My mum and I have just returned from a few days in Prague. We both thoroughly enjoyed our stay – all the people we met were friendly and helpful, the city is so beautiful and at no time did we feel threatened or unsafe. Prices may be comparable to other European cities nowadays, but it made our visit no less enjoyable.
As I picked up so many tips from this forum, I thought I’d add / update / second a few!
1) Food with a view
i) Labkowicz Palace Café, Jirska 3
Located within the precincts of the Castle. We can heartily recommend their warm apple strudel! Sit outside as rugs are provided so you can enjoy the view looking over the city without feeling too cold.
ii) Phenix, Smetanovo Nabrezi 22
This place has been recommended by a previous reviewer as a non-smoking café/restaurant/bar. The food is pretty good too – if their grilled salmon and Thai Chicken curry (265 crowns each) plus Crème Brulee are anything to go by! Unlike the Café Louvre, this restaurant does not charge for the bread and butter they serve! A classy place to eat or to have a drink and sit and watch the world go by with great views of the river. It’s open from 7.30 am to 2.30am.
2) Breakfast spots
i) Café Savoy, Vitezna 5
I know, it’s been mentioned plenty of times, and for good reason! Impressive surroundings, friendly staff and their selection of set menus for breakfast are a great way to start the day.
ii) Café at the Municipal House, Namesti Republiky 5
Ok, not a typical breakfast destination, but we enjoyed it. Breakfast served till 11am amid opulent surroundings.
3) Advice I wished we’d taken….
We ignored the guidebooks, which advised not to visit the Jewish Museum in the morning due to the tour groups. We arrived at 11am – slap bang in the middle of the procession!! There seems to be no control over the numbers allowed in at any one time to visit the Pinkas Synagogue or the cemetery so consequently the crowds are big. It was impossible to appreciate the poignant pictures made by the Jewish children due to lack of space and air where they were displayed. In hindsight the entry fee of 300 crowns plus the audio guide of 175 crowns (each in both cases) was perhaps too much for the lack of appreciation and time we were able to give the visit. Ironically, when we returned the audio guide at 2.30, the place was practically deserted! So my advice is, don’t go in the morning……..!!!
Some miscellaneous items:
The transport day card is valid for 24 hours and not for a day, so you don’t have to be an early bird to make use of it!
Czech wine is pretty good – especially at 96 crowns a bottle from Tesco at Narodni 26.
Don’t forget to buy a transport ticket as random checks are made. Don’t make the same mistake as me, where I mistook an Inspector (they’re plain clothes) for a nuisance seller!
The branch of Bohemia Bagel at Ujezd 16 has now closed.
Finally, 2 places where you won’t be overcome by tour groups (though maybe you should be) are:
i) Museum of Communism, Na Prikope 10 (nr Wenceslas Square), fascinating insight into life before the Velvet Revolution; and
ii) Baroque Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the last stand of the Czech Parachutists who assassinated Heydrich during World War II. A plaque outside the church and displays inside the crypt commerate their heroism.
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%26gt; Saints Cyril and Methodius
I%26#39;m glad you menioned this church. I liked my two visits there in Karlin district in Nov and Dec(x%26#39;mas) 2007. Both times late in the evening and due to the Karlin location (a bit off the central Prague), the first time there was only an old lady besides me and next time I was all alone in this big church. Perhaps rather plainly decorated compared to other %26quot;main%26quot; churches that are much more visited but the painted ceilings, walls and pillars are beautiful, the style that reminded me of other churches, Ste.Ludmila at Miru Namesti and Sts Peter and Paul on the Vysehrad Hill.
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%26gt; The transport day card is valid for 24 hours and not for a day, so you don’t have to be an early bird to make use of it!
Yes, 1 day pass = 24hrs, 3 day pass = 72hrs, 5 day = 120 hrs, valid from the time of the first use/ validation. This reminds of me the waterbus pass in Venice. Pity they had to make a huge increase of the price at the beginning of 2008. Still a good value for foreign visitors I suppose.
%26gt; The branch of Bohemia Bagel at Ujezd 16 has now closed.
Yes, since a little less than a year now? They have one in Jewish Quarter and another on Làzenska street in Mala Strana.
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Thanks for the grest trip report.
The Bohemia Bagel that closed, is it the one close to Old Town Square?
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Hi...I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions...we are going to PRague on May30th, in a few days...what did u do with the currency? Did you get euros in the states or traded currency when in Prague?
Thank You!!
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CURRENCY INFO
Get CZK on arrival at the ATM machines in the train stations and the airport...no need to buy currency ahead.
Martha
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as far as I know, my bank charges for ATM use abroad...any other suggestions? Thanks
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I am just guessing here from my own experiences but I think you will find the fee for using an ATM card in a foreign country is probably less than the fee for purchasing foreign money from your local bank at home or the fee charged by the money exchange locations to change your currency into the local currency.
It may be worth your time to investigate which banks or credit unions offer no fee ATM cards in your location. Opening a new account %26amp; getting an ATM card does not have to take a lot of time %26amp; may be the answer to your question.
Martha
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* The ATM fees are probably less than the buy/sell spread cost and or commission cost at bank or kiosk changers.
* The Bohemia Bagel on Ujezd that closed was in the Mala Strana area, not the Old Town.
*The Baroque Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is near Karlovo Namesti, not in Karlin.
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%26gt; *The Baroque Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is near Karlovo Namesti, not in Karlin.
Oops, sorry if I confused people. Thanks for the correction. The church with the history that OP mentioned must be the one near Karlovo Namesti. What Brewsta did not meniton : The church at Karlin Namesti that I was thinking of, it does have the identical name, hasn%26#39;t it ? At least according to the map I have. Isn%26#39;t is like there is a Sv.Mukulase in Mala Strana and another at the Old Town Square?
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Brewsta thanks. Glad to hear the Bohemium Bagel is still there.
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