Czech Republic

Prague, Czech Republic by Gautam Khattak

Last updated: November 9, 2010

Disclaimer: These are notes I’ve written or gathered from various sources. I have not experienced all things in this document nor is it intended to be a definitive guide.

General Tips

Currency: Czech Koruna (Crown)

Conversion Tool: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=100+usd+to+czk&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

(Update for current rates)

100 USD = 1916.8 CZK

1 USD = 19.168 CZK

100 CZK = 5.217 USD

1 CZK = 0.052 USD

Since May 1st 2004 the Czech Republic has been a member of the European Union. It is not however a member of the Euro Zone and as such it is not required to use the Euro as its main currency until at least 2010. Currently there are a few places that take the Euro but these are limited to towns close to the German and Austrian borders. In Prague itself if a restaurant etc accepts the Euro it will state that your change will be in Euros if available. Others will state immediately that change is in Czech Korun. Depending on the current rates it might be cheaper to pay in Euros than Korun. If a shop accepts Euros it’s a good idea to ask what the exchange rate is before paying because it could be a bad.

Health: You’re better off being safe and to drink only bottled or boiled water if possible. But I did drink some tap water there without issue.

Tipping:

It is usual in restaurants, pubs, cafés and taxis to round the bill to the next 10 CZK or 20 CZK, depending on your satisfaction and the total amount.

If you feel the service warrants a gratuity, tips should be between 5 and 10% (some foreigners tip 15%), but if you get poor service you can forget the tip. It is always at your discretion. In some restaurants service is already included in the price; it will be stated on the bill or the menu. For a waiter or a taxi driver 10% is appreciated. For a hotel porter 1 EUR is sufficient.

Czech people do not leave a tip on the table they give it directly to the waiter/waitress

Local Customs:

Locally the city is referred to as “Praha”. The Tourist street signs/arrows are also all in Czech which makes it difficult to figure out where to go. I used Google maps on my cell phone a lot!

Transportation

Prague is a great walking city. Everyday I walked from New Town to Old town at least 3 times…so bring comfortable shoes!

Trains in the Czech Republic are operated by Ceské dráhy (Czech Railways). The train is a common means of transportation in the Czech Republic. All Czech cities, towns and many villages have their train stations and are interconnected well enough to make train travel a convenient way of getting from one place to another. The Trains and trams have a ticket system but it is on the honor system. There are undercover attendants on the trains that will check to see you have a stamped ticket. There is no train or Tram to Old Town. Mustek is the closest and it’s about a 10 minute walk from Old Town. So if you’re staying in that area and not venturing beyond Old/New Town and Lesser Town, you probably won’t even need a train ticket.

http://www.myczechrepublic.com/public-transport-schedules.html

Prague Taxi Scams

Fast Meter: Taxi tariff looks ok but, closer inspection of the mileage will show that the distance travelled is not enough based on the total fare charged.
Scenic Route: Taxi tariff and distance appear correct for the journey but, you went a lot further than necessary.
Wrong Tariff: The mileage travelled by the taxi appears to be correct but the price is inflated. Often this is inflated by a “luggage tariff” i.e. like if you took the taxi from the airport. Driver will probably explain it as “local tax”.
Bad Change: Check your change. Sometimes it’s been known for taxi drivers to give almost useless Russian Roubles in the change. You won’t realise it until you take the money out of your wallet to pay for something else and can’t understand where they came from.
Wrong Hotel: You tell the taxi driver to take you to the Central Hotel and he takes you to the Hotel Central. He then takes you to the correct hotel and charges extra.

HOW TO BEAT THESE SCAMS: Don’t flag a taxi on the street if you can and absolutely don’t get in one parked in a major tourist area. If I need a taxi in town I will walk into a big hotel and ask them to call me a taxi from AAA, Profi-Taxi or Halo. These are reputable firms with drivers that generally don’t rip you off. Specifically for the “Wrong Hotel” scam, write the info clearly on a piece of paper so the taxi driver has no reason to go to the wrong place and if he does, you don’t pay the extra. Specifically for the “Bad Change” taxi scam, you must be familiar with what Czech banknotes look like.

