Hostelworld Guide for Prague

The Essentials Local Currency Rates

USD EUR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0.76 1.52 2.28 3.05 3.81 4.57 5.33 6.09 6.85 7.61 USD EUR 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 7.61 15.23 22.84 30.46 38.07 45.68 53.3 60.91 68.53

Climate
During the winter it can get very, very cold in the Czech capital. December and January see temperatures drop well below 0C, although the city is extremely picturesque under a blanket of snow. It remains very cold until the middle of March and it isnt really until April that temperatures begin to rise. July and August are the warmest months and this is when Prague is at its busiest. September is a nice month to visit, along with early October, although it begins to get very cold again towards the end of the month before winter.

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Its a tired clich when it comes to many cities around the world, but Prague really is an enchanting mix of the old and the new. The Nov Mesto (New Town) symbolises the new independent Czech Republic, while the Star Mesto (Old Town) is one of the best preserved old towns in Europe as it remained untouched in both World Wars. While these are both on the eastern side of the River Vltava, to the west is Mal Strana (Lesser Town) where Pragues medieval castle dominates the skyline. Along with all the sightseeing to do, Prague has more than its fair share of affordable restaurants, while search hard enough and youll find some of the cheapest (and tastiest) beer in Europe.

Getting There
By plane: Pragues Ruznye Airport is approximately 10km from the city centre. To get to the city catch bus #119 (Kc15), get off at the last stop (Dejvick Metro stop) and catch the metro into the city centre. By train: All long distance trains travelling to the Czech capital terminate at Hlavni ndraz which is in the city centre, just east of Wenceslas Square.

Useful Information
Language: Czech Currency: Czech Koruna Electricity: 220 Volts AC/50Hz. 2pin plug. Area Code: +420 (CZK) 02 (Prague) Emergency Codes: Ambulance 155, Fire 150, Police 158 Time Zone: Central European Time (GMT+1) Central Post Office: Jindisk 14 (just off Wencesclas Square) Main Tourist Office: Na Prikope 20

In this Guide...
Useful Information After Dark Places to Eat Top Attractions Budget Tips Where to Shop

By bus: Nearly all international and domestic buses travelling to Prague end their journeys in Florenc Bus Station just east of the Old Town Square.

Getting Around
On foot: Pragues Old Town and New Town are within walking distance of each other. The Lesser Town is west of the river. By tram: The best way to see all of Prague is by tram as they cover all parts of the city. You can pick up route maps in some metro stations. By metro: While Prague's underground network is easy to use (there are three lines) they don't cover as much of the city as trams. By taxi: Prague is notorious for rogue taxi drivers. If using them in touristy areas haggle with drivers.

Embassies / Consulates
USA: +420 257 530 663 UK: +420 257 402 111 Canada: +420 272 101 800 Australia: +420 296 578 350 (Consulate) South Africa: +420 267 311 114 Ireland: +420 257 530 061 Germany: +420 257 113 111 Spain: +420 224 311 222 Italy: +420 233 080 111 New Zealand: +420 222 514 672 (Consulate) France: +420 251 171 711

Hostelworld Guide for Prague

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Cheap Eats
Orange Moon, Rmov 5, Josefov Due to the Czechs' tendency not to charge westernstyle prices for easternstyle fare, you can enjoy a full meal in this fusion restaurant for less than 10. Choose from Indian/Burmese/Thai dishes. Open daily 11.30am11.30pm. CoctailCaf Restaurant, Karlova 6, Star Mesto Considering its central location, youd expect the food to be a lot dearer than it is in this restaurant. But here you can get anything from pizza to fish at very reasonable prices. Try the Peen uzen koleno (roasted smoked pork). Its big enough to feed a horse. Open daily 24 hours. Pivnice U vejk, jezd 22, Mal Strana This restaurant is primarily geared towards tourists but still does decent food at good prices. While it's good for lunches, if you decide to refuel here after 7pm you can do so to the sounds of a local accordian player. Open daily from 11ammidnight. Bohemia Bagel, jezd 16, Mal Strana For a good old fashioned English or American breakfast, this is where to go. The menu is full of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon and rashers. Open MonFri 7ammidnight, Sat & Sun 8ammidnight.

