Globalista

Geography

Prague is divided into two by the Vltava River. On the western side lie Prague Castle and Mala Strana (Lesser Town); on the east lie the pretty Old Town (Stare Mesto) and the new town (Nove Mesto) with the famous Wenceslas Square, unfortunately now full of casinos and strip bars. The 14th-century Charles Bridge is the most scenic way to cross the river, especially at night with the illuminated castle as a backdrop.

Best Hotels

The most popular place to stay in Prague is in the charming Old Town. The Four Seasons, Prague combines an ideal location, luxury and unrivalled river views. It has 141 rooms and 20 suites spread through three linked buildings, each with its own architectural style. Decorated with beautiful artwork and crystal chandeliers, the suites are particularly attractive and, as expected from a Four Seasons, the service is fantastic – its restaurant Allegro (see Best Supper Spots below) excels too.

On the other side of the river, close to Charles Bridge, is the Mandarin Oriental, Prague, a converted 14th-century monastery turned 99-room hotel. Blending oriental exoticism, contemporary chic and traditional Czech style, it provides a sophisticated base for visitors, surrounded as it is by the veritable open-air museum of historic architecture that is the wonderfully preserved Mala Strana. The Hotel Le Palais Prague, close to Wenceslas Square, was built as a residential palace in 1897 and is a fine example of belle époque architecture. The Veronika Jurkowitsch interiors fuse historical elegance with state-of-the-art attention to detail.

Also Worth a Look

Romantik Hotel U Raka is an intimate six-room retreat close to the castle, in Prague’s last remaining wooden building. It has an amazingly rustic feel, set around a courtyard and with open fires in some of the rooms – a good choice for couples as children under 12 aren’t allowed. Decorated with silks, red and gold furniture and gilded plasterwork, the opulent Alchymist Grand Hotel & Spa occupies a late 16th-century building in Mala Strana. The 46 rooms all have marble bathrooms and flatscreen TVs, and there’s a spa with swimming-pool. Don’t let the name put you off, the Hilton Prague Old Town is a slick operation with 305 spacious rooms, Gordon Ramsay’s Maze restaurant, a fantastic cocktail bar and public areas designed by David Collins and Alexandra Champalimaud. There’s no spa, but there is a gym and an indoor pool.

In a renovated 14th-century building in the Old Town with 43 beautifully decorated suites, The Iron Gate is one of the most romantic choices in Prague. The rooms are individually decorated, with 14th- or 18th-century frescoes, wooden beams or Jacuzzis; we love the Tower Suite, spread over three floors of the 17th-century tower with Jacuzzi, roof terrace and small turret study. Music lovers may be interested in the Aria in Mala Strana, a 52-room hotel with each floor named after a musical genre (jazz, opera, classical & contemporary). There is a restaurant, Coda, with rooftop terrace, and a music library where Dr Ivana Stehlikova, the in-house music director with a PhD in Musicology, can advise you on musical events in the city.

Finally, the Kempinski Hybernska Prague is in the centre of the city, while Rocco Forte’s much-awaited hotel The Augustine opened near Prague Castle in May 2009. Designed by Olga Polizzi, its 101 rooms are spread through seven buildings including the 15th-century St Thomas’s Monastery.

Cheap Chic

Minimally designed, Hotel Josef may be a little too modern and sparse for many tastes, but the rates are good and the location near the old Jewish Quarter is within easy distance of Wenceslas Square. Its two linked buildings have 110 rooms and the rooftop bar has a fine view over the city. In the heart of the Old Town near Charles Bridge, Domus Balthasar has eight rooms including two suites with small kitchenettes; it is popular with business travellers for its peace and quiet and its excellent location.

Best Lunch Spots

Kampa Park is one of Prague’s most famous venues and attracts a stream of high-profile visitors even if the food can be mediocre and the service patchy. The setting, however, is exceptional as are the views of Charles Bridge from the city’s most glamorous terrace. The three-course set lunch at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze restaurant offers great value, while the Grand Café Orient in the basement of the House of the Black Madonna (the Museum of Czech Cubism) offers simple, affordable meals in stunning surroundings. For a simple but atmospheric lunch head to Café Savoy, a wonderful art nouveau café resorted to its former glory in 2005. Enjoy cheap, hearty soups under a ceiling of chandeliers in one of the most atmospheric restaurants in the city.

Best Supper Spots

A visit to La Dégustation in the Old Town is something of an event. Rather than a standard à la carte menu, chef Oldŕich Sahajdák offers three seven-course tasting menus – one based on traditional end-of-19th-century Czech dishes inspired by Marie Svobodova, one offering fish and vegetable dishes with a Czech and a Mediterranean flavour, and one offering a selection of these two. Allegro at the Four Seasons is the only restaurant in the Czech Republic with a Michelin star. Under chef Andrea Accordi the menu offers a mix of Italian, Mediterranean and Czech dishes. The interior is a little bland; ask for a table on the terrace in summer.

