World City Guide

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
One of the most enjoyable aspects of visiting Prague is that much of the compact old core is accessible on foot, with plenty of bars and cafes to provide relief along the way and an excellent public transport system on hand to ease tired limbs. The most famous square in Prague is Wenceslas Square, scene of the Velvet Revolution celebrations in 1989, though its shabby facades and dubious nightclubs are not too appealing these days. Just to the northwest is a far more cohesive and appealing public space, the Old Town Square, the throbbing heart of tourist Prague. The view from the top of the Old Town Hall gives a solid idea of the layout.

Head west towards the river and Karluv Most (Charles Bridge), with its hotchpotch of peddlars, entertainers and backpackers, unfurls across to the Mal Strana district. The bridge links the Lesser Town and the Castle above with the Old and New Towns. The central tourist area is made up of five sections. Hradčany is the Castle district, which also includes Katedrala Sv Vita (St Vitus Cathedral) and Klster sv Jiř (St George’s Convent). Mal Strana (Little or Lesser Town) is at the castle’s foot. Back east across Karluv Most lies Star Město (Old Town), with its winding narrow streets, Old Town Square and Old Town Hall (Staromestsk Radnice). The much ignored Josefov (the Jewish Quarter) is to the north of the old town while Nov Město (New Town) to the south hugs the river and is home to some interesting modern architecture.

The well publicised floods of 2002 did cause major damage to many low lying buildings on the banks of the Vltava, but apart from some reconstruction work here and there most visitors are unlikely to notice anything out of the ordinary thanks to speedy and efficient restoration work in the immediate aftermath of the floods.

While the Castle district and the Old Town are the real tourist hubs of the city, there is plenty else waiting elsewhere in Prague and further afield. Green spaces include Letn Park, Karlovo Namesti and Petrin Hill. There are myriad half and full day trip options with the chance to visit the UNESCO World Heritage town of Cesky Krumlov, one of Central Europe’s most charming escapes.

Tourist Information
Pra~sk Informacn Slu~ba (PIS – Prague Information Service)
Na přikop 20, Prague 1
Tel: 12444 (general).
E-mail: tourinfo@pis.cz
Website: www.prague-info.cz

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1900, Sat and Sun 0900-1700 (Apr-Oct); Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat 0900-1500 (Nov-Mar).

PIS branches can also be found in the Old Town Hall, Staromstsk nmst, Prague 1, Celetn, Prague 1, Hlavn ndra~ (main train station), Wilsonova, Prague 1, and, in the summer, at Malostransk mosteck vex (Lesser Town Bridge Tower), Prague 1.

Cedok Travel Agency
Na přikop 18, Prague 1
Tel: 22419 7242. Fax: 22421 6324.
E-mail: cedok@cedok.cz
Website: www.cedok.cz
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1800, Sat 0830-1300.

Passes
A three-day Tourist Pass, costing Kč790, allows unlimited travel on the metro, trams and buses, as well as admission to over 40 major attractions, including Prague Castle, the National Museum and the Museum of Decorative Arts. Passes without the transport charges cost Kč590. These passes are available for purchase from tourist information centres and offices of the Prague Public Transit Company (DP).