After Dark
Vinrna U Sudu, Vodikova 10, Nov Mesto They say first impressions last. This isn't always true. Upon walking into this bar it seems like a quiet, local wine bar. But take a moment to explore what is beyond the small bar which greets you and youll discover a bar that never seems to end it has 7 different zones. Open MonThurs 8am3am, Sat & Sun 8am4am, Sun 8am2am. Karlovy Lazne, Novotnho lvka 5, Star Mesto Attracting Prague's weird and wonderful offspring every weekend, Karlovy Lazne is Prague's very own 'superclub'. Spread out over four floors and five rooms, each one plays different genres of music so there is something for everyone. Open nightly from 9pm5am; admission 50Kc100Kc.

Don't Miss
Prague Castle, Hradcansk nmst, Mal Strana Built around 850AD, Prague's enchanting castle is shouldn't be missed. Home to St Vitus Cathedral, St George's Basilica and Golden Lane, it is said to be Europe's oldest surviving medieval castle. Open daily from 9am4pm/5pm; admission 350/250/150Kc.

Mark Your Calendar

January Three Kings Day Held on the 6th of January every year, this festival marks the end of Christmas with carol singing and bell ringing, while volunteers collect donations to give to the poor. March/April Easter Markets Hundreds stalls are set up at the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square where you can buy everything from handpainted eggs to wooden carved toys. April Burning of the Witches Originally a festival to prevent evil from occuring, today this event sees a fairground staged at Bubenec and an allnight bonfire party take place on Kampa Island. May Prague Marathon Athletes from all over the world travel to run in this 26 mile race. To keep the spirits of the runners up, the streets are lined with street entertainers and musicians. June BMX Freestyle World Championships This is the years biggest events in BMX world and attracts the best riders. Held in the city's Stvanice Island (Mystic Skatepark), it shouldn't be missed.

Staromstsk nmst

Gay / Lesbian Prague

Unlike other capital cities in Europe, Prague doesn't have one 'gay area'. Instead all the main gay bars and clubs are spread out around the city centre. Prague's main gay club is Gejzeer (Vnohradsk 40). With two bars and two dancefloors it is extremely popular. Termix (Trebizskeho 4a) is one of the newest clubs on the scene. Some bars which are popular with the gay community include Friends (Nprstkova 1), and Pinnochio (Seifertova 3). Pivovarsk Dum, Lipova 15, Nov Mesto This bar, frequented mainly by locals, is where to go when you want to try something different. The pub has its own brewery and produces such delights as banana beer, cherry beer and coffee beer. It's also a good place when you want to get out of the city centre. Open daily 11am11.30pm. Caffrey's, Starmesto nmst, 10, Star Mesto While a beer here is a bit more expensive than in your average bar in Prague, you are always bound to find a bit of 'craic' in this Irish pub. But it isn't one of the city's largest pubs, and gets full very quickly. Open daily 9am2am. The First and Last, Krsnohrsk 5, Josefov If you're English, and want to catch a live game when you're in Prague, you can be guaranteed to catch it in this English bar in the Josefov district. If you're not looking to catch a game, you'll still enjoy a beer as staff are friendly and it attracts a lot of backpackers. Open daily from 10am1am. *Beer prices vary greatly between bars in the main touristy spots and those off the beaten track.