Lodging

I stayed at the Sheraton Prague Charles Hotel (http://www.sheratonprague.com) in New Town. I paid for the hotel with Starwood StarPoints so I don’t know how expensive it is to stay there. The hotel is brand new (2 years old) and I got upgraded to a Deluxe Suite so I was pretty happy (my bathroom was the size of a normal hotel room) The location was good, it was about a 10 minute walk to get to Wenceslas Square which was sort of became annoying 4 times a day but it was completely manageable.

Tourist Destinations

http://www.praguecard.biz/ – Free Entry to over 50 of the best tourist attractions in Prague (including Prague Castle)

Discounts on CityTours, Excursions, Guided Walks and AudioGuide

150 page GUIDEBOOK
4 days For 36 EUR (students 25 EUR)
1-day Unlimited Transport Pass with online booking

NOTE: I did not get this.

The main sightseeing areas of Prague are separated by the Vltava River. On the left bank there is the Prague Castle area and Lesser Town. The right bank is home to the Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, and the New Town. Spanning the Vltava River and connecting the Old Town and Lesser Town is the beautiful Charles Bridge.

Dancing House – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_House

GK Editorial: Cool architecture. It was right near my hotel and you can’t go inside (unless you live there) so it only took about 5 minutes to check it out.

Communism & Nuclear Bunker Tour

http://www.nuclear-bunker.com/

GK Editorial: I didn’t get to do this but I would have liked to had I had more time

Here is a “Prague in 3 Days” Itinerary that I found online – This is NOT what I did, my itinerary is detailed later in this guide:

Day 1

Old Town Square – The heart of Prague’s historical center is the Old Town Square. It has been beautifully restored and it is a good place to start your Prague visit. You will find the Gothic spires of the Týn Church towering over the square and the statue of reformer Jan Hus, and the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Hall on the opposite side of it (by the way, we don’t think that the hourly display of the 12 apostles is worth a wait longer than five minutes). You will not regret a climb to the top of the Old Town Hall tower – the view of the square and beyond is spectacular.

Around Old Town Square – Wander the streets leading off the square – the grand Parížská, the charming Týnská that leads to Ungelt, the ever-busy Melantrichova that will take you to Wenceslas Square… Walk down Celetná to the Powder Tower, one of the historical entrances to the Old Town. Connected to the tower is the exquisite Municipal House (Obecni dum) and Smetana Hall – It is Prague’s most prominent Art Nouveau building, cultural centre with exhibition halls and auditorium. The Smetana Hall on the first floor is the city’s largest concert hall and is where the opening concert of the Prague Spring Music Festival is held each year.

Jewish Quarter – The Jewish Quarter (Josefov) is not far from Old Town Square and it would make sense to visit it in connection with your tour of the Old Town. The Jewish Museum administers the following sites: the Maisel Synagogue, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Spanish Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Klaus Synagogue, and the Ceremonial Hall. The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest working synagogue in Central Europe.

Charles Bridge – Walk across the Charles Bridge on your first day because you may want to do it again. We recommend strolling across it at night to enjoy the magnificent view of the Prague Castle all lit up. Also, at night the crowds will be smaller. Keep in mind that during the day you can climb the towers on both sides of the bridge. We especially recommend the one on the Old Town side for wonderful views of the bridge and the spires of the Old Town. Read more on our Charles Bridge page.

Day 2: Prague Castle Area, Lesser Town

You can start your day with a visit to the Prague Castle area (Hradcany) where you can spend up to four hours. Also check out St. Vitus Cathedral – Located at Prague Castle complex – numerous beautiful cathedrals’ chapel. From there you can continue to Lesser Town (Malá Strana). To get to the Prague Castle area, we suggest you take tram 22 or 23 to Pohorelec. This will put you above the castle and you will end up walking downhill to the Lesser Town area. If you’re coming from the center of Prague (uphill by tram), get off the tram at Pohorelec, cross the street and walk to your left, which is the direction to Loreto, Strahov Monastery and the Prague Castle.

Strahov Monastery and the Prague Loreto – Start your tour at the Strahov Monastery with its beautiful Convent and Library (read more on our blog). An enjoyable route to follow after visiting Strahov is to enter the castle area by walking down Loretánská to Hradcanské námestí (Castle Square). You can stop at the Prague Loreto along the way.

