Busabout Adventures

Central Prague nestles in a bend of the Vltava River, which separates Hradčany, the medieval castle district, and Malá Strana (Little Quarter) on the west bank from Staré Město (Old Town) and Nové Město (New Town) on the east.

Prague Castle overlooks Malá Strana, while the twin Gothic spires of Týn Church dominate the open space of Staroměstské nám, the Old Town Square. The broad avenue of Václavské nám (Wenceslas Square) stretches southeast from Staré Město towards the National Museum and the main train station.

You can walk from the main train station, Praha-hlávní nádraží, to Staroměstské nám (Old Town Square) in around 10 minutes. From Praha-Holešovice, take the metro (10 minutes).

There’s a metro station at ÚAN Praha Florenc bus station too – take Line B (yellow) two stops west to Můstek for the city centre.

All the main sights are in central Prague, and are easily reached on foot – you can take in the castle, Charles Bridge and the Staroměstské nám in a day. Get to the castle on tram 22 or 23 (from Národní třída on the southern edge of Staré Město, Malostranská nám in Malá Strana, or Malostranská metro station) to the U Prašného mostu stop.

Prague Castle & Hradčany
Find your inner tourist and head straight for the city’s number-one attraction, Prague Castle (Pražský hrad; 224 373 368; www.hrad.cz, in Czech; 9am-5pm Apr-Oct, 9am-4pm Nov-Mar, grounds 5am-midnight Apr-Oct, 6am-11pm Nov-Mar). Ticket B (adult/concession 220/110Kč) gives access to St Vitus Cathedral (choir, crypt and tower), the Old Royal Palace and Golden Lane; Ticket A (350/175Kč) includes these plus the Basilica of St George, Powder Tower and the Story of Prague Castle exhibit. There’s no charge to wander around the castle courtyards and gardens and the cathedral nave, and you can also watch the changing of the guard at noon for free.

Castle highlights include jewel-studded St Wenceslas Chapel in St Vitus Cathedral; the view from the cathedral tower; the spectacular Vladislav Hall in the Old Royal Palace; and the Basilica of St George, Prague’s finest Romanesque church. Golden Lane, a 16th-century tradesmen’s quarter of tiny houses built into the castle walls, is a souvenir-laden tourist trap you can safely bypass.

For art rather than spectacle, head for the Convent of St George (adult/concession 100/50Kč; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun), which is beside the basilica and houses the National Gallery’s collection of Czech art from the 16th to 18th centuries. Outside the castle entrance is the 18th-century Šternberg Palace housing the National Gallery (220 514 599; adult/concession 150/70Kč; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun), the country’s principal collection of 14th- to 18th-century European art.

The baroque Sanctuary of Our Lady of Loreta (Loretanské nám 7; adult/concession 90/70Kč; 9.15am-12.15pm & 1-4.30pm), just west of the castle, is an important place of pilgrimage housing a replica of the Santa Casa (the house of St Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary), as well as a priceless treasury of gem-encrusted religious artefacts.

Malá Strana
Head downhill from the castle to the beautifully baroque backstreets of Malá Strana (Little Quarter), built in the 17th and 18th centuries by Catholic clerics and nobles. Close to the café-crowded main square, Malostranské nám, is St Nicholas Church (adult/concession 60/30Kč; 9am-6pm Mar-Oct, 9am-4pm Nov-Feb), one of the city’s greatest baroque buildings – if you only visit one church in Prague, this is it. Climb the stairs to the gallery to see the 17th-century Passion cycle paintings and the doodlings of bored 1820s tourists and wannabe Franz Kafkas.

If the old legs are a little tired and need a rest, grab some picnic munchies and head for Kampa, a broad park on a low-lying island beside the river, and one of Prague’s favourite chill-out zones. At the north end of Kampa is the famous and elegant Charles Bridge (Karlův Most), graced by 30 statues dating from the 18th century, and lined with jewellery stalls, portrait artists and street performers. In high season it’s one of Prague’s most crowded places. Try and visit at dawn before the hordes arrive.