A Good Way to Start the Day

Old Town Square (Staromstsk nmst), Star Mesto Translating in Czech to Staromstsk nmst, the Old Town Square is where you will find some of Prague's most beautiful buildings. These include the Old Town Hall in the centre of the square and Tyn Church which dominates the eastern side of the square. Charles Bridge, Star Mesto This bridge is the most famous of all the bridges which cross the River Vltava and is crowded with tourists day and night. But you can see why as it boasts breathtaking views of the castle and provides free entertainment during the warmer months when buskers do their utmost to entertain tourists to earn a few crowns. St Nicholas Church, Malostransk nmst, Mal Strana Along with Prague Castle, this church is the other building which dominates the skyline on Mal Strana. Taking over 80 years to complete, it belongs among the leading baroque buildings in Europe and is undoubtedly one of Prague's most beautiful sights. Open from 9am4.45pm; admission 50Kc. Petrn Hill, Mal Strana For unrivalled views over Prague, hop on a funicular from the station at jezd in Mal Strana bound for Petrn Hill. Once you reach the top (there are two stops) you can walk around the park, get lost in the 'Mirror Maze', or climb Petrn Tower (admission 50Kc).

July Mystic Skate Cup Prague's annual skateboarding competition attracts the world's biggest names who compete for a prize of $30,000. July/August Chamber Music Festival Known as 'Ameropa', this annual music festival celebrates the joy of musicmaking with the world. Combining different styles, the event always offers a collaboration between instrument and voice. September Prague Autumn International Music Festival In the 14 years it has been running, this music festival has become a permanent part of not just Prague's, but also Europe's musical life. October Prague International Jazz Festival First staged in 1977, Prague's annual international jazz festival attracts the best of homegrown talent as well as other artists from across the globe. November Festival Alternativa If you find yourself in Prague in the month of November and are looking for something different to do, visit this festival. It showcases the best in alternative drama and dance and won't be forgotten. December Christmas in Prague Prague becomes one of Europe's most enchanting cities every Christmas as hundreds of stalls are set up in the Christmas markets in the Old Town Square. www.hostelworld.com

Kva Kva Kva, Nrodn 37, Nov Mesto Thanks to delightfully friendly staff, and mugs of tea/coffee big enough to (nearly) swim in, there is no better place to start the day than in here. Located just two minutes from the northern end of Wenceslas Square, you get 15 minutes free internet with every 60Kc spent. Open MonFri 7am10pm; Sat & Sun 9am10pm. Wenceslas Square If you've been saying to your friends lately 'Does my bum look small in these?', this is where to go. Fastfood stands galore. Hostelworld Guide for Prague

Get Connected
Call Point, Vodikova 20, Nov Mesto This small internet shop just off Wenceslas Square only has 7 machines but they have fairly speedy access. If you want to make a quick call home you can do that also. Word of warning though if you have a sore leg steer clear as the computers are up a very steep, winding staircase! Open daily from 10am10pm; 1Kc per min.

Retail Therapy
Wenceslas Square, Nov Mesto More like a long boulevard, Wenceslas Square and the streets which break off it are where you can find some stores belonging to many of the worlds bestknown brands. This includes H+M, Benetton and many more. The area also has heaps of sports stores if you wish to buy yourself a new pair of trainers. Karlova, Star Mesto If you feel like succumbing to the hundreds of touristy shops that sell all sorts kitsch, Karlova, a street to the east of the Old Town Square, is where to go. Its numerous shops are driven towards tourists, so you can pick up all sorts of memorabilia from your time in 'Praha'.

Budget Tips
Visit a museum for free Some of Prague's main museums are free on certain days. This includes the National Museum on the first Monday of every month, most of the main galleries on the first Tuesday of every month, and the Prague City Museum on the first Thursday of every month. Visit Valdstejnsky palac (Wallenstein Palace) If you're pockets are empty and you dont know what to do you can visit this palace in the Lesser Town. Built between 1624 and 1630, twenty three houses, three gardens and a municipal brick kiln were raised to make way for the palace and its grounds. Open Sat & Sun 10am4pm (last entrance 3.40pm); admission free. Buy day/multitickets for public transport As enjoyable as it is to roam the cobbled streets of the Old Town and cross Charles Bridge to the sound of buskers, at some stage you may need to utilise Prague's public transport. When you do, buy day/multitickets. A daylong ticket costs 70Kc, and a 3day ticket will set you back 200Kc.

