Prague, One Of The Most Beautiful Cities In Europe
Known as one of Europe’s best preserved and most beautiful cities, Prague beckons travelers to come and explore its wonderful charms. From its massive hilltop castle to its many beautiful gardens, Prague makes one yearn to return again and again to wander its narrow winding streets admiring its historic architecture.
Prague, nicknamed “the golden city of a hundred spires” has become one of Europe’s top travel destinations. Located in the heart of Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria, the capital of the Czech Republic is gorgeous and one that you should visit at least once in your lifetime.
The Vltava River divides Prague into two parts, the left bank and the right bank. On its steep left bank, the Prague Castle dominates the picturesque skyline. Dating back over 1,000 years, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world and has been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site. The complex consists of the 14th century St Vitus Cathedral, the old Royal Palaces, St. George’s Basilica, manicured gardens and the charming Golden Lane.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show.
Winding streets take you down from the palace through the neighborhood called Lesser Town (Malá Strana) where there are additional palaces, the church of St Nicholas and beautiful old houses. Wander the side streets and you will find small shops, nice restaurants, some which have lovely views of the river and traditional Czech beer pubs.
Kampa is a beautiful island in the Vltava River and is part of Lesser Town. It is a delightful area with a museum, a very pleasant park, and the Lennon Wall, a big tourist draw. The canal that runs under Charles Bridge and through Kampa is known as Devil’s Stream. From here, you can join boat tours that will take you along the canal to see the lovely old houses, many of which are former mills.
On the opposite bank of the Vltava, you will find the original medieval Old Town, (Staré Město). All that is needed to get from one side to the other is to walk across the pedestrian Charles Bridge, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Europe.
The Charles River 
Statues Along The Charles Bridge 
Statue On Charles Bridge 
The Charles Bridge
The picturesque statue lined 14th century stone bridge is the perfect place to take the most romantic photos of boats gliding through the water with the castles in the background. Unfortunately everyone knows this and it is extremely crowded, especially in summer so visit in the early morning or in the evening for less crowds. Over 30 pretty bridges connect either side of Prague but the Charles Bridge is the most popular.
The Old Town Square is a large medieval marketplace lined with Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings that include the St Nicholas Church and the Church of Our Lady before Tyn whose spires you can see as soon as you enter from any of the approaching side streets. Here you will also find the Astronomical Clock which is built into one side of the Old Town Hall. It is one of the world’s oldest fully functional astronomical clocks. At the center of the square is the Jan Hus Memorial.
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My husband and I found Prague to be a fascinating part of the world to explore. It was the only Central European capital to escape large scale bombings so there is stunning historical architecture, the largest ancient castle complex in the world, narrow cobblestone streets and the lovely Vltava River with it’s historic bridge lined with thirty statues of saints to enjoy. We very much enjoyed our brief visit and found Lesser Town (Malá Strana) to be a nice district to stay in as it is quieter and far less crowded than Old Town. We chose the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for our stay, a modern hotel in a former monastery. However after visiting the castle, most of our time in Prague was spent on the other side of the river. If we were to visit Prague again, we would probably try staying somewhere in the Staré Město district.
Sunday . August 8
. . . Joy . . . in September of 2018. A grandson was attending college in Prague the fall of 2018. My husband and I rented an apartment for the month of September. Our wanderings delighted our feet and our minds as we traversed Prague and the surrounding area. Does any city equal Prague for convenient public transportation? We used it all: bus, tram, train, bike, Metro. We rented bikes to ride to the Karlstejn Castle. It was my first ride on an e-bike.
Yes, we honored Kerek’s college life and did not pester him to entertain us. It was easy to navigate our way “to and fro”. He graduated from the University of Denver (accounting) in November, 2020.
Judy Spinney . Colorado
Haven’t been to Prague, and I do want to go. You’ve really whetted my appetite to visit! Lovely pictures, great read. Thanks!
One of our kids has visited Prague and they also thought it was beautiful.
Excellent post. I learned a lot.
How lovely – I haven’t been to Prague yet, but I’m sure it’s a must see place!
I notice someone in a red coat in the St. Vitus Cathedral picture – all the Time Life photojournalists used to carry a red jacket, so that they could get someone to wear it in a picture – red draws the viewers eye into the image.
I have heard amazing things about Prague. It´s on my list.
What a charming and beautiful city! The castles on the left bank of the Vltava River look impressive.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
had a most memorable meal in Prague once 🙂
Beautiful pictures! And I learned so much… thank you!
My family history comes from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. I have put it on our list!
