Prague Holidays by Rail

The historic centre of Prague is easily walkable. To the east of the Vltara River is the Old Town, with its cobbled streets, souvenir shops and ice cream vendors. Beyond the famous Powder Tower lies the New Town with its grand boulevards and Neo-Classical architecture. To the west of the river, over the Charles Bridge, is the Malá Strana or Lesser Town where you’ll find the imposing castle, Petrin Hill and terraces of vineyards stretching down to the city.

Dominating the skyline is Prague Castle. Dating back to the 9th century, the complex has been home to Holy Roman Emperors, Kings of Bohemia and nowadays is the official office of the incumbent Czech president. If you stroll through the Mala Strana district down to the river, you’ll come across the Charles Bridge. Over 670 yards long and nearly 30 feet wide, the Charles Bridge is a much photographed symbol of the city, still bustling with traders and buskers. Visit in the evening to get the best pictures and more of the bridge to yourself. On the other side of the river is the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town, where you can wander through narrow cobbled streets chock-full of tempting boutiques and cafes.

All roads lead to the Old Town Square with its magnificent array of architectural styles as well as the world’s oldest working astronomical clock, dating back to 1410. For city views, the Petrin Lookout Tower is hard to beat. You can walk up in around half an hour, though it’s a fairly steep incline. Most people prefer to make use of the regular funicular train. From the Lookout Tower, you can walk across to the Castle. Vyšehrad Castle on the Eastern bank of the river also boasts fine views. The cemetery here contains the remains of many famous Czechs including Alphonse Muncha and Antonín Dvořák. There is a wide range of museums to choose from, but we would recommend the collection of sites that makes up the Prague Jewish Museum. The museum boasts one of the largest collections of sacred Jewish artefacts in the world along with Europe’s oldest working synagogue.