself without the crowds, this is not the place for you to go. But for those who don´t mind a few other tourists, Prague remains one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Hradcin with the Cathedral is really a great sight from the city below, and the old town and Charles Bridge are must-see sights as well. A daytrip to any of the older Czech cities or the many castles around Prague will help you get away from the crowds at least a little bit. |
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Ian Cade (England):
 OK OK Prague has a lot of tourists! but some of the things on this page distress me a bit.
Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I can not think of a setting I have seen that can beat the combination of Vltava Charles Bridge, Mala Strana and Prasky Hrad (Castle). The beer is the best in the world and competes to be the cheapest (and I would like to point out this is not just in terms of Western Europe this is still the cheapest quality beer I have come across!) This would be enough for be but Prague throws more at you. Staromestka namesti (Old Town Square) is taken directly from a fairy tale, Joefov is one of the oldest Jewish settlements in Europe, Vaclavsky Namesti (Wenceslas Square) is dripping with contemporary history! on top of this you have one of the densest clusters of Art Nouveau anywhere in Europe with Obcedni Dum ranking amog the very elite of this style in Architechtural terms. Then there are the outlying parts such as Vysehrad to add to this, this is all mixed with an artistic heritage which even by Central European terms is amazing!
And it is only once you see all this you can appreciate why you will no longer have Prague to yourself! It may have changed a lot during the last 10 years but this is still a city that should feature highly on any traveller’s itinerary.
The best advice I can give is just to go off and explore (the same with every touristy city) don’t just follow the one road between Staromestka Namesti and the castle as it is laden with tourist rubbish, try visiting the rest of the city instead of taking the river cruises sold at Charles Bridge by people that can’t speak Czech, and then you will discover a highlight of Europe! |
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Rob Wilson (UK):
There can be no doubt that Prague is a beautiful city, but, sadly, it has sold its soul to tourism. The old city is enormous and generally in original condition, the lack of war damage is remarkable. The downside is the high cost, compared to the rest of the Czech Republic, the unfriendliness of the populous and the tourist traps. |
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Roman (Czechia):
Prague is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. I have been there counless times and remember the city from times before the iron courtain fall. That time you could walk alone at the mysterious old Jewish cemetery, peopleless Charles Bridge or even Zlatá ulička. Nowadays you can avoid crowds of tourists if you go apart the main tourist routes. The historical city is big enough, so just take a city map and enjoy your walk around the quiet streets and squares. |
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Fanny Melian Havela (Finland):
I was disappointed by Prague. Filled with tourists and badly organized traffic, it was chaotic and unpleasant.
To avoid the atmosphere, it's better to buy a book of the architectural wonders of the city.
Also the food was similar to elsewhere in eastern block, grease and mayonnaise ruled all over.
I only recall one nice even, getting off the metro in Vysehrad, and walking over the bridge to the center. That fifteen minute walk over the valley beyond was beautiful. |
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Jim Humberd (USA):
Some people say Prague is the most beautiful city in Europe. While we might not go that far, it’s difficult to find a “one-view” that would surpass the sight of the Vltava River and Karluv Most (the Charles Bridge, a pedestrian bridge adorned with 75 statues and statue groups), with the Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral high above Marla Strana (Lesser town). |
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Gatis (Latvia):
Yes, in summer Prague is pretty crowded, not so charming. Walk in Zlata Ulicka was terrible. Once I visited Prague at the end of February - no tourists, but not so pleasant weather as well.
What I liked in this city? Its huge historical centre. We in Baltics have used to rather small Old Cities, but here it takes looong time to go through it - the buildings and sights are very interesting. I consider that Czechs keep their capital very well - they also have sense of taste, what is not the case with many modern Western European cityplanners and architects. |
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