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Guides for the Business Traveler
Prague (2006)
4 hours in Prague (2006)
The compact cobblestoned center of Prague is a Unesco World Heritage Site—it also makes an ideal half-day walking tour. Guy Dittrich sets out to explore the Czech capital’s heritage on foot.
 | Petrín Tower For the prettiest overview of the city, take the cable car to the top of Petrín Park to reach this mini–Eiffel Tower, which is a 1:5 scale model. Don't forget to take some change for the ticket machine, or buy a ticket at the news agents at the foot of the hill. The tower is open from 10 a.m. and costs $2.26. The cable-car railway runs from 9 a.m.–11:30 p.m. year round and costs 94˘. If you're based on the opposite, eastern side of town, the viewing gallery in the Soviet-style Zizkov TV Tower—the de-rigueur monument for all former communist states—is a nice alternative, and includes the option of a drink at the uber-kitschy '80s bar/restaurant. Mahlerovy sady 1, open 10 a.m.–11:30 p.m., www.tower.cz. Entry $6.77. |  | Hradcany Make sure you arrive here in time for the noon changing-of-the-guard ceremony. Stern-faced troopers in rather camp, bright blue uniforms strut and stamp around to the sounds of a military band. This ritual takes place every hour between 5 a.m. and midnight, but only at noon do you get the fanfare. It's highly entertaining when set against the grandiose architecture of the castle and the huge Gothic edifice that is St. Vitus Cathedral. Take time to stroll through the expansive, aromatic palace gardens on the southern slopes of the castle. As you wander down the cobbles of Nerudova Street, look out across the red-tiled rooftops of Malá Strana, or the Lesser Town. Also look out for the ornate metalwork on the impressive doors to the Italian embassy. |  | Mandarin Oriental Hotel After all that walking you will be in need of a refueling stop, which doesn't come much more luxurious than the brand new Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Housed in a beautiful 14th-century building that was originally a Dominican monastery, the "new" hotel is actually comprised of three restored wings from the Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance periods—not to mention the Roman foundations exposed in the basement gymnasium. You can have coffee or a light lunch at the Monastery Lounge, beneath the 23-foot-high vaulted ceiling, or on the terrace of the central garden courtyard. Nebovidska 459/1, tel. 420-233-088-888, www.mandarinoriental.com/prague. |  | Charles Bridge Join the jugglers and tourists on this beautifully decorated pedestrian bridge, which leads to Staré Mesto (the old town), across the River Vlatva. On the west bank, a short distance from the bridge, is Kampa Island, home to one of the city's finest restaurants (with a suitably impressive wine list), called the Kampa Park (Na Kampé, tel. 420-257-532-685, www.kampagroup.com). The island is also home to Museum Kampa, with its extensive collection of abstract paintings by Kupka and cubist sculptures by Otto Gutfreund. The museum is on U Sovovch mlnu and open daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Tel. 420-257-286-147, www.museumkampa.cz. Entry $5.64. |  | Old town square (Staré Mesto) The old town square is a must-see, if only for the Horologium clock tower and its procession of the twelve apostles on the hour, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (open daily, $2.26). Prague has more than 500 spires and from here you can admire many of them—most notably the cartoon-like twin Gothic towers of the Tn Church (admission to which is by appointment only). On nearby streets are various examples of cubist, modernist and constructivist architecture. A fine example of the city's Baroque heritage can be seen in the riotous Rococo gilding that adorns the sky-blue interiors of the Estates Theatre at Ovocn trh 1 (www.estatestheatre.cz). Here, Mozart—who was born in Austria, but was adopted by the Czechs after his time in Prague—premiered Don Giovanni in 1787. |  | Parízská Parízská translates to "Paris," and with its rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré–branded stores and numerous restaurants and cafés, it is no surprise to learn that the locals refer to it as "French Street." Aside from your regular Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Dunhill, there is a great selection of hip boutiques, such as Vicini for shoes and Stupartská for interiors. Cremeria Milano (Parízská 20, tel. 420-224-811-010) serves the best ice cream in town, and, in the summer, the pavement tables are the ideal place to sit and enjoy them. |  | Municipal House To get a real feel for the Art Nouveau interiors of the Municipal House, it is best to take a quick dip into one of the exhibitions in the galleries on the second floor. If time is short, a cup of coffee at one of the restaurants that spill onto Námestí Republiky square will give you a taste. Construction work on the other side of the large square is an indication of the rapid growth of this eastern European capital. Municipal House (Obecní dum), Námestí Republiky 5. Open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Entry $6.58.
Buses, streetcars and subways cover the city thoroughly. Tickets are 94˘ for a single inner-city journey. A day ticket is $3.57. Yellow ticket machines can be found in subway stations and newsagents, www.dpp.cz.
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