Hailing from Vancouver British Columbia, our latest guest author Theresa Ladner shares her best tips on what to do in Prague in 3 days.
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It's home to 1.26 million people and has a temperate climate with warm summers and chilly winters. Armed with this knowledge, I expected the city to feel a bit like my own hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia.
What to do in Prague for 3 days
I was so wrong. The thing that hit me first upon arrival was the history; the city is steeped in it. Vancouver is a fresh-faced tween compared to Prague's hale and hearty senior citizen. The architecture and the people remember much.
We were travelling as part of a tour group which was helpful for a Prague first-timer, and we also had a lot of time on our own to explore.
Prague in 3 Days
Here's what to do in Prague for three days!
City View
Day One- Arrival in Prague
What was in principle three days in Prague, was more like two full days and an evening. We arrived late in the afternoon and were whisked away to our hotel a half block from Wenceslas Square.
Essential Sites Day 1:
- Wenceslas Square
- National Museum
- Old Town
Wenceslas Square is technically a 60 by 750-metre boulevard lined by hotels, shops, restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. It was originally Prague's horse market and has been used by the residents for hundreds of years for everything from celebrations to anti-communist uprisings.
At the top of the square sits the National Museum and at the bottom end of the square, you enter the Old Town.
Want to know what to do in Prague? Start at Wenceslas Square.
Orientation of Prague
After a quick meeting, those who chose to go out for an orientation walk; mostly Wenceslas Square and a bit into the Old Town.
Our guide, Martina, had no qualms about telling us about life under the communist regime. And spoke of many stories about how the Soviets ruined beautiful buildings and avenues to make way for tanks and ugly “brutal Soviet architecture”.
Communism in Prague
She told us about having to smuggle money into East Germany to buy shoes and having to throw away her old shoes and scuff up the new ones so as not to be caught having brought more money than allowed across the border. And she explained how her family saved coupons to buy her a coveted pair of jeans.
Martina taught us about the Velvet Revolution in 1989 and how much the Czechs admired Vaclav Havel, the architect of much of the turnover from communism to democracy and the new Czech Republic's first president.
It was fascinating to hear this from someone who's been there, firsthand.
Dinner Day 1:
Afterwards, we chose to have dinner at U Provaznice (which translates to “At the Rope”) between the Old Town and Wenceslas Square. The food was hearty, tasty, and very filling.
Day Two – Sightseeing in Prague
Essential Sites in Prague Day 2.
- Prague Castle
- St. Vitus Cathedral
- Lobkowicz Palace Cafe
- Charles Bridge
- Astronomical Clock
- Bar Hopping and Nightlife
After an early bedtime, we were up in the morning for a tour to Prague Castle and its environs. After a quick security check, we were through to the castle proper.
Prague Castle
Prague Castle is not a castle in the sense of it being a single building with turrets and towers.
It is a huge (7 hectares or 18 acres) conglomeration of palaces, St. Vitus Cathedral, churches, the President's state offices and apartments, a monastery, museums, and art galleries gathered around three main courtyards.
Check out Prague's St Vitus Cathedral
St. Vitus Cathedral
We entered St. Vitus Cathedral and were impressed with the Gothic architecture. Construction began in 1344 and it took close to 600 years to complete. We enjoyed the gorgeous stained glass windows, the soaring arches, and the imposing entrance with its rose window, high towers, and gargoyles.
Lunch Day 2
We then went for strudel and coffee at the Lobkowicz Palace Cafe which has a superb view of the city from the balcony.
Then we proceeded to exit the castle from the east gate and then wended our way down through the castle vineyards and gardens to the Malá Strana (Little Town) and then across the Charles Bridge.
Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is a pedestrian-only bridge that crosses the Vltava River. King Charles IV had it built in 1357 and it was the only means of crossing the river until 1841. Today it is full of vendors, artists, and 30 baroque statues.
Saint John of Nepomuk
No trip to Prague is complete without a walk on Charles Bridge, where you'll see a statue of John of Nepomuk
Foremost of these statues is Saint John of Nepomuk, who was thrown from the bridge in 1393 because he reportedly refused to divulge the secrets of the Queen's confessions to her husband, King Wenceslas IV. He was subsequently canonized as a martyr.
Make sure you try Trdelník, a tasty Czech treat!
Beside the bridge, I was able to watch one of the many trdelník vendors doing what they do best. A trdelník is a Czech treat made from dough, wrapped around a stick, grilled over coals, and then rolled in sugar or some other tasty topping. Delicious.
Astronomical Clock
We made our way through the Old Town to the Old Town Square which features the world's oldest working Astronomical Clock.