Prague Castle (http://www.prague.cz/prague-castle.asp) – You will not find one single castle on the hill, but a series of buildings, a few churches and hundreds of years of history. Before walking through the castle entrance, walk to your right for a nice view overlooking Prague. Here you will also find St. Vitus Cathedral

Lesser Town – After exploring the castle area, walk through the castle gardens or take the historic Nerudova Street down to Malostranské námestí, the heart of Lesser Town. From Malostranské námestí, it’s only a short walk down Karmelitská Street to the Church of Our Lady of Victory (Karmelitská 9) where the world-famous Infant Jesus of Prague is kept. Also here is St. Nicholas Church (http://www.psalterium.cz/en/).

Kampa Island – Spend some time on Kampa Island, which is just off of Charles Bridge. Walk through the park and enjoy the view of the bridge and across the river. Spend the rest of the day strolling through the picturesque streets of Malá Strana.

Day 3: Museums, Off the Beaten Path, Shopping…

You can spend your third day in different ways, depending on your interests. Here are some ideas:

– Visit a museum or gallery (use our list for ideas)

– Get off the tourist path and walk around the Vyšehrad Castle with its famous cemetery and

– a beautiful view of Prague and the Vltava River

– Take the funicular up to the top of Petrín Hill for some great views and a nice stroll through

– the rose garden

– Explore the Vinohrady district, known for its Art Nouveau and Neo-Renaissance architecture

– Escape the crowds and enjoy some of Prague’s parks and gardens

– Revisit some of your favorite sites from Day 1 or Day 2

– Spend a part of the day souvenir shopping (visit our Shopping page for tips)

– If you only have three days in the Czech Republic and don’t plan to come back, consider taking

– a day trip from Prague

Petrin Observation Tower – For the best view of Prague, this building is a small version of the Eiffel tower and sits on top of Petrin hill.

Admission is 100 CZK, admission free with Prague Card

Location: Petrin Hill (take tram 12,20,22 or 23) via Funicular Railway

Other names: Petrin View Tower, Petrínská rozhledna

Opening hours:

Sat. + Sun. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (January – March, November, December) daily 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (April)

daily 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. (May – August)

daily 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (September)

daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (October)

daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Christmas and spring vacations)

Petrín Hill – http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/petrin-hill.html

Prague Parks and Gardens

Prague has numerous parks and gardens, both in and outside of the center, so there is always a peaceful place nearby to escape the crowds and noise of the city or to take your children if they need a break. Some, such as the Petrín Park or Havlíckovy Sady, include children’s playgrounds. Many of the gardens in Prague’s historical center have been restored, including the gardens below the Prague Castle.

These are some of the parks and gardens you can include in your walks around the historical center:

Franciscan Garden – http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/franciscan-garden.html

Vrtba Garden – http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/vrtba-garden.html

The following parks are just outside the center and are mainly popular with local residents. Each of the parks has something special to offer:

Havlíckovy Sady – http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/havlickovy-sady-park.html

Letná Hill – http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/letna-hill.html

Riegrovy Sady – http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/riegrovy-sady-park.html

Museums & Art Galleries

There are SO MANY Museums in Prague, below is just a small sampling

Are Museums closed on a particular day? Many are closed on Monday

Prague Museums – http://www.prague-museums.com/

The opening times and prices below are subject to change. Please check www.nm.cz for current information. Reduced admission usually refers to children aged 6 – 16, students, Czech senior citizens, members of the army and disabled persons.

National Museum (Národní muzeum)

Prehistory of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia, collections of rocks and minerals, paleontology, zoology, anthropology.

