Enchanted Prague Walking Tour

Ancient towers with Baroque statues, the click of your heels on the cobblestones, lovely old squares lined with charming facades… welcome to Prague, where strolling the city’s streets are akin to stepping into an enchanted fairytale.

Despite being perched on the side of a hill, the best sights in Prague are easily walked, which as you know traveling by foot is my preferred method. Unfortunately those same cobblestones, don’t make for the best running…ahh worth the tradeoff! For your enjoyment a Prague walking tour…While you could spend days exploring, this press trip was all about ensuring that we got OUT of the city too!! Only 30% of visitors ever see beyond Prague which is a shame because we saw so many amazing things, which I’ll be sharing, but first let’s talk Prague!

In a day or two you can take in the ancient bridges, towers, monasteries, cathedrals and synagogues all steeped in centuries of fantastical folklore. We had an amazing tour thanks to our guide from Czech Tourism, Martin, who did his best not to flinch every time one of us mentioned it being cold! Side note: Pack warm clothes!

1. Prague Castle
Start your visit at Prague Castle, once home to the King of Bohemia. An expansive medieval European castle with three great courtyard, numerous towers and important historical monuments, Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Time your visit to catch the ceremonial changing of the Guard at noon! I’ll have video later, but it’s similar to what you may have seen in Washington D.C.

While you could spend an entire day simply going through the castle alone (and listening to the great live classical music at 1PM) you must make time to get outside and explore the gardens. It’s no surprise that I enjoyed walking through the changing leaves and taking in the view of the city from this high up vantage.2. St. Vitus Cathedral
Attached to the castle you’ll find the gothic St. Vitus Cathedral with richly ornamented frescoes, statues, and semi-precious stones. It’s always been a bit of a mind bender for me to see these huge structures and imagine people in 1344 not only conceiving of such a grand project, but then bringing it to fruition without the power of today’s tools.Fun fact: The castle is connected to the church with a walkway that leads to a box seating area for the King’s family so they don’t have to sit with the commoners! 

Gosh I could show you pictures for days just from the church! Beyond the sculptures and architecture, you can also see an amazing fresco above the main entryway and of course the interior would make it hard for me to focus on any service.

3. Charles Bridge
Prague’s most stunning bridge spans 16 arches and is lined with 30 Baroque statues of religious figures. The bridge serves as the main pedestrian walkway between the Castle District and Prague’s Old Town, New Town and Jewish Quarter.

The first day we arrived everything was quiet, but on Saturday is was crowded with street vendors and tourists. So of course this runner recommends that you arrive at dawn to watch a magical sunrise then take in the beautiful sculptures along the bridge and thew views of the city on both sides which are incredible.4. Old Town Square
One of the two main squares in Prague, Old Town Square dates from the 12^th century. The square is a hodgepodge of architectural styles, including the Gothic Tyn Cathedral, the Rococo Kinsky Palace, and the Baroque St. Nicholas Church. Grab a coffee at one of the many cafés lining the square and gather your strength for the hike to the top of the Clock Tower.

5. Astronomical Clock
Overlooking Old Town Square, this 15^th century astronomical clock is still the biggest show in town. Every hour, a skeleton symbolizing death inverts an hourglass and pulls a rope, which opens two windows where watchers can see St. Peter lead a procession of the twelve apostles. Following the procession, a cock crows and chimes the hour. The clock also shows the movement of the sun and moon through the twelve signs of the zodiac. Views from the Clock Tower are stunning, but prepare for a serious hike up to the top!

6. River Cruise
When the day is done, don’t stop there! Finish it off with a boat ride so you can experience the city in a whole new light at night. I was blessed to share this press trip from Czech Tourism with 14 other travel writers, giving me tons of amazing feedback about everything from where to go to who to talk to and honestly just listening to their travel stories made me want to pack my bags before I’d ever reached home.

Read More
As always more stories are coming on AmandaCBrooks.com to share the small towns we visited that were every bit as interesting and magical:
Fairytale city of Telč, Jihlava
Competing Religions in Třebíč

Have you ever visited Prague?

Any thing you LOVE most about travel stories? Ya know help me make sure I’m sharing what you want!

Other ways to connect with Amanda
Periscope search RunToTheFinish (daily 3:45 EST)
Instagram: RunToTheFinish

Facebook: RunToTheFinish

Get new posts via BlogLovin