Prague in Four Days

The capital of the historic region Bohemia and the modern day capital of Czechia (Czech Republic, if you prefer), Prague is one of the treasured jewels of Central Europe.

Last October I had the opportunity to take a little vacation to Prague. I have always been intrigued of the charm Prague seems to hold over everyone who has visited it. This post is mainly going to talk about my itinerary during my stay in Prague, but I have a notion that I will be writing about more specific details of my trip in future posts as well. Bear in mind, this isn't necessarily a travel guide. My vlogs of the day would also be down below!

DAY 0

I traveled to Prague from Germany by train, and the cheapest fare I could find with a decently early arrival in Prague required me to travel for over 16 hours with multiple transits. I got on my first train at around 4 pm and was scheduled to arrive in Prague at 9 am the next morning. In my travels, sleeping in train stations during transits is not exactly a new thing, but I forgot to take into account how I haven't traveled in such fashion in well over a year, and how my body was still partially jet-lagged, considering I'd just gotten back from Indonesia the week before.

DAY 1

Stiff and sleepy from the night's travel, I finally arrived at Prague's Central Station. Having planned to withdraw Czech's korunas directly from the ATM machine, I had no money to buy a tram/bus ticket with; and so I walked about 1,5 km to the Airbnb I already booked. Rolling my suitcase through cobblestoned streets was slightly annoying, but the sights I passed along the way were something I may not have encountered if I had taken the tram, so I didn't regret it.

The Jerusalem Synagogue
One of the buildings I saw by chance on my way from the train station

After taking the keys to my room from the Airbnb host, I decided to take a walk around the Old Town. But first, breakfast was in order. Obviously, I would need korunas, so I headed out to my bank's ATM. Lo and behold, the bank was closed and they only had one ATM machine that was out of order. So I had to go to a money exchange office nearby that seemed to offer a good rate. Thankfully, I did bring some cash with me as a backup plan.

After breakfast it was sightseeing time. My Airbnb was very strategically located, so the walk to the Old Town was brief, but very interesting. I meant to go up the Prague's Astronomical Clock, but much to my disappointment, it was under renovation. At the very least, the clock itself was still visible, and it was fascinating; nothing like I have ever seen before. I couldn't get a very good photo of it, since the square was very crowded, something I didn't expect, since I was there on a Sunday. Sometimes I forgot that not every country is like Germany, where everything on Sunday is closed and everyone stays at home!

Prague's Astronomical Clock that was under construction

Across the Astronomical Clock was Prague's most recognisable landmark, the Church of Our Lady before Tyn. It was as striking and magnificent as any of the photos I've seen of it. Unfortunately the church was closed, and apparently they are only open for the public for a few hours at a time anyway. Did you know that the width of the towers are different because they're supposed to symbolise a man and a woman?

The Old Town's Square with the Church of Our Lady before Tyn

After strolling about the Old Town's Square, I went to one of Prague's most famous attraction, the Charles Bridge. The bridge that connected the Old and the New Town and was finished in the 15th century was as magnificent as it is massive. It reminded me a little of the Alte Mainbrücke in Würzburg, albeit grander.

Charles Bridge

View from Charles Bridge

After visiting Charles Bridge I went back to the Airbnb for a nap, because I was still worn out from the travel. The evening was then spent in the Airbnb, with a bucket KFC serving as dinner.

Day 2

My second full day in Prague was spent at the Prague Castle. It really was more of a complex, much like Versailles, with multiple buildings and churches in site. The largest and the most noticeable one would be St. Vitus Cathedral. It took me about 20 minutes of waiting in line just to get into the cathedral itself, but it certainly was worth it.

St. Vitus Cathedral

But don't count out the other sites as well, the Garden of Bastion offers a lush greenery with flowers of every colour, the Old Royal Palace offers the most breathtaking view of Prague, and the Golden Lane, with its quaint and tiny old houses was delightful.

View of Prague from the Old Royal Palace Courtyard

The Pharmacist's House on Golden Lane
The Golden Lane used to be the residences of the royal family's staffs

There are multiple ticket options for the Prague Castle, with varying prices. I took the most complete one, dubbed "Circuit A", which would allow me entrance to most of the sites on the complex. Ordinarily it would cost me CZK350, which was around 14€, but since they have a student discount, I only had to pay half the price. Interestingly, the audio guide would cost me just as much as a full price ticket, so I didn't get one. Guided tours are also available, but I have always preferred to explore on my own, and I didn't have much money with me either.

