Your complete travel guide: Spending 36 hours in Prague

Prague

The Czech capital is trying to find a balance between its past and its future. It has improved many of its historic sites, while adding striking new additions in its skyline.

A reset on

Tourism

During the pandemic, the city has become more focused on its residents. Many new parks, bike paths, pedestrian bridges, and other amenities have been added outside of the historic center.

Many of the best cafes, restaurants and bars are also located outside Old Town in areas such as Dejvice. Vinohrady. Holesovice. Karlin. Visit a great new bakery, a charming old beer hall or stop by a coffee shop as you explore this city. ITINERARY

Saturday

4 p.m.

Enjoy the atmosphere

New ticket counters, renovated retail areas, and new ticket booths have been installed in the 19th century train hall, Prague's second-oldest still-in-operation after Praha Dejvice. The stylish new restaurant Masarycka offers travelers mugs filled with Pilsner Urquell (65 korunas or $3) as well as great traditional food just steps from the platforms.

5:30 p.m.

Cool down on an Island

In recent years, the nearby Karlin district, which includes Lyckovo Square, has flourished thanks to new residential and commercial developments on the waterfront, as well as newly renovated century-old buildings. The main street of Karlin, Krizikova Street will take you past Karlinske Square. This is one of the district's revitalized areas. Continue on to the entrance of a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge that opened in July. The footbridge, HolKa connects Karlin, on the south bank of the Vltava River, to Holesovice, on the northern side, and has a mid-route exit to Stvanice, a long overlooked island. The island's 100 year-old public swimming area is now called Baden Baden Stvanice, which was reopened after a 20-year closure.

7:30 p.m.

Try out the latest brews

The original home of Budweiser and Pilsner, the

Czech Republic

Prague has more than 50 breweries, and the city consumes more beer per capita than any other place on Earth. Bohemia Goose in New Town serves Czech-style beer and a food menu that includes hearty goose and duck dishes. These have been part of Czech cuisine for many years. Add a generous amount of duck liver spread (175 korunas), or pork crackling spread 125 korunas, to a slice of thick rye before enjoying a slow-roasted goose with sweet red cabbage, and several styles of dumplings. Pour a 75 koruna pale or dark beer from the giant, custom-built tower of beer to wash it all down.

Saturday

9 a.m.

Choose your café

You can find great coffee in Dejvice, just north of Hradcanska Metro station. The intimate, new bistro Sodo is one source. Taste of Prague is run by two of Sodo’s owners, who also own the restaurant. This explains why local ingredients like 'nduja and Comte are so common. Misto is a more established breakfast place, which is popular among laptop users and young mothers. Order the poached Turkish egg with herb oil, garlic yogurt, dukkah (the Middle Eastern seasoning), and toasted focaccia for 195 korunas. Doubleshot Coffee Roasters' flagship Tam Dem blend is the perfect flat white (75 korunas). Fill out some postcards, or write a page in your diary before you head out.

10 a.m.

Avoid the crowds at castles

Prague Castle, ranked by Guinness World Records the largest ancient castle of the world (free entrance to the grounds but 250 korunas for certain sites), is a must see. When you want to escape the crowds, take a walk through Jeleni Prikop (free to enter), also known as the Stag Moat. This quiet, verdant area is often overlooked by tourists due to its semi-hidden entry near Powder Bridge. The gardens provide a beautiful view of the Mala Strana district and Old Town across the water.

Noon

Enjoy the barbecue

Texas barbecue, which was originally influenced by Czech immigrants in the Hill Country, has made its way to the capital. A number of smokehouses have popped up. Automat Matuska is a new restaurant and taproom in Dejvice, which was opened by the local craft brewery Pivovar Matuska last fall. Even vegetarians can enjoy the roasted carrots with star anise and salsa verde (155 korunas), or the marinated eggplants with miso butter, feta and a star-anise infused sauce (219 korunas).

1 p.m.

Explore, shop, hang out

Buy a 30-koruna tram ticket and take the No. You can take the 26 tram from Hradcanska to Lipanska, 11 stops away, and explore the twin tree-lined suburbs of Vinohrady or Zizkov. Both are home to many foreigners. Take a look at the small shops in the area for some great souvenirs. Also, take a few pictures of the Zizkov Television Tower. Once deemed an eyesore, it is now regarded as a symbol of the city. Stop by Boho on your way out. It's a cafe, but also a design store where you can get a brownie to boost your mood (65 korunas), while trying bracelets from local artisans (1200 korunas).

3 p.m.

View art underground

Visit Vysehrad - one of Prague's oldest sites. It is located on a hilltop with a view of the river, about 2 miles from Old Town Square. The massive fortress on this site was built largely in the 17th Century, although some original structures date back to the 10th. English-language tours through the cave-like chambers of its

citadel

Starting at 11 am, walls will leave every hour. Sometimes, Czech and English tour groups may be combined. The tunnels and chambers will feature Jiri Pacinek's glasswork until Sept. 3. His pieces were featured in the 2022 movie "Glass Onion : A Knives Out Mystery." After paying your respects, you can visit the Vysehrad cemetery to pay your respects for composers Antonin Dvorak, Bedrich Smetana and artist Alphonse Manya.

