Prague is one of Europe's most photographed cities, and for good reason — the Gothic spires, the Baroque palaces, the medieval astronomical clock. But spend even a couple of days here and you discover that beneath the tourist surface lies a city of real grit, dark history, and a thriving local culture utterly unlike its Instagram image.
Morning: The Castle Before the Crowds
Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle complex in the world by area, and arriving before 8:30am means you get to wander its courtyards in near-silence. St. Vitus Cathedral is inside the grounds and free to enter the nave — the stained glass is extraordinary, particularly the Alfons Mucha window in the north transept. Give it at least ninety minutes before the tour groups arrive.
Golden Lane, tucked against the castle's north wall, is a row of tiny medieval cottages once occupied by castle guards and later (briefly) by Franz Kafka, who rented a writing studio here in 1916–1917. The cottages now house small exhibitions, and the whole lane feels somehow both toylike and genuinely ancient at the same time.
Afternoon: Crossing to the Old Town
Walk down through Malá Strana and cross the Charles Bridge on foot. Yes, it's crowded — but the bridge's thirty Baroque statues and the views up and down the Vltava are worth navigating the selfie sticks for. Arrive again very early the next morning if you want photographs with nobody in them; at 6am it's almost empty and the river mist makes it look genuinely otherworldly.
Prague doesn't let go. This little mother has claws. You have to comply or — Kafka wrote those words to a friend in 1902, and standing on the Charles Bridge watching the city spread in every direction, I understood exactly what he meant.
Evening: Vinohrady and the Real Prague
For dinner and drinks, leave the Old Town entirely and head to Vinohrady, the residential neighbourhood east of Wenceslas Square. Its tree-lined streets are full of locally-loved restaurants, wine bars, and coffee shops where you'll find almost no tourist menus. I had roast duck with red cabbage and bread dumplings at a neighbourhood bistro, with half a litre of dark Kozel for less than 400 CZK (about €16). Extraordinary value.
Quick Prague Tips
- Use Czech crowns, not euros: Prague is in the EU but uses CZK. Exchange at a bank or ATM — never the booths on tourist streets, which charge extortionate rates.
- Public transport is exceptional: A 24-hour pass costs around 120 CZK and covers trams, metro, and buses across the city. The tram network is particularly useful and very frequent.
- Escape the Old Town: Žižkov, Vinohrady, and Smíchov are all wonderful, authentically Czech neighbourhoods within easy reach of the centre. Explore them.
- Don't skip the difficult history: The Museum of Communism and the Pinkas Synagogue (a Holocaust memorial) are among the most powerful museum experiences I've had anywhere in Europe. Essential visits.
Forty-eight hours is genuinely not enough for Prague — but it's enough to fall properly in love with it. Book more time if you can. And when you get there, walk across the Charles Bridge at dawn at least once. You'll thank me later.