Czech Republic: Prague & Kutná Hora

This summer we ventured to the Czech Republic to enjoy the city of Prague along with a day trip to Kutná Hora. The architecture was stunning, the beer was amazing, and the food was delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful city!

BEFORE YOU GO

ADAPTER: If you are traveling from the US, you will need an adapter. Know the wattage of your electronics before you go, so that you know if you need a converter, adapter or both. I have a universal wattage flat iron. It saves me the hassle of worrying if I need an adapter AND converter. Many hotels have USB ports in the room, double check if that's all you need.

PHONE:  T-Mobile gives unlimited data and texting, but charges $0.25 per minute per call. You can download WhatsApp, which uses Wi-Fi to make calls. The recipient also has to have the app installed. We use WhatsApp for calls and face-time connections when abroad. We did have several issues with our phones not connecting when trying to navigate with google maps. When this happened, we found a chain (Starbucks and McDonald's were everywhere) and stood outside to connect to put in our destination. Very frustrating. Perhaps an eSIM or pocket wifi would have been a better option? Discuss this with your provider before you go.

Internet: T-Mobile gives customers free connectivity with streaming on American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines. This includes data, streaming, and text messaging. All you do is connect to the Wi-Fi and add your phone number to the T-Mobile prompt.

CONTACT YOUR BANK & CREDIT CARD COMPANIES:  Contact your bank with your travel dates so that you can withdrawal your money when you get to your destination. You also may need to notify your credit card company of the travel dates.

We like to withdraw local currency when we arrive at our destination from a bank ATM in one lump sum. This avoids extra fees for multiple transactions. You can get away with using a credit card almost everywhere, but having some local currency is always a good idea. Some credit cards charge fees for international use, so ask about fees before traveling. Use cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees. We took out some cash in Prague but didn't need much.  We used our credit cards almost everywhere.

WHERE TO STAY: Central locations are pricier, so if you are trying to stay on a budget don't be afraid to stay on the outskirts near a train or bus stop. Group the sites you want to see within each city by neighborhood and make a hotel decision from there.

Things to consider are parking fees if you rent a car, easy access to metro if you are not staying close to the city center, and if you are in the city center, a walkable location to your sites.  We try to use credit card points for stays as much as possible. This sometimes dictates the location where we stay.

Lindner Hotel Prague Castle: This is a nice hotel close to Prague Castle and Strahov Monastery. We stayed here for two nights, and it was an easy way to explore this side of the river. Very nice, quiet hotel with spacious room and air conditioning. You definitely need air in late July. The bed was very comfortable, and the breakfast had a large selection to choose from. Everything is very walkable from here. We took an uber from the airport to the hotel to make it easy with the bags. Very friendly staff and accommodating hotel.

Andaz Prague Hotel: We stayed here for the rest of our trip and wow, stunning. It is in a great location with the metro right outside the door. The hotel itself is beautiful. The rooms are very comfortable and include a small minibar that is refurbished with soda, lemonade and water daily. There is also a kettle for tea and coffee. Everything was beautiful here. We enjoyed the breakfast in the morning (both inside the restaurant and on the outdoor patio). The food was excellent. My husband enjoyed the spa area that included a steam room and sauna. It was a great way to unwind after a day of exploring. The staff were excellent as well.

CAR RENTAL: Always compare car rental prices. We usually find good luck with Hertz or Sixt when overseas. Costco can also be a great option for renting. Do some research and go with whoever has the best deal. Be sure you know how to drive a manual if you rent the cheapest option as most cars will be manual. If available, you will pay a bit more for automatic. We did not rent a car this trip and utilized the metro, uber or walked everywhere.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE

TRANSPORTATION: Depending on your mode of transportation you will taxi, Uber, rent a car, or take the metro to your hotel. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the country's metro system before you travel so you know what to expect.

Car:  Decide if you will need a car for your trip at all. Prague is extremely walkable, so we did not rent a car. If you decide to rent, take your International Driver's License. You can get one at any AAA office in the US. Some countries require it and some never ask for it. So just be sure to always take it with you when traveling abroad.

Metro: Having used the metro in 26 countries, I found this the most confusing place to use it. Figuring out where to get on and off and the times had me scratching my head more than once. We even went to the main train station the day before our day trip to try to figure out where to go and how to read the digital signs at the station. VERY confusing. The platform we were leaving from never put the destination on the monitor, so everyone was confused and asking each other if they were in the right spot.

The metro in Prague has no air conditioning and it gets hot in the summer. We took an hour train to Kutná Hora and the ride there was in a hot train car that the windows would not open. Renting a car may have been more comfortable. On the way back we were sure to seat ourselves in a car with the windows open. It was still hot, but much better than the trip there. We did use uber in Prague more than we usually do when traveling as it was cheap, and the metro was very hot and packed with people. We figured $4 USD was worth a car ride to some places, rather than fighting the crowds. On a positive note, the metro is cheap and can save you a lot of money.

