Seven Don’t-Miss Trends in Prague
Long among the must-visit destinations of Europe, Prague continues to evolve in surprising and alluring ways. Here are a few trends and tips to help you uncover the freshest ways to experience this fairy-tale Czech city.
Bike Routes: The best way to appreciate the winding Vltava River is on two wheels. Biko Adventures offers guided rides, including an all-day excursion to Karlštejn Castle.
Boutique Hostels: Fusion Hotel lodges budget travelers in design-minded rooms. Mosaic House adds an eco-friendly dimension, using 100 percent renewable energy.
Arts Hub: Artist David Černý founded “MeetFactory,” a center for contemporary art. Inside, find artists-in-residence and Prague’s hottest venue for alternative music.
Krymská Corso: Locals call this gentrifying strip of Krymská Street “Little Berlin.” That’s stretching it, but the cafés and shops here feel fresh.
Orchestral Maneuvers: Music lovers line up for the Prague Spring Festival in May, the Dvořák Prague Festival in September, and the Strings of Autumn a month later. String quartets, such as the Pavel Haas, are big.
Hemingway Bar: Hemingway himself would have loved Prague’s best cocktail bar. Old-school bartenders know their way around classic cocktails, but you can opt for something local like a quality Czech absinthe from La Grenouille or Toulouse-Lautrec.
New Czech Cuisine: The best places to eat keep it homegrown and draw on century-old recipes for inspiration. Restaurants like the Augustine Restaurant and La Degustation go the high road, giving traditional Czech mains such as chicken, veal, and rabbit the royal treatment.
- Travel Trivia: Washington Irving, whose 1820 short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” echoes Prague’s ages-old tale of the “Headless Templar,” visited and sketched the city in 1837.
- Nat Geo Expeditions
This piece, reported by Mark Baker, first appeared in National Geographic Traveler magazine’s October 2014 issue.
