Explore the Strahov Libraries with Ultimate Prague Itinerary:
Winter is a good time for me to visit the Strahov Libraries. The cold weather makes the atmosphere more peaceful. This library is located in Prague which gives you a great library experience. If you’ve seen the library on Instagram or Pinterest then you should visit this place physically. It is a great and unforgettable experience for you. In addition, the library has two halls, the Philosophical Hall and Theological Hall. They both have great Baroque Library design, art, and architecture. The Strahov Libraries is a great historical library and a must see destination when you are in Prague.
Getting a private tour is a good idea because you can have a hard time seeing the halls. You should get a tour during the winter months, because it is a great opportunity to see the library halls.
Even though the halls set up are looking very similar, they have very distinct individual styles. The photos you can take are amazing, but the experience is even better. This is a must see destination which you can easily book through KAYAK for history lover.
Things to do in Prague: A Different Way to Explore the City
Escape the Crowds: Fun Things to Do in Prague Without the Tourists:
This guide goes beyond the most popular attractions and provides you with other ways to enjoy this gorgeous city. After a few visits to this city, I noted that like my former city, Edinburgh, Prague is a combination of smaller villages. Walking in any direction, it took around thirty minutes to reach new village that houses a Czech city that may be undiscovered. These unique areas are often skipped by most tourists.
This guide includes coolest things and hidden gems for new travelers. You can find unique experiences beyond the Old Town’s tourist attractions. This guide has things that more common and popular guides to Prague. Please look at the complete post for Prague guides it will help you with good budgets for give you and tips to better optimize your Prague trip.
Fun Things to Do in Prague for Adults: Explore the City Like a Local
Take a Trip to Vyšehrad:
Vyšehrad is one of the best historical sites in Prague. It’s beautiful, peaceful, and away from the usual tourist spots. Most people know about Prague Castle, but Vyšehrad is quieter and has more beautiful views of the city. It’s a fort built on a hill over the Vltava River.
Vyšehrad is one of the oldest sites in Prague and has a lot of urban history. It is a significant site in Czech history. However, it is the birthplace of the first king of Bohemia. It is home to many of the first royal castles.
You can find the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, St. Martin’s Rotunda and Vyšehrad Cemetery here. Vyšehrad Cemetery is a historical site because it is the final resting place for many famous Czechs like composers Dvořák and Smetana and artist Mucha among others.
There is so much to see in Vyšehrad that combines culture and history. It has lovely views of the city and amazing architecture. It is a beautiful place to take a walk.
Let’s go to Náplavka:
Naplavka gives you a taste of how locals live everyday life in prague. It’s a famous social spot in Prague next to the Vltava River. You can see a mix of different people in the area from kids to moms.
During the day hours, people go on walks by the river. On the other hand, Naplavka turns into a party spot with live music, food, and beer during the night hours.
Even though it is a social spot, you can see a very different side of Prague. You will probably see plenty of birds and snacks from food vendors.
The best day to go is on a Saturday when the farmer’s market is open. The farmer’s market has fresh fruits and veggies but is pretty crowded. If you want to avoid people, go during the week days.
Everyone will love the chill river vibe of Naplavka, and all the tasty food.
Check out Manifesto Market Smichov:
If you and your friend loves food then you have to visit Manifesto Market. You can find a mix of food, fun, and culture here. The variety of street food here is very impressive. While you walk, you can find a mix of hummus, tacos, burgers, and seafood. One of the best parts of this place is getting to eat original dishes from new chefs who have just started their career in Prague.
The vibe of this place is lively for everyone. The seating is comfortable, the design is modern, and there are so many drink options. One drink that people enjoy is the fresh tanked Pilsner Urquell.
While the prices are a little more expensive than a traditional restaurant in Prague, there is still a great night time vibe for adults. The food, the design, the music, and the atmosphere of the Manifesto Market is unmatchable like any other restaurant in Prague
Explore Letná:
Letná is a great neighborhood for those who love nature and beautiful views. If you can see from the hill then you can see almost all of Prague from the top of the Letna. Letná Park is full of large green spaces, tree lined paths, and open views of the Vltava River and Prague’s famous bridges.