SIGHTSEEING

Day 1: Arrival Day. We arrived very early and decided to take an Uber to the Lindner Hotel to drop our bags and see if we could check in early (it never hurts to ask). Surprisingly, they allowed us to check in that morning! We freshened up and headed out to explore the beautiful area. Since our hotel was on the west side of the river, we decided to do all our exploring in Lesser Town (Mala Strana) while staying at the Lindner.

I'm going to try not to overload you with photos, but this was the most beautiful city we have been to, so I may not be able to keep that promise. Everywhere you turn was such beautiful architecture, views, sculptures, and fountains.

Walking to Prague Castle you go to a side entrance and pass the gardens to get tickets to explore the area. Just past the fountain and through the doors is a hallway that takes you to St Vitus Cathedral. The inside is as stunning as the outside. We loved exploring inside.

Here is a side view. You can go to the top of the bell tower for amazing views. We skipped it. Even the back of the building is stunning (last photo below).

We purchased the main circuit ticket that included the Old Royal Palace, St Vitus Cathedral, St. George's Basilica, and Golden Lane. You can also get tickets to the Castle Gardens and The Garden on the Bastion. It's very crowded in the day.

Along the walk to our next stop were beautiful views of Prague.

Waldstein Garden is the Senate Palace Gardens. It's tucked away, so if you don't know it's there you could walk right past it. Beautiful area to walk around.

Just to the left of the building above is The Grotto Dripstone Wall. Although the building itself is closed, you can still walk along the wall and look at the dripstone. You can find shapes and patterns within the wall.

We found a great spot for lunch with outdoor seating. Pivovar a restaurace Vojanův Dvůr has indoor and outdoor seating with a great assortment of beers to choose from. I had the pork schnitzel with Tatuv cider polosuchy beer and my husband had the potato dumplings stuffed with shredded duck confit, stewed red cabbage and cranberries with a Cerny havran beer.

We walked past the famous The Streams – The Pissing statues outside of the Franz Kafka Museum. The mechanical statues move while urinating. Very bizarre, much like many of the installations by David Černý around the city of Prague. (More to come on Černý later.)

The narrowest alley in Prague has a stop light to direct people walking up and down the stairs since only one person can fit through at a time. When we went it was pretty busy with a line waiting to go through. At the bottom is Restaurant Čertovka with beautiful views.

The architecture while walking around the area is just stunning.

We passed the Lesser Town Bridge Tower and walked about halfway on the Charles Bridge.

The Lennon Wall is a very popular tourist spot. If you want more information: LINK.

We stopped at the Church of Our Lady for a quick look inside.

The Vrtba Garden with its stunning views is a must see. This hidden garden with multiple terraces and baroque architecture will provide beautiful backdrops for your photos. We had views of the city and very few people were here, which made it a nice escape from crowds.

St Nicholas Church is often referred to as the most beautiful church in Prague. It is located in the Lesser Town Square. Take the stairs to see the ceiling murals at a closer view.

Strolling through the area from late afternoon to evening offers a unique experience. With the crowds dispersed and the castle along with the nearby sites illuminated, it creates a delightful setting for an evening walk.

Day 2: We started our day at Strahov Monastery. You can purchase tickets to view the Strahov Library with its two beautiful halls, the Strahov Picture galley and its beautiful collection of fine art, and the Strahov Monastery Basilica.

Just through the monastery gate near our hotel was Petrin Hill. Past the vineyard and beautiful overlook, we walked about 15 minutes to get to Petrin Tower.

If you are coming from the bottom of the hill, there was a funicular to take you to the top, but it has been out of service for two years. Keep that in mind as there are a LOT of steps to go up if you are starting from the very bottom of the hill. I'd plan to go to the tower the day you visit the Monastery and walk from there. There are still stairs, but it's a much easier route than starting from the bottom of the thill.

When your reach Petrin Lookout Tower there are places to sit and catch your breath, grab a drink, bite to eat, and use the restrooms. You can go to the top of Petrin Tower for a view of Prague and beyond. They also have a cafe and souvenir shop at the tower. The Mirror Maze is located in this area, across from St Lawrence Cathedral (terracotta building below). We were not able to go inside the cathedral.

Next, we headed down the hill to look for sculptures by the famous Czech artist David Černý. When planning our trip, I became fascinated with all of his provocative art pieces that we could find throughout the city of Prague. I tried to find some that would be on our path to our next destinations throughout our trip.

We started with passing The Streams – The Pissing statues on our arrival day. Today we stopped to see Embryo. It is illuminated at night. Next, we stopped to see Man Hanging Out, which depicts Freud hanging from the building.