I just was speaking about wanting to visit Prague the other day. Now, you have fueled my interest further.
I was in Prague in 1989 , I arrived by train by myself and it was a scary experience because I couldn’t read anything and almost got attacked by a group of Gypsies . It was at the old train station. I got lucky and found a nice taxi driver that helped me find my friend’s apartment . A very close encounter . My husband and went 27 years later and it was a totally different experience.
Hi there Karen, looking at all of you gorgeous travel photos got me thinking about how much storage space you must have on your computer. LOL….So many beautiful memories. On the bucket list for sure.
Prague has been on my short list. Your photos and commentary make it a must see destination.
Prague has been on my short list for several years. Your photos and commentary make it a must see destination!
Thanks for allowing me to escape back to Prague for a few minutes this morning! We visited Prague a couple of years ago – it was the last ‘big’ vacation we took before the world shut down. I loved that city! From the picturesque Charles Bridge to that awesome astronomical clock, we found Prague to be full of character. And I recall Laura getting a beautiful garnet ring there as I guess garnets are common in the region. Great post, Karen!
Beautiful pictures, Karen! I’ve only ever been to Prague on business, with a guided bus tour by night. The trip was in February, so the few hours I had outside the business trip to visit were terribly cold. Great to see in your post what I’ve missed, I guess it’s time to revisit!
I always enjoy tagging along on your gorgeous destinations through your photos. The architecture is exquisite!
Such a beautiful city. I love your photos. We visited there several years ag0 and had a great time, but my photos were not as beautiful as yours.
It looks like a magical fairy tale place! You really have traveled the world, and I always love going with you!
Jenna
I love Prague!….It was fascinating to walk all day long discovering the magic if this place in every corner…if you go again, then try to go to Cafe Louvre…Kafka and Einstein, among others, used to go there for a coffee and a good conversation…..Abrazotes, Marcela
I’ve heard such wonderful things about Prague! On our bucket list….hope we can check it off someday soon!!
Beautiful photographs, Karen. I’m grateful to be able to “live vicariously” through your journeys.
It looks like a wonderful place to visit!
Prague was the first place I set foot in Europe when I was almost 8 years old (we won’t talk about how long ago that was ;-)). My Dad booked the hovercraft from Prague to Budapest, we had one night there. The hotel my parents chose had construction going on so they upgraded us to the penthouse suite, and it was incredible (we were not rich by any stretch of the imagination). I remember the night sky sparkled like diamonds, it was magical.
I’ve always wanted to go to Prague. I hear from everyone who’s been there – universally – that it’s stunning and a must-see.
How picturesque. I’ve always been told I need to go to Prague. Seeing that ancient castle would be a dream come true.
I agree its one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, sadly we just stayed here a couple of days when we had our Eastern Europe trip having said that each cities in this region has its own charm, like Budapest which we really loved
Gorgeous photos. We’ve not been to Eastern Europe yet. It’s on our list, but India and some other African countries are first. Unfortunately those trips have been postponed for 2 years. Fingers crossed for 2022.
Haven’t been to Prague! But want. Thanks för the information.
Wonderful photos! It looks like such a quaint, beautiful place!
I have a huge devotion to the Infant of Prague and hope one day to go there! But now, when I do, I will have your lovely recommendations to accompany me!! Hugs to you for taking the time & care to provide such lovely information for ALL of us.
Prague is most certainly on my bucket list! And you are so lucky to have been able to travel. I fear we are stuck within our borders for quite some time still.
On my bucket list for sure!
Great Post, Karen, We love Prague, and spent 3 months there back in 2019, and returned before the holidays. I too, did 2 posts about Prague, and one post about Good Eats in Prague….
Beautiful photos!
I have a soft spot for any city with canals. There’s just something so inherently romantic about them. I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Prague, but I will certainly add it to the bucket list when travel gets back to normal.
I really didn’t know anything about Prague. It’s such a beautiful historical city. Your pictures are so postcard perfect!
Like Bruges, Prague is certainly on our list of cities to visit – and Sofia, as well. We are getting really itchy to travel and, in fact, made reservations to go to Rome in October… but we shall see how this all goes!
What a great post. Our heart is always in Prague. Our daughter Lizzy did a semester there at Charles University in the fall of 2017. We stayed two weeks in September and then decided to return and rent an apartment for the month of November to enjoy the sites. We invited our friends, family members, kids,and even my sister Liz, who flew over to stay with us. It was magical! Our daughter graduated in 2019, and we returned to Prague in the summer of 2019. Hopefully, next summer we will be able to return. ….. love this post, thanks again Karen.