The biggest draw is Letná’s famous beer garden that has a perfect outdoor view of the city beer as you enjoy Czech beer.
Letná also has some interesting history. In the middle ages, Letná’s strategic position meant it had a strong draw to the military. Eventually it became a site of public gatherings and vineyards.
Letná is also part of more modern history of the Czech Republic. The site of the old Stalin statue now has a famous Metronome to mark the changing identity of Prague and has become a popular site for sports and cultural activities. Letná is a great spot to combine history and nature and a great spot for fun photos and a relaxed time.
Relax at Letná Beer Garden:
Letná Beer Garden is a beautiful outdoor spot to drink some traditional Czech beer in Prague.
This beer garden is a peaceful setting and a nice spot to relax and catch up with friends. It is covered by giant chestnut trees which are gorgeous.
You can grab a nice cold Pilsner Urquell or Gambrinus while you admire the view of all of Prague and the price isn’t bad either. It is a wonderful place to bring friends and family while enjoying the relatively cheap view, perfect for tourists and locals. What better way to spend a hot summer day in Prague than in a nice shady spot enjoying the view and drinking the local brew?
The whole experience is relaxing, with a great atmosphere and beautiful views. It doesn’t just have to be about the beer.
Have Dinner at Kuchyň:
If you’re looking for an authentic Czech dining experience, getting dinner at Kuchyň is a must visit place for your trip. Which is located close to the castle, it’s not a typical tourist trap.
This restaurant is situated within Salmovský Palace. It is a part of the National Gallery in Prague, and the primary attraction is the amazing view of the city that you can enjoy during dinning in then restaurant. Enjoying a cold Pilsner while gazing at the view is a dining memory that’s hard to beat.
Kuchyň translates to kitchen, and the restaurant focuses on Czech recipes that are inspired by the kitchens of the Aristocracy and family recipes. The menu is seasonal, but is sure to contain a dish or two that is a classic Czech recipe finished with a modern twist.
Some fan favorites are the chicken liver pate with plum puree, Vienna frankfurters with a side of horseradish, and the beef hanger steak with red wine sauce and potato dumplings.
The sauce with dill that is served with the eggs and potatoes is another classic Czech dish that the restaurant prepares. The meal can be finished with a satisfying dessert that features strawberries, cream, and nuts.
This restaurant combines Czech food and architecture to provide a historically rich and high-quality meal.
Discover Žižkov:
Žižkov is the neighborhood for adults looking for the alternative side of Prague which is also referred to as the bad boy district, Žižkov is home to an edgy personality and an even more interesting history.
Žižkov is a reference to 15th century Czech National hero, Jan Žižka. Jan was a one-eyed warrior who we made a one-eyed warrior who made a name for himself in battle. The National Monument on Vitkov Hill memorializes his connection to Czech history.
Žižkov is home to less polished streets. It’s a working-class neighborhood that houses those who work in Prague. It has an interesting design due to a land shortage, making its streets narrow with towering apartments.
Each neighborhood has its charm and Žižkov is no exception. Its unique design is filled with long and colorful streets interspersed with tenement style houses. If you are searching for the fairytale neighborhood of Prague, Žižkov’s design may disappoint you. Its nightlife and culinary offerings balance the alien looking Žižkov TV Tower with its alternative culture.
If you want to see the more authentic and creative side of Prague then you must add Žižkov in your bucket list.
Enjoy Breakfast at Antonínovo Pekařství:
Foodies will have a great experience at Antonínovo Pekařství. The bakery offers a wide assortment of fresh, warm bread and classic Czech baked goods. Those who just want some light fare or coffee then this option is good to enjoy breakfast here. However, the staff at Antonínovo Pekařství are friendly.
When you enter then you are immediately greeted with the warm and inviting smell of baked goods. The bakery has a wide assortment of freshly made bread along with several other baked goods and baked bread.
