Last Spring, I took the ultimate girls trip to Berlin and Prague. Read about our trip to Prague here!

A Girl’s Guide to Prague

If you have already read our blog on Berlin, you can skip the intro below and get busy with our recommendations for Prague!

Immediately after visiting Italy with Johnny, I knew I had to get abroad ASAP. So, I hit up all my teacher friends who would also be off for the summer to see who was ready for a girl’s trip. My friend, Karyn, was all in. We planned a ten-day girls only trip to Berlin and Prague. Karyn is a badass traveler who has taken on several awesome trips solo. You can check out her travels by following her on Instagram, @karyntravels. Johnny and I have both been lucky enough to find friends who are not only down for drinks and karaoke in Chicago, but also down to see the world together.

Here are some of our favorite take-aways from our girl’s trip to Prague!

Check out our Berlin recommendations by clicking here.

1.     Go Funicular and Get Your Bearings in Prague

On our first day in a new city, we always like to skip a strict to-do list and get our bearings of the city. We look for how close things are located, the public transportation vibe, and the touristy vs. non-touristy areas of the city. Prague was no exception. We put our sneakers to the pavement and headed towards the Prague funicular. On our way there we walked through Old Town Square to see the Astronomical Clock. We took note to come back on the hour to enjoy the animated figures moving around and cheer with hundreds of tourists.

Next, we continued our stroll along the Charles Bridge and took in the unbelievable architecture of Prague as you cross the bridge. Check out everyone’s favorite travel buddy Rick Steve’s app to get some historical information about the bridge and adorning statues. We also made sure to note all of the restaurants along the river that we wanted to visit during our visit. It’s always 5 o’clock on vacation!!

Finally, we headed to the funicular to make our way up Petrin Hill to Petrin Tower. We usually try to avoid paying fees for tourist traps, but we decided to YOLO it at Petrin Tower and pay the $5 to go to the top. This bird’s eye view was a great way to see where we had already been and where we were planning on going in Prague (and we burned off some calories to make room for all of the drinking we didn’t know we were about to do). When visiting Petrin Tower, don’t miss the surrounding rose gardens. Go Hunger Games style and channel your inner President Snow as you make your way through the maze of unbelievable roses.

 

2.     Indulge in Wine and Cocktails Scene

Remember when I said it’s always 5 o’clock on vacation? This couldn’t be truer in Prague. The wine and cocktail scene left us on cloud 9, and with a hangover! Here were some of our very favorite spots to kick back and get jiggity with some drinks:

 

Bellavista: If you follow us on Instagram, you know that we love a good patio. The Bellavista patio is currently the reigning champion. Grab a table for an afternoon glass of wine and panoramic views of Praha. If you prefer fancy dinners, you can make a reservation here.

http://www.bella-vista.cz/

Strahovske nadvori 1, Prague, Czech Republic

James Joyce: When you’ve reached your daily quota of wine, James Joyce is your place to grab a pint of beer. James Joyce is Prague’s first Irish pub, which claims to be where the very first Guinness was poured in the Czech Republic—a historical event to never be forgotten! You can also enjoy some yummy Irish food while you clock in some time at the James Joyce bar.

http://www.jamesjoyceprague.cz/

U Obecniho dvora 4, Prague 1, Prague, Czech Republic

(photo cred: Karyn Keenan, @karyntravels)

Cukrkávalimonáda: Real talk, I despise salads, except salads from Cukrkávalimonáda that is. This quaint lunch stop serves up wine from around the world and the world’s best salads. It’s a perfect stop to reenergize as you’re touring around the Hunger Wall.

http://www.cukrkavalimonada.com/en/

Praha 1 – Mala Strana, Lazenska 7, Prague, Czech Republic

Strada del Vino: The old saying goes “a man walks into a bar…” well it’s time to reinvent that with “two girls walk into a wine bar…”.  We literally stumbled into this wine bar late one Prague afternoon and it was one of our favorite little spots. Strada del Vino greets you with friendly service, a chill vibe, and killer wine list.

https://www.facebook.com/stradadelvino2015/

Praha, Pštrossova 34, 110 00 Praha, Czech Republic

 

Bonvivant’s: Bonvivant’s was our introduction to the cocktail culture of Prague. Their mixologists were super friendly and serve up classic and creative cocktails. Bonvivant’s was small and simple, but a great place to wet our palates. After a few drinks, our waiter sent us to our next stop, L’Fleur.