U Pinkasu: Beergarden, Pub and Restaurant offers outdoor seating between the brewery and the church, serving traditional Czech dishes. We enjoyed the ambiance and the food. I had the beef goulash with bread dumplings and a Frisco Jablecny (traditional cider), and my husband had the sausages baked in black beer with pepperoni and onion with a Pilsner Urquell. The first Pilsner Urquell was served at this location in 1843.

Prague is filled with beautiful architecture at every turn. Just outside of the restaurant we found this beautiful Cubist Lamp Post. We also walked over to see the inside of the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. The beer garden where we had lunch was between the brewery and the church outside walls.

We walked through the Franciscan Garden to Lucerna Palace to see the Statue of Saint Wenceslas Riding an Upside-Down Dead Horse by David Černý. He says "it’s my view of the current state of the country. And it finds itself in feces of very low viscosity. The whole place has been turned upside down, ass backwards."

Metalmorphasis, made of steel plates which comprise the giant work are grouped into 7 sections which rotate 360 degrees independently. When each section is aligned, the plates form a large silver head. The Butterfly Effect features two huge butterflies on the sides of the Maj department store. The body of the butterfly is shaped like a British fighter plane, and the wings move periodically.

Walked over to another area with David Černý statues. Three women on a house have sculptures with a large white lamps for heads sitting on the top of the Deymov Palace.

We walked over Legion Bridge and stopped at a Bella Vida café to have a drink and relax.

Next to Kampa Park are David Černý's Crawling Babies statues. There are also some of these babies at the Žižkov Television Tower if you are over that way. I found all of his weird sculptures fascinating. It was fun to look for them all over the city. There are lots more I didn't get to as well as a full museum of his work.

The yellow penguins along the Vltava River were made by The Cracking Art Group in 2008. They are just beyond the crawling babies near Kampa Park. They are made of recycled bottles and are meant to raise awareness about pollution.

Past the crawling babies, with a view of the beautiful Vltava River and penguins, we stopped for drinks at Mlýny restaurant. It was a perfect day to sit outside and give our feet a break.

We decided to have dinner at the Strahov Monastery Brewery a very short walk from our hotel. We sat outside in the garden area between the restaurant and brewery. I had the Sv. Norbert summer red ale and Rafeal had the Sv. Norbert special amber beer. Excellent beer and charcuterie.

Day 3: We checked out of the Lindner Hotel Prague Castle and into Andaz Prague. What a stunning hotel! Fantastic location and excellent service. They had a nice anniversary gift waiting for us in the room (chocolates and fruit).

We started our exploring by the Powder Tower and Municipal House. The Municipal house hosts classical concerts, operas and ballets. The building is beautiful from the outside, I am sure it's stunning inside. Then we walked over to see the House of the Black Madonna. The second floor has a cafe I was hoping to get to, but we didn't have time on this trip. You can see the Madonna on the right side of the building on the second floor. This building is an example of Czech cubist architecture and the first of it's kind in Prague.

Prague's old town square is always busy, but worth going to. It's so beautiful. The astrological clock is fun to watch. There are lots of shops and restaurants in the area to explore while you are wandering the side streets.

While wandering we stumbled into Church of Our Lady before Týn. It's beautiful inside.

St. Nicholas Church is a baroque church near the old town square. It has a 79-meter-tall dome, a 70-meter-high fresco, and a famous organ played by Mozart.

We stopped for lunch at Deer Restaurant. I had the venison burger, and Rafael had grilled mouflon (venison) medallions. Everything was delicious. We highly recommend it.

Walking around Prague is so stunning. The stained glass, the architecture and unique buildings are just so beautiful. Be sure to wander.

A fun stop is the Máj - House of Fun. There is a unique food hall with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Upstairs there are cool bars, shops, and much more.

Prague at night (even in the rain) is stunning. We enjoyed walking around and getting a different perspective of this beautiful city.

Day 4: We took a day trip to Kutná Hora. There is a direct train that takes about an hour. Take this to the Kutná Hora train station. When we went there were no signs indicating if we were in the right area to get on the right train, so be sure you ask those around you and double check the platform before heading to the platform.

Our first stop was Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady John the Baptist. You do need tickets to enter the church and the bone sanctuary, so be sure to get a combo ticket at the information center ticket office before going to either site. In the cathedral you will be able to go up into the rafters and walk around. They had artwork displayed on the sides as you walk through. The bones of a famous martyr are in a display case at the church.

Sedlec Ossuary is known as the bone church. Garlands of skulls and a bone chandelier said to incorporate every single bone in the human body. National Geographic states that "chalices and crosses were constructed from hips and femurs. There's even a detailed family crest, thanking the aristocratic family that funded the initiative, adorning a wall." These bones are said to be remnants of the 14th century plague (50,000 bones), the crusades (10,000 bones), and normal deaths over time. The bones were in piles until 1870, when the church hired a local woodcarver, Francis Rint, to create something beautiful. The outcome was Sedlec Ossuary.

