A Cafe Tour of Prague’s Neighborhoods, Monuments and Architecture
Prague, “Praha” in Czech, is magical, historical city. It’s a city of imaginative, colorful architecture. It’s a city of people from all over the entire world, rich and poor walking its old cobbled streets together, swinging around the city on trams, buses and metros. Sitting in grassy squares on picnic blankets, beside grand cathedrals and beer gardens. It’s a safe haven for so many people and dogs. A city of some of the best bohemian cafes you’ll ever visit, and some of the most beautiful panoramic city views you’ll ever see - from Letna, Riegrovy sady, Vrtba Garden, Vysehrad, Vitkov. It’s a city of humor and quirky culture - the Czech-humor plays of Jára Cimrman in Zizkov, the babies crawling around at Kampa and up the tv tower at Zizkov, the river rats swimming around the shores of the Vltava, the tourist shops. It’s a city that sticks with you. It’s a city you’ll fall in love with, or at the very least, you’ll never forget its uniqueness.
I lived in Prague for 4.5 years. I first came for an internship at an American magazine called Ya-Ty (‘me-you’ (ja ty) in Czech, meaning ‘from me, to you’) when I was 19. I had never been to Europe, and my teenage years had been lonely and challenging. That month was transformative - I felt that I had found my people and my path in the abundant, creative, international community of Prague. So I moved there 6 months later to attend Anglo-American University, a Czech- and American-accredited university.
After getting my bachelor’s degree in Humanities, I worked as a pottery teacher and English teacher and then I worked a few office jobs. I left because I missed my family and struggled with the language, the transient nature of expat communities, the long, grey winters and their effect on my health, the relatively low salaries, and the feeling of always being a foreigner needing to make sense of my existence there. Eventually, I couldn’t explain it to myself or anyone else. I would be happier in California, so I came back home.
But I spent a lot of time in Prague; it’s where I became myself. So much so that I have a tattoo of my favorite place in Prague, Namesti Miru (which translates to “peace square” or “the square of peace”). In my years there, it was my true home. I visited so many cafes and cathedrals and museums, I walked Prague’s streets for so many hours. So here is my guide for all the magic Prague gave me, in three forms (choose what interests you most, or do all three) in the hope that I can pass on some of its gifts on to you.
A CAFE TOUR OF PRAGUE’S BEST NEIGHBORHOODS, MONUMENTS + ARCHITECTURE
Prague has incredible cafes. There are a few chains - Starbucks, Costa Coffee, the Miners - but most cafes are small, independently owned, have a ton of atmosphere and character and a delicious menu of drinks, pastries/cakes and small bites. Here are my 10 favorites.
Old Town
Make your way to Old Town Square (by tram or Uber/Lyft). Pop by Creme de la Creme on the way - it’s the best gelato in the city.
Walk around Old Town. Start by walking down Parizska street. Tired from your travels? Stop at Baraqa (Georgian food) for lunch or dinner. The quality is incredible and the price is fair. Turn onto Široká street, then head to Kaprova street and walk to Mánesův most (Mánes Bridge) for an incredible view. and walk past the Jewish Museum - you can stop here for
Creme de la Creme (ice cream)
Bageterie Boulevard (baguettes/fast food)
Fofrcafe-Soukenda
Baraqa (Georgian food)
Malostranska
Prague castle
Cafe Club Misenska
Walk around Prague Castle and Malostranska
St Martin’s (Czech/ Czech-Asian food)
Vrtba Garden
Vinohrady (+ a little Zizkov)
Walk around Vinohrady (JZP/Namesti Miru)
Coffee Corner Bakery
O Mai Coffee and Brunch
TISSE Bakery
JZP
Riegrovy sady
Zizkov: two stops: baby tower and Cimrman Theater in Zizkov
Holesovice and Dejvice
Misto Cafe and Kafe Francin
Walk around Letna
Walk around Dejvice
Walk around Stromovka
Smichov
Mezi Srnky
Kavarna co hledá jmeno
Walk around Smichov and Vysehrad
Walk around Naplavka and Kampa
Karlin
Cafe Parlor
Kasarna Karlin
Walk around Karlin and Vitkov