Address: Václavské námestí 68, Prague 1

Getting there: Metro A/C or tram 11 to Muzeum

Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00 – 18:00

Closed every first Tuesday of the month

10:00 – 20:00 every first Wednesday of the month

Admission: Full 150 Kc/reduced 100 Kc; Family (max. 2 adults, 4 persons) 250 Kc

Free every first Monday of the month

Website: www.nm.cz

New building of the National Museum (Nová budova Národního muzea)

Admission: Full 100 Kc/reduced 70 Kc; Family (max. 2 adults, 4 persons) 170 Kc

Free every first Monday of the month

Communism and Nuclear Bunker Tour

Daily at 10:30am and 2:30pm for 600CZK

Duration

The Jewish Museum

U staré skoly 1

110 00 Prague 1

Tel: +42 (02) 2481 9456

Fax: +42 (02) 2481 9458

jewishmuseum.cz

Hours: Daily, except Saturdays and Jewish holidays –

9:00 am to 6:00 pm April to October, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm November to March

Lapidarium (Lapidárium)

From Jan. 13, 2010 – CLOSED due to technical reasons. Check the website for updates.

Czech stone sculptures of the 11th – 19th century. Priceless original sculptures collected from their former locations throughout Prague, including original statues from the Charles Bridge.

Address: Výstavište 422, Prague 7 (trade fair area)

Getting there: Metro C to Vltavská or Nádraží Holešovice or tram 5, 12 or 17 to Výstavište

Hours: Tue-Sun 12:00 – 18:00, closed on Mondays

Admission: Full 50 Kc/reduced 30 Kc; Family (max. 2 adults, 4 persons) 80 Kc

Antonín Dvorák Museum (Muzeum Antonína Dvoráka)

The life and work of composer Antonín Dvorák.

Address: Ke Karlovu 20, Prague 2

Getting there: Metro C to I. P. Pavlova

Hours: (Apr. – Sep.) Tue, Wed, Fri-Sun 10:00 – 13:30, 14:00 – 17:00

Thu 11:00 – 15:30, 16:00 – 19:00

Closed on Mondays

(Oct. – Mar.) Tue-Sun 10:00 – 13:30, 14:00 – 17:00

Closed on Mondays

Admission: Full 50 Kc/reduced 25 Kc; Family (max. 2 adults, 4 persons) 90 Kc

Website: www.nm.cz

Museum of Decorative Arts (Umeleckoprumyslové muzeum)

Exhibition of textiles, fashion, applied graphic, photography, glass, ceramics, metal, etc.

Address: 17. listopadu 2, Prague 1

Getting there: Metro A to Staromestská

Hours: Tue 10:00 – 19:00, Wed-Sun 10:00 – 18:00, closed on Mondays

Admission: permanent and temporary exhibits: full 120 Kc/reduced 70 Kc;

temporary exhibits: full 80 Kc/reduced 40 Kc

free every Tue from 17:00 – 19:00

Website: www.upm.cz/index.php?language=en

The City of Prague Museum (Muzeum hlavního mesta Prahy)

The history of Prague from prehistoric times to present. Includes Langweil’s three-dimensional model of Prague from the first half of the 19th century, made from paper and wood and measuring about 20 square meters.

Address: Na Porící 52, Prague 8

Getting there: Metro B/C to Florenc

Hours: Tue-Sun 9:00 – 18:00, closed on Mondays, open until 20:00 every first Thursday of the month

Admission: Full 100 Kc/reduced 40 Kc; 1 Kc every first Thursday of the month

Website: www.muzeumprahy.cz

Trade Fair Palace – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

(Veletržní palác – Muzeum moderního a soucasného umení)

Art from the 19th century to present.

Address: Dukelských hrdinu 47, Prague 7

Getting there: Tram 5, 12 or 17 to Veletržní or metro C to Vltavská

Hours: 10:00 – 18:00, closed on Mondays

Admission: One floor – full 100 Kc / reduced 50 Kc

Two floors – full 150 Kc / reduced 50 Kc

All three floors – full 200 Kc / reduced 100 Kc

Family admission – 300 Kc

Website: www.ngprague.cz/5/detail/veletrzni-palace/

Itinerary I followed

Day 1 (Friday):

Got to the Sheraton at around 5pm and then ventured out around 7pm. Walked to Wenceslas Square to the Národní Muzeum (National Museum) and then walked back through Wenceslas Square to Old Town Square. From here I saw the Staromestský Orloj (Astronomical Clock), Jan Hus Monument and Týn Church. After spending some time people watching in Old Town Square, I headed toward Lesser Town. Along the way I saw Jill David’s “Revoluce” sculpture which is made of keys and then Galerie Rudolfinum. Here I crossed over to Lesser Town on the Bridge north of the Charles Bridge. I walked through Lesser town toward Charles Bridge. I crossed back over to Old Town via Charles Bridge and in that area are a lot of souvenir shops (near Karlova Street). I did some walking around and then continued back to the Sheraton to wait for my friend to arrive. The entire journey took me about 3 hours walking pretty leisurely, snapping photos and going into shops.
We headed out around 1am. You can see my editorials in the Dining and Nightlife Section. The gist of it is: Prague has a great night life!

