The Top 5 Things To See in Prague When You Have Limited Time
Last September 2018 we traveled from Budapest to Prague as part of our great European Trip as I only got a 60-day Schengen Visa. With our tight schedule, we just had one full day to explore Prague. As our time was limited and the beautiful architecture of Prague seemed limitless, we compiled a list with the most important things to see in Prague.
All the attractions on this list should be able to be visited in one day as this is what we did. We actually left out a few attractions that we visited as well because they were less worthwhile than the ones listed below. So if you are on a tight schedule and want to get the most out of your Prague trip, the following list might be helpful to you.
Table of Contents
1. Visit Prague Castle
Prague Castle is actually not just one castle but rather a castle complex and it is the official office of the president of the Czech Republic. Occupying an area over 70,000 square meters, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. The castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Prague and provides a perfect viewpoint to see the whole of Prague. Likewise, the architecture from this castle complex can be seen from all over the city. With its many building like the St. Vitus Cathedral, Basilica of St. George, and Golden Lane, this complex is a great option to see a lot in a short amount of time. Be aware that the complex has opening hours and check the opening hours beforehand as these vary during the year.
Insider Tip: We got lost going to the castle but we found this garden on the way to the Castle where you can walk through this stairs while slowly unraveling the beauty of Prague on your way up, you just need to pay 2 euro for the entrance.
2. Visit the Old Town Square
This lively square is one of the main tourist attractions in Prague. The square has different architectural styles and is the home of two churches, namely the Gothic Church of Our Lady before T'yn and The Baroque St. Nicholas Church. Another tourist attraction at this square is the medieval astronomical clock called Prague Orloj. Be aware that the clock is under construction while this article has been written. Furthermore, there are plenty of street performers and musicians to keep you entertained in the square. To conclude, you can go to the art museum of the Czech National Gallery, which is located in the Kinsk'y Palace in the square. So if you are limited in time, the Old Town Square is an excellent option to see a lot in a short amount of time.
3. Enjoy the magnificent view from the Charles Bridge
Close to the Old Town Square, you can find the Charles Bridge. This historic bridge is more than 600 years old and 621 meters long. It is beautifully decorated with statues and bridge towers. Apart from the bridge itself, the view from the bridge over the Vltava river and the rest of Prague is absolutely wonderful as well. This holds true for visiting the bridge at the day as well as night because the bridge and its surroundings are beautifully lit up at nighttime.
4. Get your next Instagram picture at Lennon Wall
Just a stone throw distance from the Charles Bridge, you can find the Lennon Wall. This wall used to be a normal wall until 1980, but from then onwards it has been filled with John Lennon and Beatles inspired graffiti following the assassination of John Lennon. Here you can also find a musician playing Beatles songs to commemorate John Lennon.
5. See the rotating sculpture of Franz Kafka
This immense sculpture contains 42 layers independent layers of stainless steel and weighs roughly 45 tons. The fascinating part about this sculpture is that every layer independently from each other rotates. Because the layers rotate at different speeds, the sculpture loses its composure of the face of Franz Kafka for a while until all the layers fall back in line and have reshaped to display the face of Franz Kafka. Once the layers have fallen in line again, the sculpture is facing another direction.
Bonus Tip:
If you still have extra time to explore the city and have more adventure, you might want to find the “Man Hanging Out” also called the Seven Foot Sigmund Freud situated in the Old Town. This art installation depicts about Freud’s constant struggle with fear of death.
Food
To refuel after a day of exploring the city, you might want to try out the local specialty pork knuckle together with a Pivo (how the locals call their beer). And also the Trdelník which is a kind of spit cake which can be filled with different flavors such as ice cream, chocolate, vanilla pudding, and strawberries.
Accommodation
For accommodations, there are plenty of hotels in Prague that you can choose but we can recommend Hotel Pav. This Prague city center hotel is located right in the middle of all the tourist attractions mentioned in the list above. It is also beside a 500-year old brewery! Ha! This hotel consists of 89 three-stars rooms, conference rooms and a lobby bar with a rear terrace that would be perfect to hang around during the summer. Hotel Pav is part of the Small Charming Hotels‘ chain, which has four small hotels in Prague and another one hotel in Spindleruv Mlyn, which is a popular mountain and ski destination in the Czech Republic. All are centrally located and placed in historic buildings.
Although it is in the middle of a lively area, the room we were staying at was perfectly quiet. Next, to that, Hotel Pav is situated in a historic building with high hotel room ceilings but with very modern and well-equipped rooms.
The staff was very friendly and accommodates all your concerns and questions. Hotel Pav also has a breakfast buffet which was excellent with lots of options so you are well fueled for your busy day touring around the city. All in all, Hotel Pav proved to be a very convenient hotel for a city sightseeing trip to Prague.
Our time in Prague was limited and unfortunately, we could not cover everything. It is a beautiful city with all those charming architectures, scenic views, and tasty foods. But this definitely will be on one the cities we want to come back to in the future and would definitely recommend to other travelers.
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