Prague Castle, Charles Bridge and the historic red-roofed old town

Historic city guide by G.L. Cooper

Prague: The City of a Hundred Spires

A medieval capital that came through the twentieth century with its heart intact - and the best beer culture in the world.

Prague is what western Europe was supposed to have kept: a Gothic and Renaissance capital whose centre survived the twentieth century nearly whole. The castle has watched over the river for over a thousand years, the Charles Bridge has carried pedestrians since 1357, and the Old Town Square still works as a square rather than a backdrop. Almost everything you will want to see sits within a walkable bend of the Vltava.

It is also one of the few great cities of Europe where travelling well costs less, not more. The beer is the best and cheapest you will find anywhere, lunch is still a sit-down cooked meal rather than something balanced on a lap, and the tram will get you across the city for the price of a coffee. This guide covers the honest version: what is genuinely old, what is genuinely good, and the handful of things that catch visitors out.

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Know Before You Go

Language: Czech is the official language. English is widely spoken in the historic centre, hotels and restaurants, and less reliably in neighbourhood pubs and on the bus.
Money: The currency is the Czech koruna - the country is not in the eurozone and has no adoption date. Cards are taken almost everywhere, but keep some cash for market stalls and small pubs. If a shop offers to charge you in euros, decline: the rate is always worse. Pay in CZK.
Getting around: Prague runs on time-valid tickets, not per-ride fares: one ticket covers metro, trams and buses with free transfers. From January 2026 a 30-minute ticket is 39 CZK, a 90-minute ticket 50 CZK, 24 hours 150 CZK and 72 hours 350 CZK - all cheaper in the official PID Lítačka app. Validate paper tickets at the machine on first boarding; inspectors do check.
From the airport: Trolleybus 59 runs from the terminals to Nádraží Veleslavín for metro line A, and bus 100 to Zličín for line B - ordinary tickets are valid, and the whole trip takes about 40 minutes. The Airport Express bus to the main station doubled to 200 CZK in January 2026 and is the worse deal for most people. A regulated taxi to the centre runs around 800 CZK.
The tourist fee: Prague charges 50 CZK (about 2 euro) per person per night for guests 18 and over, added to your bill by the accommodation. A higher fee has been discussed for years; as of September 2026 it has not been enacted.
Tipping: Round up, or add about 10 percent for good table service - not the 15-20 percent of North America. The custom is to tell the server the total you are paying when you settle up, rather than leaving coins on the table.
Pickpockets and scams: Violent crime is rare; pickpocketing is not. The known hotspots are the astronomical clock crowds, Charles Bridge, tram 22, Wenceslas Square at night and the main station. Ignore anyone in plain clothes claiming to be police and asking to see your wallet, and use bank ATMs rather than exchange booths advertising zero commission.
Best time to go: May, September and early October - mild, with manageable crowds. August is the busiest and hottest stretch. December brings the Christmas markets on Old Town Square (28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027), magical and packed. January and February are the quietest and cheapest months.