City guide · Czechia

Prague

Prague is Czechia's capital, built on both banks of the Vltava. Its historic visitor core links Old Town and New Town on the east bank with Malá Strana and Prague Castle on the west through a sequence of squares, bridges and steep streets. The preserved centre carries medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and later architecture in close succession, while districts such as Holešovice, Karlín and Žižkov reveal the industrial and residential city beyond the postcard core. Most first visits combine walking in the centre with public transport to outer districts.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Practical information

Language spoken: Czech; National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code: +420; International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency: Czech koruna (CZK); Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number: 112; Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type: Type C and E · 230 V; Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water: Not recorded; No verified nationwide visitor statement was recorded

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Prague

Planning a visit

Suggested stay: Not recorded
Getting around: Walk, tram and metro

January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
March: good time to visit
April: best time to visit
May: best time to visit
June: good time to visit
July: good time to visit
August: good time to visit
September: best time to visit — current month
October: good time to visit
November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
December: viable with meaningful trade-offs

Best time
Good time
Viable with trade-offs
Difficult conditions

Sources

worldweather.wmo.int Checked 2026-08-28

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

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How the city is laid out

The Vltava and the ridge below Prague Castle organise the centre. Old Town Square, the Jewish Quarter and Wenceslas Square sit east of the river; Charles Bridge crosses to Malá Strana, where streets climb toward the castle. New Town wraps around the medieval core rather than forming a separate modern centre. Beyond it, Holešovice lies north, Karlín northeast and Žižkov east of the central station. These outer districts are best treated as individual routes, while Old Town, Charles Bridge and Malá Strana can be joined on foot if steep sections are manageable.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk through the historic centre and use Prague Integrated Transport for longer or steeper journeys. Metro, trams, buses, trains and ferries operate within the integrated system; the three colour-coded metro lines form its backbone and trams are especially useful across the central districts. Ticket validity is time-based and transfers are allowed within the ticket period. Paper tickets that require validation must be stamped once at the start, not again during transfers. Consult PID or Prague City Tourism for current fares, disruptions and accessibility details.

Checked 2026-08-26

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Prague?

A fixed stay length is not recorded. Divide the visit between Old Town and New Town, the west-bank castle and Malá Strana, then an outer district such as Holešovice, Karlín or Žižkov.

Which side of the river holds Prague Castle?

Prague Castle and Malá Strana are on the west bank of the Vltava. Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, New Town and the main railway station are on the east side.

Should I use trams or the metro?

Use the metro for longer cross-city links and trams for many central and hillside routes. Walking remains the best way to connect sights inside the historic core.

How do Prague transport tickets work?

Ticket validity is based on time rather than the number of transfers. A paper ticket that requires validation is stamped once at the beginning and not stamped again when changing services.

Is the historic centre flat?

No. Old Town is comparatively level, but routes through Malá Strana toward Prague Castle climb. Use a tram when steep streets or mobility constraints make the full walk unsuitable.

🇨🇿Prague