Day 2 (Saturday):

Considering we got in at 7am, we started Day 2 a little later on J We basically did a similar walk as I did on Day One. Went to Old Town and then crossed over to Lesser Town via Charles Bridge. In Lesser Town we went to St. Nicholas Church. After St. Nicholas Church we found a place to have Goulash (YUM!) and then went to Prague Castle. Up here we got a great view of the city. We went into St. Vitus Cathedral (did not pay to go all the way in) and walked around the Castle a bit. There was a Wine Festival going on but we didn’t partake (still recovering from night one I suppose). We walked back down from Prague Castle and went back to Old Town for some coffee and just to walk around. The UEFA Championship Trophy was on display in Old Town so we checked that out and got our picture with the Trophy (I guess it’s a big deal to Europeans J). While we were in Old Town Square we stopped at the Information center right next to the Astronomical Clock. There was a photo gallery next door to the Information Center which we paid to get into. It was cheap and we saw some great photographs of people and places around Prague. It was a good find. We spent about an hour in there. Now it was getting dark so we headed back to the hotel to relax, take a nap and get ready for the night.
Day 2 Night was much like Day 1 night. A lot of fun! We started at dinner at this time we started earlier with dinner at Novomestský Pivovar at 8pm. This is a brewery with some great beers and also some great Goulash. Then we headed to Double Trouble around 9pm. After we had a few drinks we went to Bombay’s, Harley’s and found ourselves at the Roxy for some hardcore techno partying. After the Roxy we ended up at an afterhours place Chapeau Rogue Bar. Details can be found in the Dining & Nightlife section. It was another long night but a lot of fun!

Day 3 (Sunday):

Much like Day 2, Day 3 started off a little late (and for the same reasons). We went out for lunch (more Goulash). Then we checked out the Salvador Dali and Alfons Mucha Exhibition at the The White Unicorn (Galerie Dum U Bileho Jednorozce) in Old Town Square. The Artists were completely different and that played off each other nicely. I was very much impressed with both of them. After the exhibits and my friend left, I needed to take it easy and so I took the train to the Flóra stop to go to the mall (Praha Palác Flóra) to see a movie, then went back to the hotel and went to sleep.

Day 4 (Monday):

I started Monday by checked out Dancing House. You don’t go inside so it only took 5 minutes to check it out. Then I made my way to Wenceslas Square and bought a ticket to go on the Kutná Hora tour with Permiant City Tour – http://www.premiant.cz/ (tour #18).
- Kutná Hora, medieval centre of silver-mining was the second richest town of the Czech Kingdom. The variety of Kutná Hora architectural monuments and its well preserved structure of town centre reflexes its ancient fame and wealth until present. During your walk in Kutná Hora you will visit gothic church of St. Barbara and Italian Court – originally a Royal Mint. You will no less admire other beautiful gothic, renaissance and baroque burgher houses or the unique stone dwell from 15th century. You also will visit one of the most interesting burial places in the world called Kostnice (Bone church) in a small nearby village Sedlec. This chapel is decorated by more than 40 000 human bones, including e.g. a chandelier or a crest of noble family Schwarzenberg. Kutná Hora town is registered at UNESCO heritage list since 1995.
- GK Editorial: The tour cost 950CZK and Permiant was the tour group my hotel recommended over a few others to go with. The tour guide was pretty bad, didn’t pay attention to anything he said because he was so monotone. The Bone Church was really cool but I’m not sure it’s worth $50 and 5.5 hours this tour. The St. Barbara Church was nice but nothing spectacular that it was worth going all the way out to Kutna Hora for. There was nothing that great about the countryside trip to Kutna Hora either. I would have much rather seen the Communism & Nuclear Bunker Tour. The saving grace of this tour was that I met some cool women from Florida that I made friends with.
After the tour I did some more walking around and then met my Floridian friends for dinner at Restaurant U Modré Kachnicky (I had Goulash of course). Then we went back to their hotel for some late night drinks and then I headed home.

