I signed up for a river cruise with Viking during the month of December to visit a variety of Christmas markets along the Danube in Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany. Prague was a short flight from the starting point of the river cruise in Budapest, and has always been really high on my list, especially during the holiday season because I’ve heard such incredible things about their Christmas markets.

Although the Christmas markets were my motivation to get there, I realized once in the city that there is much more to do, see, drink, and eat beyond the Christmas markets in Prague. Whether you’re looking for history and architecture, nightlife, incredible food, fun day trips to take from Prague, or C, all of the above, I’ve got you covered!

PART I — Where To Stay

Whenever I look for a hotel to stay at, I look for a few things. Great customer service reviews, clean rooms, comfortable beds, and, of course, a convenient location might even be my top priority. You really can’t beat a great location, especially if you’re planning on walking the majority of the time you’re exploring. The 5-star Hotel Mozart puts guests right in the middle of it all, with views of the Charles Bridge (a 3 minute walk away) and the Prague Castle. I think I only took public transportation once because the city is very walkable, but there’s a tram stop right outside the hotel. The rooms have historic 18th century character and charm, with modern amenities like AC and WiFi, and provide a comfortable place to lounge in at the end of the evening. I loved the tall windows with flowing curtains that cracked open, so I could hear the bustling sounds of the city at night when I was relaxing or journaling about my trip.

KEY AMENITIES:

ROOM RATE: Generally $250-350 per night
BOOK HERE

PART II — Where To Eat

Vinohradský Parlament Restaurant
Vinohradský is known for their fresh dumplings. They’re massive and often served as the main dish with a sweet plum sauce. They make their dumplings fresh every day, in addition to snacks to pair with drinks like homemade pâté with cherry jelly and pickled apple or pork knee served with a plum sauce, onions, salty jam, and a butter bun. The dumplings can be partnered with a variety of sauces like the cream sauce, the rosehip sauce, or the black plum sauce that I really enjoyed.

Taste of Prague Foodie Tour
Food is my favorite way to discover a new country, so I do food tours often when visiting new places. When I say this one stuck out, it really stuck out because you actually leave full. Usually you just try a couple of things and you generally still need a meal afterwards, but I can’t stress enough the importance of joining this tour hungry. They give you a ton of food and desserts to try. It’s worth the money (CZK 3,000, about $134.10) and they took us to some really great, highly rated places that I’ve read about. The places we visited are listed below individually!
BOOK HERE

Lokál Dlouhááá
We started with a glass of Pilsner, with your choice of pour; Čochtan (no foam), Hladinka (20-25% foam), Šnyt (half foam/half beer), or Mlíko” (almost entirely foam). Americans would send that back, but locals love their foam and believe it adds to the drink. We shared fried cheese with tartare sauce, marinated hermelin cheese, potato salad, a variety of sausages and local ham with creamy horseradish at Dlouha 33.

Naše Maso at Dlouhá 39
After Dlouha 33, we stopped at Naše Maso, a famous deli in the city. They’re well known for many things, including their meatloaf sandwich. We each tried a little bit of their meatloaf in a bun, which was perfectly seasoned and juicy.

Kro Kitchen at Sokolovska 79
We ventured to Kro Kitchen to try their famous roasted chicken dish. Honestly, when people mention chicken to me in a restaurant, I can’t help but stick my nose up a little bit after being force fed chicken almost daily as a child. However, I soon learned that a basic roasted, juicy chicken is the ideal vessel for an unbelievable sauce. The chicken at Kro Kitchen was smothered in a soy and butter sauce that was so salty and savory, I still dream about it to this day. We paired this with potato pancakes, braised beef with mushroom sauce, and cabbage salad. We washed it down with Johanes and Kliment ciders and Vinohradska 11 beers!

Cukrarna Mysak at Vodickova 31
We stopped at Cukrarna Mysak to taste a few different desserts. The group tried a trio of sweet treats called Větrník, konakova spicka and buchticky se sodo, all absolutely incredible. It’s definitely worth coming here to grab a cup of coffee and taste a few of their sweets.

PART III — What To Do

Charles Bridge
Pro tip, being so close to the Charles Bridge, if you like to take pictures like me, I can’t recommend going at sunrise enough. I got this tip from my best friend who actually got engaged on the Charles Bridge. It goes from being just a couple people enjoying the sunrise scattered around, to packed and completely mobbed during the day, almost unable to move.

Explore the city with a guide from Absolutely Prague

I met up with Jana Marková, the owner, founder and head guide of the tour agency Absolutely Prague, to explore the city. When it comes to selecting a guide, it’s important to me to find someone who truly knows the hidden gems and Jana grew up in Old Town. She has plenty of set tour options around the city, but she can also create a tour based on your interests. I was there during Christmas time before hopping on a European Christmas Market river cruise with Viking along the Danube, so it was really important to me to not only see some of the sites, but the local Christmas markets.

In addition to the extravagant Christmas Markets around town, there are smaller markets scattered throughout the city, and Jana was able to give me her input on the best ones. We went to Old Town Square, saw the Astronomical Clock, visited Wenceslas Square, stopped at local markets, Náměstí Míru, Žižkov Tower, had lunch at Vinohradský Parliament, and explored the Vinohrady district. She was able to take my time frame and fit in things that were most important to me, allowing me to get some truly special gifts to bring home for holiday presents, experience local food, sightsee, and more all within just a few hours.

Český Krumlov Day Trip
I originally found this little town from an excursion that Viking offered during the river cruise, but soon realized it’s only about a 2 hour drive from Prague. I’ve been to nearly 60 countries and this little town stole my heart. It stuck out to me for its storybook vibes, friendly locals, plethora of adorable storefronts, local shops, incredible architecture, and if you visit during the holidays, they had a small Christmas market filled with local crafts and foods, as well. Český Krumlov in the South Bohemia region, about 2 hours from Prague, and is definitely worth the detour. Especially around the holidays!

PART IV — Clubs and Nightlife

Anonymous Shrink’s Office
Anonymous is a bar in the city, hidden inside Bullet Bar. If you go in the back, there’s a brick wall with a cocktail shaker. You push the shaker and head down the stairs to a secret bar, known for having no menu. They use the Rorschac Test from Hermann Rorschach (aka the inkblot test), and make you a drink based on your choice. It’s notoriously difficult to get into, so make a reservation in advance.

Karlovy Lázně
If you want to go out in Prague, one of the highlights of the city is Karlovy Lázně, a famous 5 story club located within a historical 15th century building in the city, with different music on each floor. Each floor has its own specific theme, enhancing the experience. You can spend the night bar hopping within the same building for a really unique experience in Czech Republic, at the largest music club in Central Europe.

Banker’s Bar
At Bankers Bar at Haštalská 16, a Becherovka gimlet cocktail is a must. Becherovka smells incredible and is full of potent herbs. For a chill bar to end the night with a gimlet and good conversation, the Banker’s Bar is the ideal spot. It has the vibe of a Cuban bar and a wide variety of rums. They make delicious cocktails, and often have live music.

Prague should be at the top of your travel list, not just for the holidays, but year round!