https://www.facebook.com/BONVIVANTsCTC

Bartolomejska, 305/3, Prague 110 00, Czech Republic

L’Fleur: L’Fleur greeted us with 1920s décor and cocktails to leave Sia swinging from the chandelier above the bar. The mixologist at L’Fleur made our night by customizing drinks based on our favorite flavors (gin, gin, and more gin). L’Felur is also your go-to spot if you love to pop the bubbly. They have a carefully curated champagne list created by people who know a lot more about champagne than we do (can we pour one out for our friend, Andre?).

http://www.lfleur.cz/

V Kolkovně 920/5, 110 00 Praha 1-Staré Město, Czech Republic

Bugsy’s: Our waiter at L’Fleur kindly WALKED us over to Bugsy’s—talk about A+ service (and a nod to how tight knit the cocktail scene is in Prague)! The stairs down to Bugsy’s take you into a retro neon heaven. The mixologists are dressed to the nines in crisp shirts and bow ties. If that doesn’t make you swoon, the cheese straws and cocktails will. Bugsy’s has another plethora of fun cocktails, as well as a full bar, beer, wine, champagne, sake, and CIGARS. Bugsy’s attracts locals and visitors alike so the people watching is 100.

http://www.bugsysbar.cz/

Pařížská 1068/10, 110 00 Praha – Staré Město, Czech Republic

Fred & Ginger’s: Fred and Ginger’s is on the top floor of the Dancing House. If you’re already going to pop by the Dancing House to check out the architecture by Vlado Milunic and Frank Gehry, you might as well have a glass of wine, too. This chic bar is covered in mirrors, including the floor (i.e. don’t wear a dress like I did, oops!) and has amazing views of Prague. Down a glass of bubbles inside then head out to the observation deck to take in more views of the river and Prague Castle.

http://ginger-fred-restaurant.cz/en/

Jiraskovo namesti 6 | Nove Mesto, Prague 120 00, Czech Republic

 

3.     Get Weird at the John Lennon Wall

If there’s any words to live by it’s John Lennon’s, “it’s weird not to be weird.” The Lennon Wall was a place for Prague’s youth to leave political messages and graffiti during Communism. Today, the wall is filled with a rainbow of current political messages and quotes. Leave yourself time to take in all of the messages covering the wall and if you’re lucky you can get a selfie with John Lennon like we did.

 

4.     Get Weirder at the Miniatures Museum

I’ve had to throw out a couple #nerdalerts in my previous blog posts, but I think my reigning nerdiest moment was geeking out at the Miniatures Museum. The Prague Castle left me wanting more so we walked over to the Miniatures Museum, which is full of the tiniest art pieces by Anatolij Koněnko. Now, if you’re like me and didn’t know what miniatures were, imagine a wonderful word of models so tiny you need a microscope to see them such as a zoo built on the antennae of a mosquito or camels walking in the eye of a needle. Willy Wonka doesn’t have anything on this museum.

http://www.prague.net/museum-of-miniatures

Strahovské nádvoří 11, 118 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic

 

5.     Eat a Buchta

I was lucky enough to marry into the last name Buchta, which also happens to be a yummy Czech pastry. Do my namesake a favor and enjoy one while you’re in Prague. The Café Lounge at the Hunger Wall Residence whips up flavored Buchtas as part of their breakfast service.  Enjoy your Buchta then head across the street to take in the Memorial to the Victims of Communism. This thought provoking collection of statues pays memory to the victims of Communism.

http://www.cafe-lounge.cz/

Plaská 615/8, 150 00 Praha 5

Újezd / Malá Strana

 

6.     Pedal Boat the River

The best way to see all of the sights of Prague is by cruising the river. If you want to avoid the high prices of a river cruise and get some exercise, rent a pedal boat on the Vltava River. For about $8 an hour you can pedal your way around the river. Pony up a few extra dollars and buy beers to take with you. 8 year old you would be proud!!

http://www.slovanka.net/pages/e/main_e.php

 

7. Stand in Infinite Awe at the Prague Tunnel of Books

I never thought I’d clock in time at a library while traveling, but I was wrong. The Prague Municipal Library in Marianske Square is home to the infinite book sculpture by Matej Kren, which should not be missed. This surreal sculpture will take you straight into the pages of the strange world of Alice in Wonderland. Just don’t jump down the rabbit hole, okay?

Mariánské nám. 98/1, 110 00 Praha, Czech Republic
Prague is one of the most beautiful places we’ve been, but also one of the most touristy. Thus, a Google search and a Tripadvisor drive-by will get you loads of information about other popular tourist stops in the city!