Their soup and open-faced sandwiches are also a mouth-watering for customers. The egg spread variety is a hit, along with the other varieties that include beetroot with cream cheese.
If you compared to the other cafes in Prague, Antonínovo Pekařství is a great value for breakfast or just a quick bite. Other additions to your meal can be Czech baked goods or even ice cream depending on the season. Instead of just trying the tourist restaurants in Prague, you can experience a real Czech bakery.
Farmers’ Market at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square:
If you want to enjoy the best of local life in Prague, the farmers market at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square is a great option. It is easy to get to from central Žižkov, and this lovely square is often full of local residents socializing.
The square, which was a building project of the late nineteenth century, commemorates the 15th century Hussite King Jiří z Poděbrad, or George of Podebrady.
The square’s market is a weekday occurrence, and offers a great variety of local fare, which can include local cheese, baked goods, and modern day staples of Czech cuisine.
If you want to enjoy some sweet baked goods which are a Czech classic, you can sample kolacky or babovka.
The Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord (Kostel Nejsvětějšího Srdce Páně) is the other famous landmark in the square. The church, which was built in the early 20th century, was designed by a major architect of that century, Josip Plečnik, who was born in Slovenia.
Food, history, local culture, and great architecture are combined in this area, which is ideal for adult visitors to Prague who want to enjoy a slower and more local experience.
The Žižkov Television Tower:
Žižkov Television Tower is an odd landmark found in Prague. It is 216 meters tall and now an easy identifiable landmark in Prague’s skyline.
It was built between 1985 and 1992, designed by Václav Aulický and Jiří Kozák. When the building was finished, it had a very different structure from the rest of Prague’s historic architecture. Since there is a lack of similar futuristic designs in the rest of Prague, the tower is also celebrated for its unique architecture.
The tower was further popularized after metal babies made by famous Czech sculptor and artist David Černý were added to the structure. The sculptures helped the tower’s science-fiction personality and mystery.
The tower’s odd shape and futuristic design has even lead visitors to describe it as an alien mothership.
It is now popular to visit the tower for its 360-degree observation deck that shows great views of all of Prague. It even has a bar, restaurant, and a luxury hotel that allows travelers with a higher budget to stay the night.
While the Žižkov Television Tower is hugely different from the rest of old and historic Prague’s architecture, it does help showcase the creativity found in the city.
Alternative Side of Žižkov:
Palác Akropolis is one of Žižkov’s most notable cultural hubs and the center of more alternative nightlife in other parts of the city. If you want to experience something that isn’t your typical drinking or tourism experience in the city, this venue is great for you.
The building is beautiful, designed in the grand style of a palace with details like color and symmetry drawing inspiration from the Art Deco Style. Designed in 1927 by Architect Rudolf Svoboda, many visitors think the atmosphere is so unique it seems like something out of a Wes Anderson Film.
This venue is a cafe and restaurant, a stage and a club. Because of all these features and the fact it includes a lot of creative spaces, this venue is a great spot for locals to meet, for musicians and artists to gather.
While the venue suffered in the first stages of the pandemic like many others, if you visit today, you can enjoy international, local acts, relax with drinks and food from the cafe and the restaurant. This venue should be a top spot on your list if you love Prague that loves alternative culture, nightlife and the arts
Holešovice:
If you want to see one of modern and creative Prague’s most exciting neighborhoods, you can visit Holešovice. This former meat packing district is one of the most fascinating parts of the city and one of the best transformations urban areas.
The Guardian is one of the publications that lists the combination of creativity, design, and culture found in the area, naming it one of the coolest districts in Europe.
Holešovice has become home to young creators and people looking for something different with it’s designer shops, art galleries, restaurants, and clubs.
Many tourists in Prague have made Holešovice their home base, choosing to spend their time in a less conventional area of the city. The creative design of Holešovice and the rest of Prague contrasts the historic city center.