The Astronomical Clock is one of the top things to see in Prague
It was installed in 1410 and has three main components: the astronomical dial, displaying the sun, moon, and other astronomical details; the “Walk of the Apostles”, hourly moving sculptures; and a calendar dial.
Evening Day 2 – Czech food and bar hopping
As we were on our own for the afternoon, we grabbed food at a local brewpub, U Supa.
We then decided to do a self-guided bar crawl. Yes, we are hovering around age 50, but that shouldn't stop anyone from having fun!
- We started at Black Angels Bar in Old Town Square, a little underground place with leather chairs, stone walls and ceilings, and talented bartenders.
- Next was Bed, a silly conceit with beds instead of chairs.
- Anonymous Bar was next; hard to find, but worth it. My drink was served in an IV bag that dripped into my glass!
- Then we had to take a cab to Beekgeek, a great little place with many beers on tap and in bottles.
- We cabbed back to the town centre and came across Billiard Centrum MSK, where I proceeded to lose several games of pool.
It was definitely time to call it a night after that.
Day Three in Prague
After our delicious buffet breakfast at the Hotel Grandium, we took a tram to Petrín Park.
Transporation in Prague
It turns out that getting around by transit in Prague is quite easy.
We took the funicular up the Petrín Hill (318 metres) to the Petrín Lookout Tower. If you buy a day pass transit ticket, the funicular fare is included.
Take the funicular to see Prague from above
Essential Prague Sites Day 3
- Petrin Lookout Tower
- Restaurant Nebozízek
- Prague Beer Museum
- Salm Palace
The Petrín Lookout Tower
The Petrín Lookout Tower was built in 1891 as a mini version of the Eiffel Tower. It stands 60 metres tall and you can climb the 299 steps or take the lift. We took the lift.
The views from the top are incredible; you can see much of the city from this vantage point.
Prague's Petrin Tower offers great views of the city
We walked halfway back down the hill and stopped at another gorgeous viewing spot at the Restaurant Nebozízek and felt obligated to sample a local beer.
Czech beer is a big part of Prague culinary culture
Beer Tour Prague
Since we were on the subject of beer we decided to hop back on the tram to go to the Prague Beer Museum for the beer experience tour. It's a small place, but very informative if you are interested in the process and history of Czech beer.
After the self-guided tour, you are invited to sit in the 13th-century cellar and sample some local brews (included in the ticket price).
Salm Palace
That evening the whole group went to Salm Palace by Prague Castle for a Czech dinner. Local food, wine, and a musical duo made the night fun. Salm Palace is located across from the Presidential Palace entrance.
Dinner with a view – the Presidential Palace in Prague
We had to leave Prague the next morning and I feel that although we touched on many of the highlights of the city and a few places less travelled, there is so much more that we didn't have time to experience. I suppose that gives us an excuse to return.
What are your favorite things to doi n Prague?
About the author:
Theresa Ladner is a mostly stay-at-home mom who drags her husband off travelling as much as possible. When she's not travelling or momming, she likes to write or experiment with cookery and speak about herself in the third person.
Follow Theresa's blog at Adventures in Middle Aged Travel and on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
By Things to Do in Slovakia January 3, 2019 - 12:13 am
[…] What to do in Prague in 3 Days […]
By abinash November 11, 2017 - 4:12 pm
good article
By Tania @ Larger Family Life September 8, 2017 - 6:50 pm
Oh yes, you do need a beer in Prague!
By Gina and Zeke September 5, 2017 - 2:45 pm
We love creating our own bar crawls as well! We will talk to the bartender and locals to see where we should REALLY be eating. And now we need to add Prague to our Europe bucket list to try that trdelnik, looks yummy 🙂
By Needa August 31, 2017 - 10:58 am
Prague is on my top priority to visit! Its relatively less expensive and so much to discover! Your post is best for me ! So booking for 3 days to pargue
By April August 21, 2017 - 9:46 am
Prague is an amazing city! And, I think no matter how much time one spends there, you always want to go back. Such an easy city to explore on foot with beautiful architecture everywhere you look. And trdelník!!! Thank you for reminding me of this delicious treat. I was there at Christmas time, and every night I stopped by the Christmas market and headed straight for that booth. Also, so interesting to watch it being made. I hope you are able to return.
By Arti Shah August 20, 2017 - 6:41 am
Great post, Theresa! Makes me want to pack my bags and explore the city. Such a helpful guide for prospective travellers to Prague.
By Annie Caldwell August 20, 2017 - 6:39 am
Hi Theresa Ladner,
I really love that pair of beer glasses. Thanks
Annie
http://briskconversion.com/