Prague is magical. Truly magical. It’s also incredibly affordable, making it a wish-list destination for many. Like most of the places I’ve been able to visit, I could have stayed and explored Prague for weeks or months, even, but alas, I had to come home both times.  People always joke about how beer is cheaper than water in Eastern European countries, and while I can’t speak for everywhere, it actually is pretty true in Prague at least. Not drastically, but we’re talking 49Kč for about 12oz of water, with the same amount of draft beer costing 31Kč-35Kč. Needless to say, we made sure to enjoy lots of beer while we were there, all in the name of fiscal responsibility, of course!

ACCOMODATIONS
I’ll start with our hotel, which was INCREDIBLE. You can read more about it here, but if you’re looking for a hotel in Prague, check out the beautiful Domus Balthazar Design Hotel. It’s an incredible boutique hotel right near the Charles Bridge, and it was such a steal for the size room and location

TRANSPORTATION
As for transportation, uber didn’t exist the first time I visited Prague, so I relied pretty heavily on public transportation. It’s super easy to get around. For my most recent trip, I took an uber to and from the airport (it’s well-known in Prague that the taxi operators will rip you off if they suspect you’re an out-of-towner, so stick with ubers whenever possible), and then we mostly just walked around from there since our hotel was so centrally located. In summary, don’t take cabs – they’ll rip you off. Stick to public transit, ubers, and walking!

BREWERIES
Most people don’t immediately think of Prague when they think of beer, but remember when I told you about how beer is cheaper than water here? Well, they also happen to make REALLY GREAT BEER. There are a ton of breweries in Prague, but the ones I’d recommend most are Pivovar u Valsu in Old Town, Pivovar Staropramen (the second largest brewery in the Czech Republic after Pilsner Urquell), and my absolute favorite, Klášterní Pivovar Strahov, located in the beautiful Strahov Monastery complex just up the road from the Prague Castle. There’s a ton of space inside, but I’d recommend grabbing a spot at one of the tables outside, order some food and a couple pints, and let yourself go into total relaxation mode! It’s not technically a brewery, but we also really enjoyed the beers at a cafe called Vlaznich, just around the corner from our hotel on the way back from the Lennon Wall.

ACTIVITIES
Oh gosh, there is SO much to see in Prague. There are several sections to Prague, with Malá Strana (Lesser Town) and Old Town being the two with the most attractions, so I’ve divided my recos that way. I’ve also included a couple day trip options (which I have yet to do myself but am planning to do on my next trip).

I’ll start with a quick overview of how to break up your time in Prague, immediately followed by specifics on all of the places you will be able to see in that amount of time!

3-DAY BREAKDOWN:

• DAY 1: LESSER TOWN
• DAY 2: DAY TRIP OR BREWERY TOUR (for brewery recommendations, see above)
• DAY 3: OLD TOWN

WHAT YOU’LL SEE:

Malá Strana (Lesser Town)

• Church of St. Nicholas: we didn’t end up going into the church as we had been inside quite a few other churches already, but you’ll walk by this beautiful church on your way up the hill to the castle, so be sure to take a minute and check out how beautiful it is, even from the outside!
• Prague Castle Complex: this complex is home to the Prague Castle, St. George’s Basilica, St. Vitus Cathedral, and Golden Lane. You can (and should!) buy a combo ticket to all four when you arrive. You’ll want to spend a couple hours wandering around the complex, so give yourself some time and don’t rush it, especially if you’re getting the combo pass. There’s a larger combo pass that runs 350Kč, but opted for the second combo that just included the four places noted above, and it cost 250Kč, or about $11USD
• Lennon Wall: this beautiful wall is home to John Lennon inspired graffiti and is absolutely worth a visit while you’re in town. It’s just off of the Charles Bridge, so it’s easy to get to, and hey, it’s free!
• Charles Bridge: this really connects Malá Strana with Old Town, but it’s the most famous bridge in Prague, and the perfect way to walk between the two sides of the river

Old Town

• Old Town Square: probably the most iconic spot in Prague, Old Town square is home to the famous astrological clock. There are tons of places to grab food and drinks around the square, so plan to spend some time marveling at the beautiful architecture in the area
• Týn Church is situated in the heart of Old Town Square and is one of the most iconic churches of Prague
• Palác Kinských (Prague National Gallery) is a former palace and now home to a beautiful art museum, also located in Old Town Square, and is open every day except Monday from 10am-6pm
• Jewish Quarter: this includes the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Old-New Synogogue, among a number of other places. It was also the birthplace of Franz Kafka
• St. Agnes Convent: we didn’t have time to go inside, but the convent is beautiful from the outside, and if you can manage the extra time to go in, I’ve heard wonderful things about the inside as well

Day Trips: there are two popular day trips from Prague, one to Pilsen, home of the famed Pilsner Urquell beer, and the other to Český Krumlov, a beautiful town located a few hours south of Prague. Renting a car is highly recommended for these trips, though there are organized tours as well. If you’re looking to join an organized tour, check with your hotel to help reserve it (ideally before you arrive in Prague, though you can ask upon arrival as well)

And lastly, I’ll leave you with this. Whether you have a sweet or savory preference, you have to try one of their famous “chimney” desserts. I got apple pie filling in mine, and let me tell you, it would have been worth ten times the calories. It’s also SUPER rich, so get one to share

What are your favorite places in Prague?