A Day in Prague...
Start the day with a cup, sorry, jug of tea or coffee and a bagel in Kva Kva Kva. They have various types of both beverage, such as 'Hawaii Tea' and 'Salvador Coffee'. Get tram #18, 22, 23 or 57 from Narodni trida (just up from Kva) to 'Prazsky hrad' (Prague Castle) stop and visit the castle. Catch the changing of the guard before exploring the castle. Visit St Vitus Cathedral, one of Europes most magnificent, and exit the castle through Golden Lane.

All Kinds of Everything

Internet Majk, Rytirska 18, Nov Mesto Found down a small arcade, this cybershop is apparently where you will find the 'fastest connection in Prague'. There are over ten machines to choose from so youll never have too much of a problem finding a spare one. Open MonFri 9am9pm, Sat 10am9pm, Sun 11am8pm; 25Kc for 15 mins, 100kc per hour. Internet, Kamizikova 6, Star Mesto There are 7 terminals to choose from, and if you feel like decorating your room, or buying a present for somebody back home, you can buy one of the prints that hang on the wall for around 100Kc. It wont win any prizes for its name, but it could do for its location as it is just off the Old Town Square. Open dailiy from 10am10pm; 1,50Kc per min. Tiscali, jezd 16, Mal Strana Located beside Bohemia Bagel, you can send emails or browse the web in this brightly coloured internet caf to the sound of funky tunes. It also doubles up as a bar so you can have a beer afterwards. They also have a branch on Masna, just two minutes from the Old Town Square. Open SunThurs 9am10pm, Fri & Sat 9ammidnight; 1,80Kc per min. Havelsk Trziste Initially this market may seem like it's driven exclusively towards tourists. But saunter on past selling trinkets and youll see this market, which dates back to the 13th century, has other stalls where youll pick up the freshest of fruit and other niceties. Open daily from 10am5pm. Tesco, Nrodn 26, Nov Mesto With four floors to shop on, you can buy absolutely anything in this huge department store. Electrical goods can be found on the 4th floor, cooking utensils (your hostel may be short a ladle!) are on the 3rd, clothes are on the 2nd, lingerie, ahem, are on the 1st while on the ground floor are the trustworthy travel guides. Open MonFri 8am9pm, Sat 9am8pm, Sun 10am8pm. Bontonland, Vaclavske nmst 1, Nov Mesto If it's a new CD you're after you'll find it here as Bontonland is the Czech Republic's largest music megastore. Along with the world's most popular acts, if you want to see what the Czech youth of today like to get down to, there is a large section dedicated to nothing but Czech acts. Open MonSat 9am8pm, Sun 10am7pm.

The Bells! The Bells!

Walk down the castle steps, taking in views over the Vltava. Make your way down to U Svejku on Ujezd for some lunch. Across from U Svejku is the funicular station to Petrn Hill. Costing 12Kc, the trip takes five minutes. Once atop climb Petrn Tower for views over the whole of Prague. Once you return from the hill, visit St Nicholas' Church. Marvel at the fresco on the ceiling. Cross Charles Bridge en route to the Old Town Square. Relax in the Old Town Square. Sip a (albeit expensive) beer for a while and watch the 'Procession of the Apostles' at the astronomical clock. Five minutes from the Old Town is 'Orange Moon' a reasonable, yet classy restaurant. Grab a bite to eat before hitting the town. Get lost in 'Vinrna U Sudu' just off Wenceslas Square in the New Town. This traditional Czech pub never seems to end. Finish the night off in style in Karlovy Lazne! www.hostelworld.com

Every hour from morning until night, hundreds gather at the astronomical clock on the Old Town Hall in the Old Town Square for the 'Procession of the Apostles'. Lasting five minutes, this 'procession' sees the 12 apostles nod as they pass over the clock on the hour as a bell rings somewhat morbidly. Visit Prague Castle Even though it is the Czech capital's number one attraction, you don't actually need to pay in to the castle. To walk around the grounds, and even into St Vitus Cathedral is free. If you do visit the castle try not to miss the changing of the guard which takes place on the hour.

urls
www.karlovylazne.cz www.praguepubs.co.uk www.hrad.cz www.czechtourism.com Hostelworld Guide for Prague