The beautiful architecture walking around Kutná Hora is just stunning. Aside from the bone chapel, the town is less busy and not full of tourists like Prague. It's a great place for a day trip! Some streets it was just the two of us walking around. We loved it.

The Church of Saint James bells rang as we walked past the building and around to the front door to peek inside. Known as the "tall church" it is visible from all of the town. It in is also the oldest church in town and has an 86-meter-tall tower.

When you leave the church be sure and stop by the viewpoint of St. James. It's a beautiful overlook that captures St. Barbara's church and the Jesuit College. Therea are also benches further down to rest and enjoy the view.

We stopped for lunch at Restaurace Dačický to enjoy some traditional Czech specialties. He had the Kutna Hora lager and I had the Mikulas dark lager. Both were excellent. We sat outside in the courtyard area in the shade. For our meals, he had the Wild Boar Goulash with Cranberries and Gingerbread-dried fruit dumplings, and I had the Big Chicken Schnitzel with Viennese Potato Salad. So good! I cannot emphasize enough how good Czech beer is.

We walked along this cobblestone street to get to St Barbara's Cathedral. Barborska pedestrian street resembles the Charles Bridge in Prague with it's stone statues along the walkway.

Across the bridge you will see the Corpus Christi Chapel and beautiful views of the Church of St James (the "tall church" that we went inside before lunch). There is also a small vineyard here where you can grab a glass of wine, sit and admire the view.

St. Barbara's Cathedral has two styles of vaulted ceilings and beautifully preserved gothic frescos. You're able to go upstairs and see the ceiling, sculptures and organ up close.

Right outside of the church was this little stand that made traditional Trdelniky. We just got the classic with cinnamon and sugar, and it was delicious! They are everywhere, so try to find a place that can make you one to order.

Built by Master Brikcí in the year 1493, the twelve-sided stone fountain used to be the source of water supply for the entire town. It's stunning.

Before heading back, we wanted to take a look at a few different styles of architecture. We passed St. Jogn Nepomuk Church (coral exterior), The Stone House (beautiful gothic building that houses the museum of silver), The Marble House (marble and frescos on the outside with beautiful entryway and door), The Plague Column (built as a commemoration of the plague that killed thousands of people).

Then we headed back to Prague. What a great day trip!

Day 5: We enjoyed breakfast on the patio at our hotel restaurant. Excellent food and service at the Andez. You won't regret it.

Today we headed to Vyšehrad, a historic fort along the Vltava River. We ended up just Uber-ing there since it was so cheap. It only took about 10 minutes from our hotel.

We headed to the church, but there was a wedding going on inside, so we explored the cemetery next to it. While walking around the bells were chiming and it was so peaceful.

We decided to walk around some of the other parts of the fort and come back to the church later. Just past the church is a green area with sculptures and a map of the entire grounds. There is a lot to see and do here, so give yourself plenty of time.

Walking around we found a beautiful overlook next to a small vineyard. There are benches here to sit and relax or you can take a walk around the walls.

There are so many areas and buildings you can go in and learn about. Some have fees, like this one.

We decided to take a tour of the Vyšehrad underground. The only tour left that day was in Czech, so we went ahead and went so that we could see it all. These underground passages are divided into four separate parts. We got to the huge room at the end that held statues from the Charles Bridge. There are also spaces used as air-raid shelters. We highly recommend this tour!

Saints Peter & Paul Basilica is stunning. We headed back over to the church once the wedding party cleared out, and it was worth the wait! The photos do not do it justice.

While heading out of Vyšehrad, there some interesting sites, including a clay tennis court with people playing. I took a seat next to the old water pump and waited for our Uber.

Back in Prague, we had hoped to visit the art museum, but somehow wound up at the National Museum. Prague has several National Museums, so be sure you have selected the right one before venturing over. We did a quick look around, grabbed a snack and headed out. We got it all figured out to go on another day to the correct museum. Don't skip out on the chlebíček while in Prague. These open-faced sandwiches are delicious!

Day 6: If I haven't mentioned it, the hotel breakfast is just outstanding at the Andaz Prague. Our stay there was perfect. I highly recommend it. We walked over to take a look at the astronomical clock in motion one last time and passed the Cloak of Conscience sculpture.

We headed over to the Charles Bridge to get a few photos and one last view of this beautiful city from the bridge. Honestly, this is one of the most beautiful places we have traveled to. And you don't have to walk far to see all of the beauty the city has to offer.

We finally made it to the National Gallery Prague - Trade Fair Palace. It didn't disappoint. If you are fellow art lovers, I highly recommend it!

What a great trip! If you are looking for a new place to explore, Prague is your place. Beautiful architecture at every turn, excellent food, and very walkable. It has been one of my favorite trips! I hope this post helps with planning your trip to the Czech Republic.