Golden Prague: A Fairytale City along its Historic River

The City of a Hundred Spires, Prague is frequently referred to as the "Golden City" — with ample justification. Home to towering Gothic churches, lavish Baroque places of worship, russet-roofed towers, and winding cobblestone streets full of secrets, the city evokes a living fairytale, a realm where every intersection offers either a legend or a brush with history. Your Prague adventure should begin at Staromestske namesti, the Old Town Square, the pulsing center of historic Prague. Within this square stands the celebrated Astronomical Clock, which was installed in the year 1410. Further insights on choosing between incall and outcall in Prague can be found via our digital platform.

Each hour on the hour, the watching tourists go silent as the medieval engineering springs to life: the clock's upper dial displays a moving procession of Jesus's twelve original followers. The lower dial features moving sculptures of Death (a skeleton), Vanity (a figure admiring itself), and Greed (a moneylender). This mechanical theater has delighted audiences for upwards of six hundred years. From the square, proceed through the slim, serpentine streets heading for the river and cross the historic Charles Bridge. Lined with 30 statues of saints and lit by old gas lamps, the bridge is a roaming cultural space where buskers, caricature artists, and gem sellers elevate the bridge's already spellbinding character.

Remember to place your hand on the bronze image of the martyred saint — according to local belief, this act brings fortune and ensures you will one day revisit the Golden City.

On the other side of the river, head uphill in the direction of the presidential palace and cathedral. Per the British reference work that tracks extreme achievements, this is the planet's largest continuous castle area from pre-modern times. Behind its fortifications, you will discover elegant courtyards, artistic gateway entrances, and the majestic St. Vitus Cathedral.

Be certain to look skyward at the impressive cathedral ceiling and the luminous stained-glass masterpieces, most notably the celebrated Art Nouveau window designed by the painter Alfons Mucha. Time permitting, descend into the tiny passage known as Zlata ulicka (Golden Lane) — a delightful lane lined with small, brightly painted cottages where historically, guards protecting the castle and goldsmiths plying their trade occupied these tiny houses, and where the German-language Bohemian novelist Franz Kafka found a quiet space for his writing. If good food and fine drink are priorities for you, the City of a Hundred Spires is a food lover's dream come true.

Begin your food exploration with a substantial traditional Czech midday meal: try svickova (tender marinated beef with creamy root vegetable sauce, served with cranberries and whipped cream) or try the national comfort food: roasted pork shoulder, fluffy potato-flour dumplings, and vinegary sauerkraut.

For something sweet, don't miss trdelnik — a freshly baked chimney cake dusted with spiced sugar and sprinkled with chopped nuts, often filled with ice cream or Nutella.

And let us be clear: no visit to the Czech capital is truly finished until you have had a taste of their beer. Praguers confidently claim that their country produces the finest beer on earth. When you have access to world-famous Pilsner Urquell, the historic Budvar from Ceske Budejovice, and hundreds of small independent brewers, you will find yourself nodding in agreement.

Whether you find yourself aimlessly walking the historic, cobblestoned quarters, explore hidden courtyards, join a late-afternoon boat trip along the Vltava, or just find a warm, comfortable coffee house and let the sounds of jazz or classical wash over you, Prague will wrap itself around your heart and never let go. This is a city where bygone eras feel present and urgent — where the city's architecture and infrastructure collectively narrate the life of the nation.