Further north past Charles Bridge is the Franz Kafka Museum (420 221 333; www.kafkamuseum.cz; Cihelná 2b; adult/concession 120/60Kč; 10am-6pm), proving the writer was much more than the T-shirt logo he’s become.

Staré Město
On the Staré Město (Old Town) side of Charles Bridge, narrow and crowded Karlova leads east towards Prague’s Staroměstské nám (Staroměstská), dominated by the twin Gothic steeples of Týn Church (1365), the baroque wedding cake of St Nicholas Church (1730s) and the clock tower of the Old Town Hall, where the astronomical clock (1410) entertains the crowds on the hour with its parade of apostles and a bell-ringing skeleton. At the square’s centre is the Jan Hus Monument, erected in 1915 on the 500th anniversary of the religious reformer’s execution.

East along Celetná is the Art Nouveau Municipal House (Obecní dům; 222 002 100; nám Republiky 5; guided tours 150Kč; 10am-1pm; Náměsti Republiky), a cultural centre decorated by the finest Czech artists of the early 20th century. If the murals in the Lord Mayor’s Hall pique your interest in artist Alfons Mucha, discover more at the nearby Mucha Museum (221 451 333; Panská 7, Nové Město; adult/concession 120/60Kč; 10am-6pm; Můstek).

Josefov – the area north and northwest of Staroměstské nám – was once the city’s Jewish Quarter, and its fascinating monuments are now all part of the Prague Jewish Museum (222 317 191; www.jewishmuseum.cz; adult/concession 300/200Kč; 9am-6pm Sun-Fri Apr-Oct, to 4.30pm Nov-Mar; Staroměstská). Highlights are the Old-New Synagogue, the Maisel Synagogue and the Old Jewish Cemetery.

Nové Město
Literally ‘New Town’, Nové Město is new only in relation to Staré Město, which was founded in 1348! Its main focus is the broad, sloping avenue of Wenceslas Square (Václavské nám; Můstek), lined with shops, banks and restaurants and dominated by a statue of St Wenceslas on horseback. The square has always been a focus for demonstrations and public gatherings. Beneath the Wenceslas statue there is a shrine to the victims of communism, including students Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc, both of whom burned themselves alive in 1969 in protest at the Soviet invasion.

Ironically, the fascinating Museum of Communism (224 212 966; www.muzeumkomunismu.cz; Na příkopě 10; adult/concession 180/140Kč; 8am-9pm) is tucked behind Prague’s biggest McDonald’s.

To escape the tourist crowds, take a picnic and the metro to Vyšehrad (241 410 348; VPevnosti 5, Vyšehrad; admission free; 9.30am-6pm Apr-Oct, 9.30am-5pm Nov-Mar; Vyšehrad) on the southern edge of Nové Město. This ancient hill-top fortress has superb views from the southern battlements.

FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Prague Spring (www.festival.cz) Europe’s biggest festival of classical music, held from 12 May to 3 June.
United Islands (www.unitedislands.cz) World music, hip-hop and reggae, held in mid-June.
Mystic Skate Cup (www.mysticsk8cup.cz) International skateboarding competition in early July.
Loveplanet (www.loveplanet.cz) Outdoor music festival in August.
Prague International Jazz Festival (www.jazzfestivalpraha.cz) In late October.
New Year’s Eve Lunacy in Staroměstské nám and fireworksover Prague Castle, on 31 December.

Mecca (283 870 522; www.mecca.cz; U Průhonu 3, Holešovice; cover 90-390Kč Fri & Sat, free Wed & Thu; 10pm-6am Wed-Sat) Prague’s most fashionable club attracts film stars and fab types with pumping dance-floor action.

Lucerna Music Bar (224 217 108; www.musicbar.cz; Lucerna pasaž, Vodičkova 36, Nové Město; 8pm-4am) Leave your musical snobbery in the cloak room at the ’80s nights on Friday and Saturday with everything from The Human League to Soft Cell.

Palác Akropolis (296 330 911; www.palacakropolis.cz; Kubelikova 27, Žižkov; club 7pm-5am) Get lost in the labyrinth of theatre, music, clubbing, drinking and eating of Prague’s coolest venue. Hip-hop, house, reggae, world music – anything goes.

