Prague: Old Town

A very belated part 2 of our visit to Prague! You can read part 1 here.

Where are we?

This blog post I’m concentrating on our time in Old Town, on the right side of the river.

Old Town (or Staré Město) dates all the way back to 1100 AD when the settlement was known for trade, particularly markets held on Saturdays. After the traders gained wealth, King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia granted them the privileges of township and Město pražské was formed; originally the town was surrounded by a moat and 13 gates.

The Sites:

Prague’s Astronomical Clock (Pražský orloj) was built in 1410. This makes it the third oldest astronomical clock in the world and oldest one still in operation.

According to a local legend, hard times will come to the Czech people if the clock stops working.

The dial represents the positions of the Moon and Sun, along with a skeleton representing Death, which strikes the time.

Jewish Museum of Prague (established in 1906).

Old-New Synagogue (built between 1210-1280).

Maisel Synagogue (built in the 16th century)

St. Nicholas Church (first mentioned in 1273) was burned down by the French in 1689 and was rebuilt in the 1700s.

Russian Tsar Nicholas II donated the chandelier of Harrachov crystals.

Chuch of Our Lady Before Tyn built in the 1200s.

View from the Astronomical Clock

Old Town Square

Seven Foot Sigmund Freud designed by David Cerney. The sculpture was created to signify his struggle and fear of death. Freud himself committed suicide after struggling with mouth cancer.

View of the castle

St. Charles Bridge

National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror. Not located in Old Town, but we wanted to see the memorial for the Czech paratroopers behind the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in 1942.

Restaurants & Pubs:

Sisters:

We stopped by Sisters for sandwiches and the restaurant is a great place for a quick snack. Opened by two sisters, the shop specializes in “chlebicek” or open faced sandwiches. There were a ton of varieties but I couldn’t say no to the beet puree.

Fat Cat:

Fat Cat is the perfect place for burgers and sides. The burgers were YYYUUUUUGGGEEE and they had a ton of options for all types of eaters. They also had a number of beers on tap. I forgot to take a picture because I was so overwhelmed by how amazing and how much food we ordered. We had an awesome time with friends.

Prague Beer Museum:

With over thirty beers on tap and one of the best places to try Czech brews, the Prague Beer Museum was our favorite pub. Prague is the beer capital of Eastern Europe and the selection at Prague Beer Museum definitely represented that title.

Joystick Arcade Bar:

An AMAZING find, the Joystick Arcade Bar is one of the underground gems of Prague. Filled with old school video games (include Sonic the Hedgehog and Jurassic Park Pinball!!!!!) we had a blast playing games while enjoying a few beers with friends. Okay, so I probably played Jurassic Park Pinball for at least an hour….

Klášterní Pivovar Strahov:

Records of this small microbrewery in Old Town show that the operation was around as early as the 13th century. Today Klášterní Pivovar Strahov includes a courtyard, restaurant, and three beers on tap. Highly recommend for a good local beer while visiting Old Town.

Special Mention Bric a Brack Antiques:

Bric a Brack Antiques was one of the coolest shops in Old Town. We stumbled onto the shop by accident and I could have stayed there the entire day looking at treasures.