However, if you are not interested in looking inside the sites themselves, it is free to just walk around the castle complex. The sites are beautiful, and as a history lover, it was always fascinating to learn something new from these old places. I would recommend setting a full day aside to explore these sites and to take snacks with you, as food in such a touristy place would be quite expensive.

After exploring the castle complex I headed down to the Old Town by way of the Lennon Wall and Charles Bridge. The Lennon Wall is a wall full of graffiti based on John Lennon and lyrics of the Beatles' songs that has existed since the 1980s. It was a popular site to take photos from, seeing its connection with arguably the most celebrated band of all time and its sheer colourfulness, but there is actually a lot more political history to the wall.

Me in front of the Lennon Wall

After dinner and a quick trip back to the Airbnb, I went back to the Old Town to take a guided tour, the aptly named "Ghosts and Legends of Old Town Prague". I discovered the tour through one of my favourite websites, TripAdvisor, and thought that it would make a very exciting activity. Despite the pouring rain, it did not disappoint. For an hour we walked around the Old Town, listening to the harrowing and blood curling stories of Prague's citizens from a long time ago. It was my first experience of such tours, and it made me want to try more of it in different cities. I used the McGee's Ghost Tour services, and they were delightful. The tour costs me 13€ because they offer a student discount, but if you're paying full price, it will cost you 15€ instead. Reservations for the tour can be made online, and you can check out their website here.

DAY 3

Improvisation was the word of the day for my third day in Prague, I didn't have a plan save from visiting the renowned Dancing House and later, a boat cruise. In the morning I headed off to the Dancing House, which was officially an art gallery. It was beautifully located by the river with the most stunning view. Nearby was a small museum/memorial that caught my eye when I was on Google Maps. You wouldn't notice its existence otherwise, being small and in the basement of an orthodox Cathedral. The National Memorial to Heroes of the Heydrich Terror houses a memorial to the seven Czech soldiers who were involved in the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, who was a high-ranking Nazi official and one of the mind behind the Holocaust. The memorial also included an exhibition on the Nazi's prosecution of the Czechs.

The Dancing House

Afterwards I decided to check out the Jewish Quarter after all. I feel like there should be a separate ticket or different bundles to the attractions in the Jewish Quarter, but there wasn't. There was only one ticket in which you gain entrance to every site in the area. The official said there are two different types of tickets whose list of sites were identical, but with different pricing; there wasn't. There's only one, and the full price for it would be CZK500 (around 20€). Even the reduced price was still quite expensive, CZK 340 (around 14€), so I had a long internal debate of whether I should get one. I decided to buy one anyway, since the Jewish Quarter was famous and I've never been to one similar to it.

The Jewish Quarter was both beautiful and frightful. There are so many emotions that were carved deep within each site. The Synagogues are filled with tradition and beauty, the most recognised would be the Spanish Synagogue, with a big statue of the famous czech writer, Franz Kafka by its entrance.

The Spanish Synagogue interior

But there is also pain embedded in its sites, the Pinkas Synagogue, which walls are lined with the names of children who had perished in gas chambers by the hand of the Nazis, was emotionally powerful. The Old Jewish Cemetery was quaint and insightful, with headstones so old you can barely see any markings, but they are all full of character.

The Old Jewish Cemetery

In the evening I went on a 3-hour boat cruise on the Vltava River. The cruise included a buffet dinner and live music, and really was quite romantic. One downside to it was its price, as it costs 39€. Prague at night with its light turned on was enchanting, however, I feel like such tours are really better done in the light of day. I would suggest taking the normal one-hour cruise or if you want the evening one, try to visit in the summer; the changing light would be superb. In my opinion, the cruise was not worth its price.

Prague at Night

DAY 4

On the last day I didn't try to sightsee, I only tried to enjoy my last moments in Prague. I went to see the Wenceslas Square on my way back to the train station, but it was (surprise, surprise) under renovation. I was too early for my train by several hours, so I had to wait. I was very confused by how the train system works at first. I wanted to know the platform on which my train would arrive, but I couldn't find it. The logical step was to ask the information desk, so that was what I did. What I encountered was a very unfriendly officer who practically ushered me away with his reply that platforms are only to be known 30 minutes before its scheduled arrival. On top of this, the train was 2 hours late.

The ending of my trip might have soured my feelings somewhat, but I still think Prague beautiful. Unfortunately, I will have to disagree with those who believes Prague is the most beautiful city in Europe. That being said, Prague does have a charm of its own. I would still recommend you go travel to Prague, and maybe discover something that I missed that will make you fall in love with the city.

xo,

Maria