Club Radost FX (224 254 776; www.radostfx.cz; Bělehradská 120, Vinohrady; cover 100-250Kč; 10pm-6am) Prague’s most self-assured club remains hip for its bohemian boudoir décor, and its popular Thursday hip-hop night FXBounce (www.fxbounce.com).

Termix (222 710 462; www.club-termix.cz; Tře¬bízcké­ho 4A, Vinohrady; admission free; 8pm-5am Wed-Sun) A mixed gay and lesbian scene with an industrial–high-tech vibe. You’ll need to queue for Thursday’s popular techno party.

Public Transport
Buy a ticket before you enter a tram, bus or metro – available from metro stations, vending machines, newsstands, tobacco kiosks, hotels and tourist information offices.

Validate your ticket (once only, even if you transfer) by sticking it in the yellow machine in the metro station lobby or on the bus or tram. Once validated, a 20Kè jízdenka (ticket) remains valid for 75 minutes from the time of stamping (90 minutes, if stamped between 8pm and 5am weekdays, or at any time on weekends). Within this period, unlimited transfers between tram, metro and bus are allowed. You also need a half-fare ticket (10Kč) for large backpacks.

The metro operates from 5am to midnight daily. Night trams and buses rumble across the city every 40 minutes all night.

Taxi
The best way to avoid being ripped off is to telephone a reliable taxi company such as AAA (14 014) or ProfiTaxi (844 700 800). If you feel you’re being overcharged, ask for an účet (bill). Most taxi trips within the city centre should cost from 125Kč to 150Kč.

Internet Access
You’ll find lots of internet cafés in the city centre.

Bohemia Bagel Staré Město (Masná 2; per min 1.50Kč; 7am-midnight); Malá Strana (Újezd 16; per min 1.50Kč; 7am- midnight) Also provides low-cost international phone calls.

mobilarium (Rathova Pasáž, Na příkopě 23, Nové Město; per min 1.50Kč; 10am-8pm Mon-Fri, from 11am Sat & Sun)

Planeta (Vinohradská 102, Vinohrady; per min 0.40-0.80Kč; 8am-11pm) Cheap rates before 10am and after 8pm Monday to Friday, and from 8am to 11pm Saturday and Sunday.

Medical Services
Canadian Medical Care (235 360 133, after hr 724 300 301; Veleslavínská 1, Veleslavín; 8am-6pm Mon, Wed & Fri, 8am-8pm Tue & Thu) English-speaking doctors, 24-hour medical aid, physiotherapist and pharmacy.

Na Homolce Hospital (257 271 111, after hr 257 272 527; www.homolka.cz; 5th fl, Foreign Pavilion, Roentgenova 2, Motol) City’s main casualty department.

Polyclinic at Národní (222 075 120; 24hr emer¬gencies 720 427 634; www.poliklinika.narodni.cz; Národní třída 9, Nové Město) With English-, French- and German-speaking staff.

Praha lékárna (224 946 982; Palackého 5, Nové Město; 24hr) Ring the bell for emergency service after hours.

Money
The major banks – Komerční banka, ČSOB and Živnostenská banka – are the best places for changing cash, but using a debit card in an ATM gives a better rate of exchange. Avoid private exchange booths (směnárna), which advertise misleading rates and make exorbitant charges.

American Express (222 800 237; Václavské nám 56, Nové Město; 9am-7pm; Mùstek)
Travelex (221 105 276; Národní třída 28, Nové Město; 9am-1.30pm & 2-6.30pm; Národní Třída)

Post & Telephone
Main post office (221 131 111; Jindřišská 14, Nové Město; 7am-8pm; Mùstek) Pick up poste restante here. There’s a 24-hour telephone centre to the left of the right-hand entrance.

Bohemia Bagel (per min 6Kč; 7am-midnight) Staré Město (224 812 560; Masná 2; Staroměstská); Malá Strana (257 310 694; Újezd 16) Has phones for making international calls.