Have Lunch at Garuda Restaurant:
Garuda Restaurant is a great place to try something new for lunch instead of the Czech food. This restaurant has real Indonesian food and is the only spot in Prague dedicated to Indonesian food. It’s new to Prague and already has a great reputation with both travelers and locals.
This restaurant is located in Prague. Garuda has real Indonesian food and is good for a place that is new to the food scene in this city. It is a good place to stop and grab some food because it is a great value quality-wise.
If you want something tasty, inexpensive, and quick to eat, check out the lunch menu. This is a good way to get familiar with Indonesian food. There are fun dishes like Nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) and Sapi Rendang (spiced, beef, and broth), as well as a variety of soup.
Getting a meal for lunch here is nice because it has some of the best value food in Prague, which cost you only about 145 kr (€6.5).
Garuda is good for parents that want to try something other than the typical Euro food and want something different for a good price.
Check Out Kuraz:
In Prague, you can find a shop and creative platform called Kuraz, which sells products by Czech and Slovak independent artists.
This shop was founded by Michala Butkova, who wanted to show off talented artists and named the shop “Kuraz,” which translates to “courage.”
Instead of selling typical tourist shop items, Kuraz sells local, independent, and original designer products. From Kuraz you can purchase a variety of items such as:
- Clothing
- Accessories
- Jewelry
- Notebooks
- Books
- Shoes
- Bags
Kuraz is a great place to find thoughtful gifts or cute items for yourself, and also is a great place to find modern representations of design in Prague. Many products are created by new designers.
Sipping Coffee at Cafe Letna:
As you know that touring in Prague can be tiring. Be sure to take a break at Cafe Letnas and treat yourself to a nice coffee. The interior design of this cafe is classy, but it also brings comfort.
Step back in time, as you admire the cafe’s crystal chandelier, plastered walls, and mirrors.
Cafe Letnas is perfect for a relaxed coffee break or a calm moment after a busy day of sightseeing.
If you love coffee then you’ll love the coffee here. It’s made with coffee beans from Five Elephant Roastery in Berlin and is one of the best coffee you’ll find in the city. They also have some sweet pastries to go with the coffee.
Enjoying caffeine in Cafe Letná is not the only thing going on. There’s also the option of just enjoying the relaxed nature of life in Prague while soaking in the wonderful views of the city.
Visit the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art:
The Dox Centre for Contemporary Art, located in the creative Holešovice district, is a major cultural attraction in Prague. The center, which opened in 2008, is housed in a repurposed metal factory, helping to catalyze the transformation of Holešovice from an industrial neighborhood to a cultural hotspot.
DOX focuses on Contemporary Art and aims to help visitors discover creativity. The center name is a nod to the Greek word doxa, or perception, opinion, or conviction, and with that name it is the center’s aim to encourage visitors to explore new ideas and ways of thinking.
As a conduit for both the local Czech art scene and the global art scene, DOX presents international artists through a variety of exhibitions, discussions, and events.
Modern Prague’s most recognizeable architectural feature, a permanent instillation of DOX, is the airship, a large wooden structure which floats above the center.
DOX is a great way to get a unique and modern view of the contemporary art scene in Prague that’s much more than it’s historical sites and corridors for tourists.
Hang Out at Vintorblock:
Vintorblock is an art, design, and coffee space in Prague for adults that combines urban relaxation with creativity. It’s located in Holešovice, an area that disrupts the concentration of modern space in the cultural area of Prague by retrofitting industrial buildings.
The multifunctional event space combines Prague’s creativity by transforming a disused factory into a modern cultural space. The factory building of Vintorblock contains the Signature Store, which sells locally designed and one-of-a-kind products, a stylish café, and Sector dance studio.
Surrounding the studios and the space itself is an underground theatre, a movie centre, and a workspace for all the people that want to lounge and work.
When the space and activity is creativity fatigued, the outdoor courtyard offers artistry inspiration with drafts of creative and relaxational inventions.
Vintorblock’s environment strays from traditional settings in Prague and combines all the locals, artists, designers and tourists. Vintorblock is an ideal stop to introduce the alternative side of Prague.
