Prague is a beautiful mosaic of architecture, art, museums, shops, and restaurants among many other things, so much so that it was voted as the most beautiful city in the world. Prague is not shy of any amazing places to hang out at, relax, or get a great bite to eat. There is always something around every corner for you to go and experience, and I will be sharing just some of the many places I love to go to while I’ve been living and studying abroad in Prague.
First thing first, Prague has hands-down some of the most amazing and beautiful architecture in the world, and it feels like you are absolutely living in a fairytale walking around the streets here. One of those magical places to see is Prague Castle, located right next to Anglo-American University. Prague Castle has some of the best views in Prague. Once you make the climb to the top, you get a breathtaking view of the city. Prague Castle is a complex featuring all sorts of architectural styles, the current residence of the President of the Czech Republic, and the Prague Castle Gardens. There is also Villa Richter Palace and Vineyard right nearby where one can sit down and enjoy a nice meal and get incredible views of the whole city overlooking the vineyards. On the other hand moving away from the touristy area of Prague Castle there is diagonally across the Vltava from Prague Castle is Vyšehrad Castle, an often overlooked area in Prague. The castle complex features amazing views of Prague as well, but also the chance to learn about Czech fairy tales and myths, see a graveyard full of some famous Czech people, and enjoy the park around the castle as well. Speaking of the Vltava River, there is so much that I love doing there, including sitting near the riverbanks watching the animals in the river, go on boat rides or rent a pedal boat, and sit on the various islands on the river as well.
I personally love great views of Prague, so two more places I absolutely love going to are Petrin Hill and the Metronome. Petrin Hill is right next to Prague Castle and features all sorts of walking trails, a funicular to go up and down the hill, and a tower that resembles the Eiffel Tower. Praguers call the tower the Czech Eiffel Tower, and it even is said that the height of the hill and the tower combined is as tall as the actual Eiffel Tower. Petrin Hill is absolutely beautiful during any time of year, from the vibrant times of summer and spring to as I’m writing this right now, where it is full of beautiful shades of red, yellow, and orange. This has been a favorite place of mine to just go sit, read, walk around, and relax when I have downtime in Prague. Then, another place is the Metronome, which is quite literally a giant working metronome on top of a hill near the Vltava River and again gives great views of Prague. Plus, there is a great little cafe next to it as well. Finally, not only do I love the views of Prague, but all these places are surrounded by parks which are all over Prague and have restaurants, cafes, walking and running paths, great views, art, and just offer a great place to enjoy the outdoors in the middle of the city.
Moving on from all those views there are places around Prague that I really love going to. There are tons of amazing restaurants around Prague, but some of my absolute favorites are literally right next to my apartment building: Hlucna Samota (friendly, welcoming atmosphere with really good Czech Food), Zluta Pumpa (a Mexican restaurant), and Cheesus Crust (American sandwich and burger themed restaurant, but with a twist on the food). Some of my favorite cafes include The Choco Cafe, Cafe No 3, Ouky Douky, Bageterie Boulevard, Kafe Francin, Paprika, Johnny Pizza, Bernard’s Pub, and Vinohradsky Parlament among many other places. These are a range of cuisines and food options, but are great places to go, and I've frequented many of these more than once.
Finally, just a great way to get food around Prague – from snacks to stuff to make a whole meal to everything else in between – are Potravinys and Mini Marts. They are all over Prague and are handy places to get anything you might need. Just where I live alone, there are four that I go to when I need quite literally anything. The people who work there always light up when we walk in, because they have gotten to know us over the course of this semester.
Overall, I could go on forever about all the things to do that I love in Prague, but what I listed are just some of my most favorite things around the city. Exploring the city is the best way to just see everything, and find all these places that I have mentioned above. There are tons of accounts on Instagram and websites to find out about all sorts of festivals, performances, galleries, food exhibitions, and so much more around Prague as well. No matter what you are looking for – from great restaurants and views to festivals – there is always something amazing to do in the most beautiful city in the world: Prague.