Tourist Information
Prague Information Service (Pražská informační služba; PIS; 12 444; www.prague-info.cz) Main train station (Praha hlavní nádraží; Wilsonova 2, Nové Město; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat & Sun Apr-Oct, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar); Malá Strana Bridge Tower (Charles Bridge; 10am-6pm Apr-Oct); Old Town Hall (Staroměstské nám 5, Staré Město; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat & Sun Apr-Oct, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar)

Travel Agencies
CKM Travel Centre (222 721 595; www.ckm.cz; Mánesova 77, Vinohrady; 10am-6pm Mon-Thu, 10am-4pm Fri) Books air and bus tickets, with discounts for those aged under 26. Sells youth cards.
Eurolines-Sodeli CZ (224 239 318; Senovážné nám 6, Nové Město; 8am-6pm Mon-Fri) Agent for Eurolines buses.

GTS International (222 211 204; www.gtsint.cz; Ve Smečkách 33, Nové Město; 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm Sat) Youth cards and air, bus and train tickets. Sells International Youth Travel Cards (IYTC).

Traditional Czech cuisine is strong on meat, dumplings and gravy, and weak on fresh vegetables – the classic Bohemian dish is knedlo-zelo-vepřo (dumplings, sauerkraut and roast pork). Also try cesneková (garlic soup) and kapr na kmíní (carp with caraway seed).

Vegetarian restaurants are becoming popular in Prague and other main cities. Elsewhere, bezmasá (without meat) dishes are often limited to pizzas, smažený sýr (fried cheese) and knedlíky s vejci (scrambled eggs with dumplings).

Café Vesmírna (222 212 363; Ve Smečkách 5, Nové Město; snacks 70Kč; 9am-10pm Mon-Fri, 1-8pm Sat) The laid-back Vesmírna provides training and opportunities for people with special needs, and has a menu featuring healthy snacks and a ‘how do I choose?’ selection of teas and coffees.

Malý Buddha (220 513 894; Úvoz 46, Hradčany; mains 60-120Kč; noon-10.30pm Tue-Sun) The Vietnamese-owned Malý (Little) Buddha is an incense-infused haven atop Hradčany hill. If the castle’s crowds wear you down, restore your chi with healing tea and tasty spring rolls.

Country Life Staré Město (224 213 366; Melantrichova 15; mains 75-150Kč; 9am-8.30pm Mon-Thu, 9am-6pm Fri, 11am-8.30pm); Nové Město 224 247 280; Jungmannova 1; mains 75-150Kč; 9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Thu, 9am-6pm Fri) This all-vegan cafeteria offers inexpensive salads, sandwiches, pizzas, goulash, soy drinks and sunflower-seed burgers.

Bohemia Bagel (257 310 694; Újezd 18, Malá Strana; mains 90-270Kč; 7am-midnight Mon-Fri, from 8am Sat & Sun) Expat heaven with fresh bagel sandwiches, soups and coffee. There’s another branch at Masná 2 in Staré Město – both are good spots for breakfast as you check your email.

Pizzeria Kmotra (224 934 100; V Jirchářích 12; pizza 95-145Kč; 11am-midnight) More than 30 varieties are on offer at this cellar pizzeria, which gets busy after 8pm. With over 50 additional toppings you can get really creative.

Siam Orchid (222 319 410; Na poříčí 21; mains 160-280Kč; 10am-10pm) The waiter may be from Cambodia, but that doesn’t stop the Thai food in this tiny restaurant from being Prague’s most authentic Asian cuisine. Try the fiery laap kai (spicy chicken salad).

Café FX (224 254 776; Bělehradská 120, Vinohrady; mains 100-200Kč; 11.30am-2am) Café FX is shabbily chic, draped in hippy-drippy chiffon, with Prague’s best vegetarian flavours. Relax at weekend brunch and lose yourself in the eclectic CD store nearby.

Tesco (222 003 111; Národní třída 26, Nové Město; 7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Sat, 9am-8pm Sun) Get what you need at Prague’s best-stocked supermarket.

Check the listings in the Night & Day section of the weekly Prague Post (www.praguepost.cz), and the monthly free magazine Provokátor (www.provokator.org), available from clubs, cafés, art-house cinemas and backpacker hostels. For online listings see www.prague.tv.

