When it is time to rest, numerous cafés offering food, coffee, tea, and fine varieties of locally brewed beer are readily available. Another activity providing relaxation as well as a fascinating afternoon or evening, is a tourboat trip down the Vltava past the castles and palaces of the region. Some tours provide a meal as well. For the more adventurous, there is the possibility of a "do it yourself " boat tour via rowboat. Lanterns are added at night to create an aura of romance in and around the rented dinghies. Visitors to Charles Bridge after dark will encounter a lively scene, as musicians and street performers congregate to celebrate the night.

An afternoon with the family in the park at the site of the Citadel on Vyserhad also provides a break from the bustle of the city.

A 30-minute train ride south of Prague leads to the most visited Czech landmark in the area around Prague, Karlstejn Castle built by Charles IV in the 14th century to protect the Holy Roman Empire's crown jewels. This Romanesque hilltop fortress is of interest to adults and children alike.

Mozart experienced moderate success in Vienna, but he triumphed in Prague! Classical music still seems to be everywhere in the city. Tickets are reasonably priced, and the musical performances are superb.

Food in Prague is often based on Austro-Hungarian dishes. Specialties include bramborak, a potato pancake filled with garlic and herbs, and Prague ham. However, a wide range of culinary options exists. Among these are American, Italian, Lebanese, and Japanese cuisine.

Shopping is a favorite pastime also. Arcades under the buildings of Wenceslas Square, along the pedestrian only street of Na Príkope and also along Narodní tríada shoppers discover a variety of quality products ranging from books to antiques, to crystal. There are interesting craft shops on Karlova, near the Charles Bridge. Puppets and marionettes that are works of art can also be discovered in these areas.

The beauty and classical elegance of the buildings, streets, passageways and alleys of this "Golden City" will provide a colorful mosaic of memories that will remain long after the visit has concluded.

Old Town and Jewish Quarter

The long, gently sloping Wenceslas Square, the dividing line between the Old and New Towns, is the appropriate place to start a tour of the Old Town. The bustling space, lined with shops, restaurants and hotels, has been the focal point of popular discontent for decades. Long before gathering here during the heady days of 1989’s Velvet Revolution to bring down the communist regime, Praguers assembled in front of the National Museum , topping the square, to protest Habsburg rule in 1848 and the Nazi occupation in 1939. Also here, in 1969, Czech student Jan Palach set himself on fire to protest the Communist invasion of the country. A memorial in his name lies some meters down from the Wenceslas Monument, also at the top of the square.

After reaching the bottom of the square, continue one block along Na Mustku street. Off to the right stands the magnificent Stavovske Theater (or Estates Theater). Built in the 1780s, originally in a neo-classical style, and reopened in 1991 after a mammoth renovation, the green and cream colored theater is most famous for hosting the premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which the master himself conducted.