Another Italian restaurant with a high reputation is Aromi, a low-key trattoria where you can find everything from seafood to vegetable risotto and meatballs. For a romantic evening, the terrace at Pálffy Palác, the restaurant on the second floor of the baroque Pálffy Palace, is wonderful. The food is good, if not great, but it’s the surroundings that make dining here special. Also try Kolkovna, a stylish version of a traditional Czech beer hall and Essensia at The Mandarin Oriental, a smart Euro/Asian restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental.

Best Night on the Town

Barego at the Mandarin Oriental (Nebovidsak 459/1, Mala Strana, Prague 1; +420 233 088 888; www.mandarinoriental.com) is by far the smartest venue in town and the perfect spot for an early or late evening cocktail. The restaurant/entertainment complex Hergetova Cihelna (Cihelna 2b, Prague 1; +420 296 826 103; www.cihelna.com) has a restaurant, two modern bars and a large terrace with wonderful views of Charles Bridge. However, the best place for summer drinks is the Kampa Park Terrace (Na Kampe 8b, Prague 1; +420 296 826 112; www.kampagroup.com). If you’re interested in the local music scene, head to the Lucerna Music Bar (Vodickova 36, Prague 1; +420 224 217 108; www.musicbar.cz).

Best Recovery Plan

The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental has an atmospheric location inside a Renaissance chapel with the ancient remains of a Gothic church on show under the glass floor. There are seven treatment rooms, hydrotherapy and heat areas and a wonderfully peaceful relaxation space.

Best Shops

Prague is famed for Bohemian glass and crystal and there’s no dearth of boutiques in the Old Town (originally a central marketplace, which has evolved into the main artisanal shopping area) selling vases, chandeliers, stemware and glass art. Artel Design (Celetna 29, Prague 1; +420 224 815 085; www.artelglass.com) sells fabulous modern glass pieces by leading designers as well as antiques. Dorotheum (2 Ovocny trh, Prague 1; +420 224 222 001; www.dorotheum.cz) is the Prague branch of the Viennese auction house where you can find stunning glassware, jewellery and trinkets. Also try Modernista (Celetna 12, Prague 1; +420 224 241 300; www.modernista.cz) for original and reproduction tableware and furnishings from the early 20th century. On the fashion side, Boheme (Dušni 8, Prague 1; +420 224 813 840; www.boheme.cz) is a chic boutique specialising in fashionable knitwear.

Best Sights

It could easily take an entire day to explore the vast complex of buildings, gardens, palaces, courtyards and churches that make up Prague Castle. The main sights include St Vitus Cathedral, St George’s Basilica, the Royal Palace and the Powder Tower. While the queues for the imposing St Vitus Cathedral are frequently long, it is worth the wait to see inside. Dating back in parts to AD 926, it is the major attraction of the castle complex. The main part of the cathedral was built by Charles IV in the 14th century, with baroque and neo-Gothic sections added in the 18th and 19th centuries. The stained-glass windows above the altar are superb, and St Wenceslas Chapel is the most impressive of the cathedral’s 21 chapels. If you have limited time, you might consider a night-time visit. The attractions are closed, but the complex is open and illuminated until midnight and can be quite magical without the crowds.

Dating from the 13th century, Prague’s Jewish Quarter is home to several synagogues (including the Old-New Synagogue, the oldest in Europe), the Jewish Town Hall and one of the largest cemeteries in the world with over 12,000 graves. The Jewish Museum (U Staréškoly, Prague 1; +420 221 711 511; www.jewishmuseum.cz) was established in 1906.

Best Views

Petřín Hill rises up behind the castle and offers beautiful views over the city – you can walk 20 minutes to the top or take the funicular railway. Children will love the miniature Eiffel Tower at the top, and the Stefanik Observatory will keep star-spotters happy. Just south of Prague Castle lies Strahov Hill, where you’ll find the Strahov Monastery (1/132 Strahovske Nadvori; +420 233 107 711; www.strahovskyklaster.cz) which has sublime views of Mala Strana. This tranquil retreat is famous for its extensive library and a small but lovely picture gallery. The Strahov Monastic Brewery (www.klasterni-pivovar.cz) is in the same complex.

Best Museums & Galleries

The Princely Collections at the Lobkowicz Palace (Jirska 3; +420 233 312 925; www.lobkowiczevents.cz) are a must. This private museum on the eastern edge of Prague Castle has one of Europe’s best private collections of Old Masters and arms. The collections of the National Gallery are spread through several fascinating sites including St Agnes Convent (U milosrdných 17, Hradcany; +420 224 810 628; www.ngprague.cz); the buildings and churches that make up St Agnes Convent have a stunning collection of medieval and early Renaissance art.

A permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century art can be found at the Veletrzni Palace (Dukelských hrdinu 47, Prague 7; +420 224 301 111; www.ngprague.cz), including cubist drawings by Picasso, bronzes by Rodin and work by Czech artists during the communist era. The National Gallery’s Museum of Czech Cubism is in the House of the Black Madonna (Ovocny trh 19, Prague 1; +420 224 211 746; www.ngprague.cz), an early 20th-century cubist building designed by Josef Gocar. For an introduction to the contemporary art scene visit The Meet Factory (Ke Sklárně 3213/15, Prague 5; +420 251 551 796; www.meetfactory.cz), a performance/exhibition space that hosts regular exhibitions and screenings and provides studios for working artists.

A visit to the Franz Kafka Museum (Cihelna 2b, Prague 1; +420 257 535 507; www.kafkamuseum.cz) is a must for anyone interested in the writer’s work. There are two sections: Existential Space focuses on Kafka’s relationship with Prague, and Imaginary Topography aims to show the writer’s ‘imaginary topography’ of the city.

Best Music & Theatre

Housed in a neo-Renaissance building, the Rudolfinum (Alsovo nabrezi 12; tickets +420 227 059 227; www.ceskafilharmonie.cz) is the city’s premier concert venue and home to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The Estates Theatre (Ovocny trh, Prague 1; +420 224 224 351; www.estatestheatre.cz), where Mozart premiered Don Giovanni in 1787, hosts part of the city’s annual Mozart festival as well as other opera and ballet performances. Also putting on opera and ballet, with an emphasis on Czech composers, the National Theatre (Národni Trida, Prague 1; tickets +420 224 224 351; www.nationaltheatre.cz) was born of the 19th-century fervour for culture; its interior was created by some of the finest painters and sculptors of the time, and there is an impressive foyer (complete with ceiling paintings by Ženíšek). The State Opera House (Legerova 75, Prague 1; +420 296 117 111; www.opera.cz) is a neo-rococo affair originally built as a theatre in 1888; for almost 50 years it put on shows exclusively in German, but today it offers a wide programme of operas, ballets and concerts.

Best Secret Agent

Olga Savelková has shown everyone from Royalty to politicians and CEOs around Prague. Offering tailormade tours around the city and the surrounding countryside, she knows everything there is to know about Prague's music, art nouveau, contemporary art and baroque attractions (+420 604 851 222; olga.savelkova@iol.cz).

Best Walks

Named after Charles IV of Bohemia, Charles Bridge is a scenic link between the Old Town and Mala Strana. By day it’s a busy tourist thoroughfare, but at night it’s much quieter and rather magical. The Old Town Square is the tourist hub of Prague, with architecture ranging from Gothic to Baroque. On the southern wall of the Old Town City Hall is the celebrated astronomical clock, the Orloj, a stunning architectural piece dating from 1410; every hour the 12 apostles appear through wooden doors at the top showing the revolution of the sun, moon and stars.

Also of note is the Gothic church of Our Lady Before Tyn, which dominates one side of the Old Town Square – it is visible from all over the city and has beautiful interiors. Two doors down is the Kinsky Palace (Staroměstské náměstí 12, Prague 1; +420 224 810 758; www.ngprague.cz) which once housed Kafka’s school and now has the National Gallery’s landscape paintings. Prague also has some beautiful gardens including Vrtba (Karmelitska 25, Prague 1; +420 257 531 480; www.vrtbovska.cz) on the slopes of Petrin Hill, which dates back to 1720, and the Palace Gardens (3 Valdstejnske Nam; +420 257 010 111; www.palacovezahrady.cz), a series of five gardens conceived in the 16th century and updated in the 1920s.

Best Events

Running for nearly 70 years, the Prague Spring International Music Festival (www.festival.cz; 12 May-3 June 2010) is one of Europe’s best classical music festivals, held throughout the city at venues like the State Opera House and the Rudolfinum concert hall. Sadly, the second most important event in the Czech music calendar, the Prague Autumn International Music Festival (www.pragueautumn.cz), will not take place in 2009. In December the Old Town Square is transformed into a winter wonderland of colour and lights when it hosts the city’s annual Christmas Market. With stalls selling everything from food to glassware, wooden toys and candles, it is wonderfully atmospheric and this is one of the best times to be in the city.

Best Escape

If you have the time, make the one-hour drive out of Prague into St George forest to visit Chateau Mcely (Mcely, Czech Republic; +420 325 600 000; www.chateaumcely.com). A 17th-century chateau turned 24-room hotel, it has a spa, a restaurant and stunning surroundings including the 1200-acre Jabkenice Game Park and several beautiful castles.

Best Insider Tip

Prague is the most wonderful city to walk in; with a simple map you can navigate your way throughout the city during the course of a day and marvel at its beauty. Whether you enter the various building and monuments, churches and museums, or not, you can delight in the magnificence of their exteriors.

Best Avoided

Wenceslas Square, the centre of attraction for visiting stag parties. Charles Bridge can be incredibly crowded during the middle of the day, best to enjoy it in the early morning or at night. Summer is the busiest time to visit; spring, autumn and winter can be a lot more pleasant.

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to send us your comments.