Prague Things to Do

The UNESCO World Heritage Site Prague Castle – in Czech ’Pražský hrad’ – sits majestically atop Hradcany Hill overlooking Malá Strana in the Czech Republic’s photogenic capital city. Home to the Bohemian Royal Family, Holy Roman Emperors, and more recently the offices of the president, the complex has grown almost organically since 870AD and is the largest in Europe. Its myriad buildings now include a charming mixture of Gothic and Classical architecture, Prague’s cathedral, museums, and galleries, all accessible through a series of elegant Renaissance courtyards.

The Czech Republic’s romantic capital city of Prague is made for love; its Baroque churches, stern medieval halls, warrens of cobbled streets, and watery vistas from Charles Bridge to Prague Castle across the Vltava River are almost guaranteed to make love blossom.

Controversial Czech artist, David Černý, gained international fame when he was arrested for painting a Soviet tank pink, an act of civil disobedience that carried particular significance, as the tank was located in the heart of central Prague and was a national cultural monument dedicated to Soviet tank crews. Today, Černý is a cultural icon, and his work can be found in prominent public spaces throughout Prague (and indeed, the world).

Traditional Czech cuisine is not a light evening affair; it consists mostly of a wide variety of roasted meats and sausages, dumplings, fried potato pancakes (Bramboráky), and other intensely savory dishes, all of it washed down with famed local beers (the Czechs consume more beer per capita than any other nationality), fine Moravian wines, and higher-proof refreshments like Fernet Stock and Becherovka. Veggies and fish are rarely featured as main courses, with the exception of the traditional Christmas carp, which is typically purchased on the street and kept live in the bathtub.