4:30 p.m.

Check out designers

You can find the Czechdesign store on Myslikova Street less than 20 minutes away to the north. However, it is only open on Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. It will extend its hours of operation in September. You'll find a variety of products by local designers and craftspeople, including glass mugs (600 korunas), Braasi backpacks (3,290 korunas), Ivana Kocmanova aka Bro. (17,300 Korunas), and the kitsch but cool "Praha", socks that display the Czech name for Prague. You can explore the surrounding area, and bakeries like Artic Bakehouse nearby offer cherry danishes for 80 korunas and chocolate croissants for 70 korunas.

7:30 p.m.

Eat in a lab

Alma in New Town combines traditional ingredients with cutting edge techniques. The restaurant's "laboratory" ferments pickles, such as green walnuts, pumpkin, and other unusual ingredients, including those foraged in Czech forests and on Czech fields. The chuck-eye steak with tomato jus, tomatillo and roasted paprika (795 korunas), for example, is a modernized version of Central European cuisine. Vegetarians and vegans can also find tasty options. On the wine list, as well as at special events, you can meet cult favorites like Milan Nestarec. The old-fashioned from the bar may be a little small, but it does come with an edible pine cone (285 korunas), and there are intensely flavorful nonalcoholic mixed drinks, such as a lemon-and-Sichuan-pepper number (115 korunas).

Sunday

10 a.m.

Enjoy a meal at a museum

The new Kunsthalle, located near Malostranska Station, is a three-story art museum that has attracted international attention. However, the local secret is its new bistro, which offers a two-part brunch that requires a reservation and includes museum admission (1400 korunas). Breakfast buffet includes blueberry pancakes, pastries and eggs Florentine. Visit the exhibits and then head back to the bistro. The final tasting menu changes every week, but may include Vietnamese-style Duck soup, Shrimp Gyoza, or a reinterpretation of classic Czech Schnitzels. The museum's current exhibition, which runs through October 16, explores the idea of bohemia, a countercultural movement and an artistic movement. It includes artworks from Paris, San Francisco and New York as well as Prague, Beijing, and Zagreb in Croatia.

2 p.m.

Dream of a opulent Past

Clam-Gallas Palace is a baroque masterpiece and former aristocratic home that reopened last fall after extensive reconstruction. The website states that English-language guided rooms tours are only offered on Thursdays and on Sundays between 2 and 4 pm. However, daily audio-guided tours are expected to be available in September. The mansion is a sprawling complex of ballrooms and grand staircases with trompe-l'oeil ceilings and paintings from the 18th century. You can also dream about life in the city's earlier glamourous eras. - KEY STOPS

The area around

Masaryk Railway Station

The 19th century train hall is undergoing a significant transformation. Zaha Hadid Architects have designed several new buildings to complement it.

The latest in fashion

Karlin

You can also find out more about the following:

Holesovice

A new footbridge connects the neighborhoods and leads to Stvanice Island in the Vltava River.

You can also find out more about the following:

Southern Gardens

The recently reopened

Stag Moat

Must-see attractions

Prague Castle

Offer peace and quiet away from the crowds.

You can also find out more about the following:

Kunsthalle

The museum has three floors of contemporary and modern art. The gallery's bistro serves a two-part Sunday brunch as fuel for a day spent viewing art.

Where to Eat

Masarycka

This restaurant combines the neoclassical decor from the Masaryk Railway Station, with a modern beer hall atmosphere.

Bohemia Goose

This is the newest brewery to open in a city which loves beer.

Sodo

The intimate bistro offers excellent coffee, a unique menu and local ingredients.

Misto

It is one of many excellent coffee shops and restaurants in the neighborhood.

Automat Matuska

Serves Texas-style BBQ and craft beer to mostly young crowd.

Alma

The "lab" offers a variety of funky fermented dishes as well as cleverly updated Central European cuisine.

Where to Stay

Andaz Prague

Doubles from around 370 euros (Czech hotels tend to list prices in euros, not the local koruna), about $405. Doubles start at around 370 euros.

Falkensteiner Hotel Prague

The branch of a luxury Austrian resort offers newly refurbished rooms in bold colors, not far from Prague’s main train station or Wenceslas Square. Doubles starting at around 199 Euros

Hotel Cube

The shop offers ultramodern design, in a quiet location south of Narodni Boulevard. It is not far from Alma or the Czechdesign store. Doubles start at around 135 Euros.

You can also find out more about the following:

short-term rentals

Look at Vinohrady or Dejvice, which all have easy access to public transport.