Prague, Czech Republic

Prague takes the cake for my favorite city in Europe. The cobblestone streets, beautiful European architecture, and incredible nightlife make this my #1 spot in Europe thus far. It is very central to all European countries for a home base if you want to take on a multi-month exploration of the continent. I have stayed with friends local to Prague both times I have gone, so while I do not have any details on places to stay, in this list, we will cover the ins and outs of my favorite activities, local bars, and restaurants that are a MUST visit while in this beautiful Czech city. 

Local and non-touristy food options…

Kozlovna Tylák: This restaurant and local brewery offers every local Czech dish you want to try. Prices are very affordable and the beer local to their restaurant is incredible. A must-have is what they call a “milk beer”. While it is typical in the United States not to like a lot of foam in your beer, this drink offers about 90% foam and 10% liquid. It is more expensive than a regular beer (although not by much) because the foam has a higher alcohol content than the liquid, and is a fun and different drink to try while you are there. 

KRČMA: This medieval tavern-style restaurant offers a dungeon-type feel and has great food and drinks. The staff was so nice and attentive, and the dishes were all local to Prague. It was not packed, and we did not need to make reservations. The prices were very affordable, and the atmosphere was a fun.  

Food to try at these restaurants include Knedlíky, Smažený Sýr, and Trdelník. Knedlíky is a dumpling-type patty that I would say has a similar taste to American stuffing eaten at Thanksgiving. It is included as a side to many local dishes. Smažený Sýr means “fried cheese” and is a cheese block coated in breading, typically served with a side of fries. Trdelník you can find almost anywhere while walking downtown. It is a pastry item that looks like a very large churro and has many small stands that are fairly touristy but for good reason. Some you can get filled with ice cream, but most stands offer a custard filling and chocolate filling that I definitely recommend. 

Into the Nightlife…

Now, into the activities…

Popocafepetl: I have been to this bar multiple times, and it is so much fun! It is an underground dungeon-type bar, so if you aren’t the biggest fan of confined spaces, I wouldn't recommend it, but the DJs are always solid, and there is a huge international crowd to talk to. I have met people from so many different countries here, and their drinks are SO fun. A shot I think about maybe once a week is called a CHUPITO shot: it’s white rum and lime juice with a maraschino cherry at the bottom. If you are a fan of sweeter shots or aren’t the biggest alcohol fan, they are easy to get down. 

Duplex: this is one of the best clubs in Prague. It is a massive club located on the top floor of the main buildings in the center of town. To get into the club, you have to get a ticket online first, but it is super easy to get tickets, and if I remember correctly, they cost like $5. To enter, they have guards that check your tickets, and you take an elevator to the top level. They have a coat check, and the club has an indoor and outdoor portion. The DJ when we went was the best I found in Prague and I highly recommend it if you like nightlife!

Two other bars I recommend are Dog Bar and London Underground Bar. Both were great and had a good international crowd. Dog Bar has a lot of fun cocktails and really fun painted walls; the bartender we had there was doing all sorts of tricks and the space was very unique. London Underground Bar has a fun karaoke scene, and we had a lot of fun with the crowd there.

Prague is known for its very inexpensive Garnet compared to the States and other countries. If you want garnet jewelry, the only place you should get it is Prague. They have an extensive amount of shops, and I found my favorite shop next to Karlův Most. I ended up getting a garnet cross necklace on sterling silver for only around $100, whereas in the States, it would probably have been 3- 4x as much. This is a two-in-one stop because Karlův Most is one of my favorite places in Prague. It is a beautiful bridge with Gothic architecture, gold and stone figurines, and lots of gargoyles. I highly recommend walking across the whole bridge to get to the other side of the city. 

On the other side of the city is Prague Castle. It is a good uphill hike to get there, but it is well worth the climb. You can take tours inside, but my favorite thing we did was climb the tower for about $10 each. There were maybe 300-400 steps to get to the top, and it had the most amazing overview of the city and I took my favorite pictures of the trip there. 

More incredible architecture was the Astronomical Clock in the center of town, St. Vitus Cathedral, and St Nicholas Church. The old architecture is my favorite thing about Prague, and while these are some sites I recommend, most of the city has beautiful architecture to look at while wandering around the center areas. 

Lastly, the Banksy Museum is a small museum in the main part of the city that offers a lot of background into Banksy's work and some of his original pieces. If you like to follow along with art history, this is a fun and different stop to take. Along with this, there are many food, beer, and architecture tours to take in the city. I found most of these fairly touristy so we did skip them, but if you want a more in-depth explanation into the history of the city, there are many options to choose from!