Day 5 (Tuesday):

Ran some errands like going to the Post Office to get Alfons Mucha stamps and then to a few shops to pick up souvenirs. I picked up some street sausages that I was craving and then had some Goulash. Checked out of the hotel and went to the airport (where I had Goulash soup) and said goodbye to Prague.

Dining & Nightlife

It is not typical to be shown a table in a Czech restaurant. You will have to seat yourself. If there are no tables free it is normal to ask if you can join someone else if they have open room.

The most simple phrase to find out if the seats are free is to ask “je to volno” (yeah too volno). Unless there is a very definite shake of the head, it means you can sit down. Be careful of hearing the word “no” as in Czech this is a shortened version of the word “ano” which means yes. Look at the mannerisms of the person already at the table.

When I was in Prague, I ate Goulash for almost every meal. I had some amazing Goulash and some alright Goulash (really tender meat but a little fatty). At the end of my trip I discovered Goulash soup…oh its so good!!! When I was in a hurry I’d get some sausage links in a bun from the Street vendors. For 45-60 CZK. I liked the small links (you get about 4-5) in a bun. Throw some mustard on it and hit the road.

http://www.livingprague.com/food.htm

http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/prague_nightlife.html

Novomestský Pivovar – First New Town Brewery

http://www.npivovar.cz/en/index.php

GK Editorial: This brewery is family owned and was close to the Hotel. The Beer and food was very good and reasonably priced. If you stay at the Sheraton, mention you are going to go here and they’ll give you a card to get a better table.

Restaurant U Modré Kachnicky

Michalská 434/16

110 00 Prague 5-Old Town, Czech Republic

224 213 418

http://www.umodrekachnicky.cz/en/

GK Editorial: This restaurant came recommended by several of the people I met in Prague. I went here with some friends I made on a tour and it was very good food. A little pricier than what you can find all over Prague but it was worth it. I had Goulash J

Nightlife:

Prague’s nightlife is all encompassing. Prague clubs spin their tunes from dusk ’til dawn, so whether you’re into serious clubbing or just a late drink and a quick dance, Prague is a good night out for one and all. Take it easy on the Absinthe though!

GK Editorial: WOW. I managed to party until 7am on Friday night and 6am on Saturday night. Hit up bars, lounges, clubs. You can find anything here. Around Old Town and Wenceslas Square it was mostly Cabaret’s and a lot of guys (and pimps) soliciting for the strip clubs or for girls. Just tell them “No” and don’t stop to talk to them or take their handouts, unless of course that’s what you are looking for.

Duplex Club & Café

Wenceslas Square 21, New Town, Prague 1

Duplex boasts a terrific top floor position in the centre of Wenceslas Square. A great place for coffee to enjoy the views during the day, at night Duplex transforms into one of Prague’s hottest nightclubs.

GK Editorial: I went on Friday night at 1am and it was very dead inside and all guys. Very disappointing but good view of Wenceslas Square.

M1 Lounge Bar & Club

Masna 1, Old Town, Prague 1

M1 Lounge is one of the smarter nightspots in Prague. Located in the Old Town, M1 attracts an international crowd as DJs keep the place pumping with a selection of R&B, hip-hop, indie rock and house.

GK Editorial: This place isn’t that large so it gets packed but the music was really good and the drinks were reasonably priced. We went there Friday night probably around 2 or 3 in the morning when all the bars were closed. Equal amount of men & women but it didn’t look like there were a lot of locals. Cover was 100CZK for men. There seemed to be a lot of Pimps in the bar but they weren’t bothering anyone. We stayed here for most the night on Friday. I’d go back.

Double Trouble Bar & Club

Melantrichova 17, Old Town, Prague 1

Set in a Gothic cellar Prague’s Double Trouble is a small, but lively bar & club with plenty of atmosphere. Relaxed and informal, this is a firm favourite on the Prague nightlife scene.