For classical music, opera, ballet, theatre and some rock concerts – even the most sold-out events – a few tickets are on sale at the box office 30 minutes before concert time.

There are ticket agencies around Prague selling the same tickets at a high commission, including Ticketpro (296 333 333; www.ticketpro.cz; pasáž Lucerna, Štěpánská 61, Nové Město; 9am-12.30pm & 1-5pm Mon-Fri). It also has branches in PIS offices. Bohemia Ticket International (224 227 832; www.ticketsbti.cz; Malé nám 13, Staré Město; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) sells tickets to all kinds of events. There’s another branch (224 227 832; Na příkopě 16, Nové Město; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat, to 3pm Sun) near the Municipal House.

Jazz
Reduta Jazz Club (224 912 246; www.redutajazzclub.cz; Národní třída 20, Nové Město; cover 300Kč; 9pm-3am) Founded in 1958 and one of the oldest in Europe.

USP Jazz Lounge (603 551 680; www.jazzlounge.cz; Michalská 9, Staré Město; 9pm-3am) Less traditional than Reduta, with modern live jazz and DJs after midnight.

Cinema
Most films are screened in their original language with Czech subtitles (české titulky), but Hollywood blockbusters are often dubbed into Czech (dabing); look for the labels tit. or dab. on cinema listings. Tickets cost from 90Kč to 170Kč.

Palace Cinemas (257 181 212; www.palacecinemas.cz; Slovanský dům, Na příkopě 22, Nové Město) A 10-screen multiplex showing first-run Hollywood films.

Kino Aero (271 771 349; www.kinoaero.cz; Biskupcova 31, Žižkov) Prague’s best-loved art-house cinema, often with English subtitles.

Kino Světozor (224 946 824; www.kinosvetozor.cz; Vodičkova 41, Nové Město) Your best bet for seeing Czech films with English subtitles.

Classical Music & Performance Arts
The main concert venues in Prague are the Dvořák Hall in the neo-Renaissance Rudolfinum (nám Jana Palacha, Staré Město) and the Smetana Hall in the Art Nouveau Municipal House (Obecní dům; nám Republiky 5, Staré Město; Nám Republiky). The latter hosts the opening concert of the Prague Spring festival. See www.obecnidum.cz for performance listings. The box office is open from 10am to 6pm.

Opera, ballet and classical drama (in Czech) is performed at the neo-Renaissance Prague State Opera (224 227 266; Wilsonova, Nové Město) and National Theatre (224 901 377; Národní třída 2, Nové Město). Next door is the modern Laterna Magika (224 931 482; Národní třída 4, Nové Město), which offers a modern combo of theatre, dance and film.

Bohemian beer is probably the world’s best. The most famous brands are Budvar, Plzeòský Prazdroj (Pilsner Urquell) and Prague’s own Staropramen; and there’s no shortage of opportunities to imbibe – you’ll find bars everywhere.

Avoid the tourist areas and you’ll discover local bars selling half-litres for 30Kč or less, (compared with 65Kč and up around Malostranské nám and Staroměstské nám).

U Zlatého Tygra (222 221 111; Husova 17, Staré Město; 3-11pm) The ‘Golden Tiger’ is a well-known Prague institution where President Havel took President Clinton to show him an authentic Czech pivnice (traditional pub). Be there at opening time for any chance of a seat.

Velryba (224 912 484; Opatovická 24, Nové Město; 11am-midnight Sat-Thu, 11am-2am Fri) The ‘Whale’ fulfils your expectations of ‘Bohemian’ with intense conversations between local students and a basement art gallery. Bring your own black polo-neck jumper.

Kozička (224 818 308; Kozí 1, Staré Město; noon-4am Mon-Fri, 6pm-4am Sat & Sun) The ‘Little Goat’ (look for the iron goat sculpture outside) rocks in standing room–only fashion until well after midnight in a buzzing basement bar. Your need for midnight munchies will be answered by the late-night kitchen.

Letenské sady (Letna Gardens, Bubeneč) In summer this garden bar is packed with punters enjoying cheap beer, grilled sausages and views across the river. Sometimes the simple things in life are the best.