Check Out Cross Club’s Prague Nightlife:
Cross Club is an adult-only club where Prague-goers can party well into the night. Unlike a standard club, Cross Club feels like the entrance to a realm of futuristic fantasy.
Cross Club is most well known for its out-of-this-world steampunk interior. Sci-fi movie sculptures fill the club with mechanical designs and metal art.
Alternatively cultured people who love music, art, and everything underground love Cross Club. The club is home to many bands and DJs who play a range of music, but not limited to, live music, electronic sets, and even dubstep and hardcore.
Cross Club is an unusual mix of the known and the unknown, as local and international acts perform simultaneously.
Cross Club even boasts an open-air cinema and a plethora of summer activities, but because schedules and events change frequently, visiting the official website and checking the most up-to-date info is totally necessary before visiting.
Cross Club is a creative place to experience nightlife in Prague the club is certainly not your standard tourist trap.
Explore Karlín: Prague’s Transformed Neighbourhood:
Karlín is an example of an amazing change urban change from Prague. Karlín was an area of Food, culture, and entertainment. It used to be an area with a lot of neglected buildings and Industry.
Karlín got its name after Caroline Augusta of Bavaria. Caroline Augusta was the 4th wife of Emperor Francis I of Austria. She lived from 1792 to 1873 and Karlín got integrated later into the city.
Karlín has a complicated developmental history. In the past the city walls separated Karlín, at the same time it also separated Karlín from the developments influenced by industry. Because of this, it has low reputation since the old buildings there used to be filled with industrial activity.
Karlín is a neighborhood with a lot of history. U Zabranskych was a pub that served as the birthplace of the Czech Communist Party. Then later on during the 1980s and 1990s there were a lot of social issues in the area. One of the issues was involving a far-right extremist group called the neo-nazis.
Karlín was also affected by the 2002 Flood. After the flood, instead of declining it experienced a major transformation throughout the district.
Now Karlín is one of the most beautiful areas of Prague. It has modern offices as well as stylish restaurants and cafes. You can also see the beautiful renovation that was done on the buildings. It is one of the ideal places to see how Prague was able to fuse together history and modern aspects of city life.
Visit the National Memorial on Vítkov Hill:
The National Memorial on Vitkov Hill is great if you want to see one of the best views in Prague, or if you want to learn more about Czech history.
Since this memorial is built on top of a hill, you can get really an amazing views. You can even see the Žižkov TV Tower, Petrin Hill, and a lot of the Prague city center.
This memorial is strongly related to a man named Jan Žižka, who was a great Husite general. There is a huge bronze statue of him on horseback that is one of the biggest statues of this kind.
The memorial was created to honor the victory of the Hussite battle and other significant things in Czechoslovak history happened there, especially in the 20th century.
Now there is a museum that contains information about the history of the Czechs and the rest of the area used to be a mausoleum, which is where Klement Gottwald and other communist leaders were buried.
You can buy tickets to go to the viewing floor, which has amazing views of the entire city of Prague. There is a cafe there and some of the floors have free entry.
If you are a traveler that enjoys history, architecture, and photography, this area is perfect for a unique perspective of Prague outside of the usual castle areas.
Relax at Lyčkovo Náměstí:
Lyckovo Namesti square is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in Prague, and it’s a perfect escape from the busy attractions of the city.
This square is located in the Karlín district, and a hidden treasure of a locals’ square. It has a beautiful garden, walking paths, and wooden benches where you can sit and relax on.
The square’s centerpiece is the Art Nouveau style of the local elementary school. The building, which was constructed in 1906, is one of the most beautiful schools in all of Prague.
This school building has beautiful, an elegant design, and is a stunning piece of fascial construction. It was designed in the Art Nouveau style by architect Josef Sakař from Prague during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Lyčkovo Náměstí offers the scenic beauty that one would find in a castle or other famous attractions, but in a quieter and more local way.
This square is perfect for adults exploring a hidden and beautiful corner of Prague, while taking time to admire the construction of a less known architectural piece of the city.