GK Editorial: This is a basement bar right in the passageway to Old Town from Wenceslas Square. This place is chill and had a bunch of small rooms (felt like caves) and then a larger room where the DJ is. The music was great and the crowd was fun. It was a great place to start our night (Around 10pm on Saturday). A bachelor party came in and kind of took over the place. It was actually pretty funny because they were pretty drunk and just started dancing with their shirts off but they took over the entire vibe so we headed out. But I say it’s a good joint to start the night.

Bombay Bar & Music Club

Dlouha 13, Old Town, Prague 1

Bombay Cocktail Bar is a lively music bar, a short walk from the Old Town Square. A good party atmosphere attracts a large international crowd, and there is a small dance floor for when the mood takes you.

GK Editorial: This place was okay. The crowd was a little older and the drinks were very expensive. Not worth going back to.

Harley’s

Dlouha 13, Old Town, Prague 1

GK Editorial: Across the street from Bombay Bar Harley’s is a Harley Davidson & Jack Daniel’s themed basement bar. It was packed and had great music. It was a really good time, not fancy and had a laid back crowd. It got pretty crowded in the basement. This would also be a good bar to start the night off.

Roxy

Dlouha 33, Old Town, Prague 1

Roxy is a popular nightclub that attracts big name DJ’s. Music spans all genres, but is lot more hard core than most other clubs in Prague. Drum ‘n’ Bass, Jungle and Techno often feature here.

GK Editorial: Went here on Saturday night probably around 2 or 3am. There was no cover and it was awesome! Huge place but very bare, Like a warehouse/rave/concert. The DJ was really excellent; The music was all Techno (at least on Saturday night) Great time was had here but expect it to be loud and packed! Bring some 5-hour energy or whatever you need to give you an energy boost.

Chapeau Rouge Bar & Club – http://www.chapeaurouge.cz/en/foto-video/

Jakubska 2, Old Town, Prague 1

Chapeau Rouge is a party bar located in the Old Town. The interior is decorated a dark red colour, resembling an old-fashioned pub. Ideal for Prague stag nights, hen parties and other groups, with very late opening hours.

GK Editorial: I don’t’ remember much when I was here on Saturday night, it was like 4-5am. I do remember having fun though. Mixed crowd with locals and tourists.

La Fabrique Bar & Club

Uhelny Trh 2, Old Town, Prague 1

La Fabrique is one of Prague’s oldest and most well-known clubs. Popular with both locals and tourists, La Fabrique is a sprawling venue, with bar areas upstairs and a buzzing nightclub area in the cellar downstairs.

N11 Music Club & Lounge

Narodni 11, New Town, Prague 1

N11 is a dark, but fairly modern underground club. Popular with young Czech’s, on Friday and Saturday nights they play largely Hip-Hop and R&B, making it a good alternative to most other clubs in Prague.

Lavka Bar & Club

Novotneho Lavka 1, Old Town, Prague 1

Lavka Bar & Club is a great all round venue. On cold winter nights, Lavka is a good spot for a drink and a dance. On a hot summer’s evening though, this is simply the best of Prague nightlife all rolled into one.

Karlovy Lazne

Novotneho Lavka 5, Old Town, Prague 1

One of the coolest places in Prague to hang out if you’re into serious clubbing is Karlovy Lazne, located close to Charles Bridge. Spread over five floors, this is the biggest club of its type in Central Europe.

Aloha Cocktail, Music Bar & Club

Dusni 11, Old Town, Prague 1

Aloha has a Hawaiian cocktail bar theme. With a small dance floor and jovial mix of tourists, expats and Czech’s, this is a fun place worthy of a visit. Just 5 minutes walk from the Old Town Square.

Solid Uncertainty Bar & Club

Pstrossova 21, New Town, Prague 1

Fiery red walls and a huge circular bar in the centre of the club give a distinct first impression as you enter Solid Uncertainty. A decent venue on the Prague nightlife scene, with a good atmosphere.

