Prague city breaks

• Essentials
  • Overview
  • Basics
  • Getting there
  • Getting around
• City sights
  • Top sights
  • Tourist trail
  • Offbeat sights
  • Nearby trips
• Things to do
  • Eating out
  • Cafe bars
  • Shopping
  • Nightlife
• Planning
  • When to go
  • Where to stay
  • Find a hotel

Prague overview

Prague is a gem, a truly beautiful city; a UNESCO World Heritage site described as the ‘City of a Thousand Spires’. The capital of the Czech Republic, it has become one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations.

Wandering over the Charles Bridge; strolling across the Old Town Square or through the sublime Hradcany castle area is pretty hard to beat. Indeed, the only disappointment is the famous Wenceslas Square, now marred by fast food joints and dodgy night clubs.

Prague gained prominence when Charles IV of Bohemia became Holy Roman Emperor in 1346. It led to many of the city’s great buildings, including the St Vitus Cathedral and the Charles Bridge.

Despite brutal Nazi occupation, the city was miraculously undamaged in the Second World War. The Communist era resulted in some hideous concrete buildings and economic stagnation but the city is now enjoying an upsurge in its fortunes.

Top attraction is the Charles Bridge, always packed with artists and entertainers. It links the Malá Strana, and its imposing castle above, with the Old and New Towns just across the river. The castle complex houses some of the finest groups of buildings in Europe.

Staré Město, the Old Town, has quaint, narrow streets, attractive square and the town hall. Like much of central Prague it's packed with bars and restaurants. The Jewish Quarter is a little to the north, while Nové Město, the New Town, is further out.

Beer is another of the Prague's big attractions – the Czech region is where pils-style lager originated. Meals and drinks are reasonably priced and good quality. Indeed, Prague has been voted the 'best value' city in Europe by regular travellers. Check out Dealchecker.co.uk - cheap holidays to Prague, Europe and beyond.

Prague is a city to visit at any time of year. Spring and autumn are ideal, summers are normally dry and pleasant while a winter break sees the city much quieter and very atmospheric.

A downside is Prague's growing reputation as a stag night destination. Maybe it's the cheap beer. On the plus side is a cheap and efficient transport system that includes the metro, trams, buses and a funicular on Petrín Hill.

Cobbled streets, tram lines and traffic make car driving in Prague difficult, but there is parking near most metro stations.
The two rail terminals have direct rail links to more than 20 European cities, including Munich, Vienna, Berlin and Paris.

For Prague city breaks directline-citybreaks combines Eurostar and cheap flights with hand-picked hotels in more than 50 cities to offer cheap city breaks, short breaks and unforgettable weekend breaks.

If you fancy a boutique youth hostel Prague can boast some of Europe’s finest. In a city full of fascinating architecture, many properties have a stylish, old-world charm about them.

Praha Ruzyne International Airport is about 20km northwest of Prague. Most budget airlines service Prague and flight times from London are under two hours.

Make sure you include Booked.net if searching for Prague hotels. They list a good number of quality hotels, available at competitive prices. Also, you don't have to pay any extra fees for booking, administration or cancellation.