Prague, Czech Republic has always been on my list of places to visit.

I have seen a lot of beautiful photos of Prague over Instagram and Facebook and so I decided to check it out myself!

When my friend and former colleague from the Philippines asked me to join her on her trip to UK and Prague, I immediately agreed!

I was actually, at first, adamant of the trip schedule as I know that February would still have that chilly temperature across Europe and we might not enjoy it fully if we will both be freezing to death. Anyway, we still decided to brave the weather forecast and go ahead as planned.

I met my friend in London (she came from Manila, while I, from Dubai). We spent the first 9 days in UK, then we flew to Prague.

We spent 3 full days in Prague (2.5 days for her as she had to leave ahead to catch her flight to Amsterdam, for the rest of her Euro trip), in which we just went around the city. I know there are more nice places outside of the city, but this time, we decided to just walk around and appreciate what Prague has to offer.

Well, we were not disappointed at all! The weather, though chilly at most times, was still forgiving. It was both sunny during the day, a bit cloudy at times, temperatures range between 5-8 degrees in the morning and night, while 12-15 degrees during the day. In other words, we had pretty weather during our stay in the city. Thank God, it didn’t rain at all!

So, without further ado, let me share with you my top 15 places to see in Prague, Czech Republic.

 

St. Vitus Cathedral

Prague Castle – According to the Guinness Book of World records, the largest coherent castle complex in the world, dating from 9th Century. It is also the official office of the President of Czech Republic and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country.

We reached the castle a little before sunset, and there were only a couple of tourists left during that time. We also didn’t pay any entrance fees, but we did not get to enter any of the buildings inside the complex. We didn’t really mind as we were not much into museums/galleries. We basically just want to see what’s there and take photos!

Located at the back side of the complex is a viewing/observation deck. I suggest to visit this area during or after the sunset, and you will be treated to a gorgeous panoramic view of the city.

Night Shot from Prague Castle

Astronomical Clock – Prague’s Astronomical Clock is considered to be one of the most popular sites in Prague. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still operating (Source: www.wikipedia.com).  Make sure to stick around when it sounds every hour and watch the cute little performance.

Astronomical Clock

Old Town Square – Founded in 12th Century, Prague’s Old town square is considered to be a historical place, surrounded with pretty baroque and gothic architectures, including the Astronomical Clock and The Tyn Church among others.

Charles Bridge – Probably one of the most visited structures in Prague! Most of the photos I had during my visit in Prague was from here! Sun rises from the old town and sets on the new town, and the best way to capture both is from the bridge! Always full of crowd during the day, so if you want a clean photo, come before the sunrise. As for the sunset, well, best view is from the tower.

Charles Bridge Tower – Yes, the best view (for me) is definitely from the tower, if you want to shoot for the sunset. It opens from 10AM so surely not for sunrise. However, the tower closes at 6, and most of the time, it also gets crowded and the space at the viewing deck is a bit narrow. When I visited the tower to take a photo of the sunset, and to just enjoy the view of course, I went there about an hour before the sunset, found a good spot, stayed there until closing. If you want to shoot for the sunset, better not take your long tripod with you as this is not allowed. And, the space is just too narrow, you will be blocking the way. I didn’t know this actually until the security told someone that tripods are not allowed. Good thing, I had with me a gorillapod and a mobile tripod, and they’re ok with those tiny things.

Sunrise on Charles Bridge

Sunset from the Church Bridge tower

Naplavka Observation Deck – I didn’t know the name of this spot until I started to write this post. I used to see it a lot on Instagram and

Coypu asking for some food

never a time was the spot’s name mentioned. When I looked it up on Googlemaps, I noticed that it’s actually a named location.

Swans, birds, and Coypus. They just seem to enjoy their celebrity status as tourists and locals alike hang out at this spot.

 

John Lennon Wall – Wall filled with John Lennon inspired grafittis and pieces of song lyrics. It’s located in a secluded area near the French Embassy. Some local artist started to paint on this once empty wall with a single image after the singer’s assassination. And later, around 1988, the wall has become a medium where students or young people display their grievances, and probably up to this time.

John Lennon Wall

Piss Sculpture – We happened to see this spot on our way to Naplavla Observation deck from Charles Bridge. Beside this Sculpture is a nice looking restaurant, with a wall covered with vines. Another Insta-worthy spot to take a selfie or portrait from!

Mala Strana – also known as the “Lesser Town” or the New Town, positioned at the left side of the Vlatava River, conjoined by the Charles Bridge. A leisurely walk along this area may take you to some of the best spots to check out such as the Lennon Wall, Franz Kafka Museum,  Waldstein Palace, the Piss Sculpture and Naplavka Observation Deck among others.

Wenceslas Square – One of the main city squares and probably the center of the business district. Also one of Prague’s historical places, among of which were the declaration of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, protests against the Soviet invasion in 1968, and the fall of Communism in 1989.

Dancing House and Glass Tower  – One of Prague’s most photographed places is the Dancing Tower. The building was designed in 1992 and completed in 1996 designed by the Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić in cooperation with Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. A modern architecture surrounded by Prague’s baroque and and gothic-style buildings, it definitely stands out. On top of the building there’s a bar, offering an amazing view of the city. To be able to stay here, you need to at least order something so they will let you stay on the area to appreciate the beautiful city below.

Municipal Library – In every city there will always be a hidden gem that’s worth the visit, like the Municipal Library of Prague where you will find a very unique exhibit, the spiraling tower of books. It reaches up until the ceiling, it has a teardrop shaped opening where you can peek and if you look down there’s a mirror giving you a feeling of endlessness.

Kafka’s Head Sculpture – located in one of the busiest areas in Prague is the rotating, reflective sculpture by David Cerny of Franz Kafka. The Sculpture was installed in 2014. Franz Kafka is considered as one of the most significant fiction writers in 20th-century world literature (source: https://kafkamuseum.cz/en/franz-kafka/).

A tower of Books!

The head sculpture of Franz Kafka installed outside Quadrio Shopping Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quadrio Shopping Mall – We came across this shopping center when we were following the GPS to Franz Kafka’s sculpture. Since we were already in the area and we were not in a hurry, we decided to check out the mall. As typical ladies, we had to first visit the “powder room”. We were led into this place that looked so pretty so we decided to take a photo of course! I’m not sure how many of this they have in the mall though so if you ever visit the Quadrio Mall, let us know! =) Perhaps they different designs in every area. Oh, before I forget, to enter the washroom, you need to drop a coin in the machine.

Quadrio Shopping mall Ladies Room)

Vysehrad Castle – One of Prague’s historic sites. Established during the mid-10th century, Vysehrad castle is considered to be the oldest seat of Czech’s princes. It offers a stunning view of the city and the complex holds architectural treasures such as the Neo-Gothic church called the “Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul” which attracts many visitors.

 

View from the Vysehrad Fortress