Zlaty Strom Bar & Music Club

Karlova 6, Old Town, Prague 1

A different kind of nightlife! Zlaty Strom’s illuminated dance floor attracts young Czech teens, while the all night girl show proves popular with visiting stag parties. A curious mix, although somehow it does seem to work.

Lucerna Music Bar & Club

Vodickova 36, New Town, Prague 1

Lucerna near Wenceslas Square hosts gigs of popular Czech bands during the week and is an 80s/90s themed nightclub at weekends, with video accompaniment to most of the tunes. Best 80’s club in Prague.

Nebe Celnice Cocktail & Music Bar

V Celnici 4, Old Town, Prague 1

Nebe Celnice Cocktail & Music Bar is a smart, modern venue with fairly priced drinks, a good atmosphere and dancing until late. A mix of Prague locals and tourists party to 80s/90s/00s/10s tunes accompanied by music videos.

Nebe Kremencova Cocktail & Music Bar

Kremencova 10, New Town, Prague 1

Nebe Kremencova is located in restored medieval cellars. It is furnished in a contemporary style, and the music varies from r’n’b/house to 80s/90s/00s/10s pop. Popular with local Czech’s and the International crowd.

Shopping

Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti) – The largest and busiest shopping street in Prague.

Helpful Links

http://www.livingprague.com/
http://www.expats.cz
- Czech Expat Survival Guide – You can download a copy and it has good information regarding clubs/dining and has a whole section of common Czech phrases. http://www.expats.cz/survivalguide/
http://www.prague-information.eu/
http://www.nuclear-bunker.com/

Czech Phrases

Ninety-five percent of the population speaks Czech. Czech is a Slavic language similar to Russian, Polish, and Slovak. But unlike Russian, Czech uses the Roman alphabet (with diacritical marks for some letters).

Prosím (PROH-seem) may be the most versatile and useful word in the Czech language. Prosím can be used in a wide range of situations; its literal meaning is “please,” but it can have other meanings depending on the occasion, including “What would you like?,” “Here you are,” “You’re welcome,” “Excuse me” (as you pass by someone), and “What did you just say?”

co si date k piti” (what do you want to drink).

Ano – Yes

Ne – No

Prominte {promin’te} – the most exact English phrase seems to me ‘Exuse me’

Prosim {prosim} – ‘Please’ is the word that is used in English.

Dekuji {d’iekui} – ‘Thank you’ in its formal form.

Dik’ {dik-e}- an informal way of saying ‘Thank you’.

Muzete mi pomoci? {muzhete mi pomotsi?} – used if you want to ask somebody for help. The closest English phrase would be ‘Could you help me?’

“je to volno” – yeah too volno

“pivo prosim” – beer please

decitku (des-seet-koo) – A Czech beer with a strength of 10 degrees (UK 4.5%)

“male nebo velke” (ma-lay neb-oh vel-kay) small or big (0.5l glass)

“za platim” – I will pay (to get the bill)

Greeting (meeting) a person

Jmenuji se… {Ijmenui se } – in English it is said as ‘My name is…’

Dobre rano {dobre rano} – means ‘Good morning’ and can be said greeting both a person you know well and somebody you have seen for the second time in your life.

Dobry den {dobri den} – an equivalent to ‘Good afternoon’ with the same meaning as it bears in English.

Nazdar {nazdar} – means very much the same as the previous phrase.

Ahoj! {aoj} – means ‘Hullo’ and is said when speaking on the phone. Or it may be used as an informal greeting.

Jak se mate? {jak se mate} – ‘How are you?’ is the nearest one here. Said on all occasions exept when talking to a friend Jak se mas? {jak se mash} – ‘How are you?’ is again the nearest one. It can be said to a friend of yours.

Saying goodbye

Na shledanou {nas hledanou} – ‘Goog bye’ or ‘See you’ (this is a literary translation of the Czech phrase)

Menu Items

Predkrmy – Starters both hot and cold.

Polevky – Soup

Drubez – Meals based on poultry.

Speciality – House food recommendations.

Hotova Jidla – Ready made food served quickly.

Minutkova Jidla – Available meals but, must be prepared and will result in waiting.

Ryby – Fish

Salaty – Salads

Prilohy – Vegetable/Accompaniments (Chips, Sauces etc)