Question 1

Prague on Your Own

Accepted Answer

From the mooring at Čechův most, the Old Town is just across the bridge, so a first morning in Prague can start on foot. Prague Castle is across the river from the Old Town, so treat it as a separate outing. Into the Old Town: Across the bridge is the Old Town, which surrounds Josefov, the former Jewish quarter. Josefov's six remaining synagogues, its old cemetery and the Jewish Town Hall are now part of the Jewish Museum in Prague. Old Town Square: The square has the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn, with towers 80 meters high, and the astronomical clock on the Old Town Hall, first installed in 1410. Every hour, figures of the Apostles pass by and a skeleton representing Death strikes the time. Charles Bridge: The stone bridge, begun in 1357, links the Old Town with Malá Strana and the castle quarter. The tram: Trams cross Čechův most, and ordinary city tickets cover them. Pickpockets: Petty theft is a problem in Prague's busiest tourist areas and on the trams to sights such as the castle, so keep a close hold on bags and phones. Carry your passport: Czech law requires you to carry ID, so keep your passport with you. Police will normally accept a scan of it from a visitor who has not committed a crime. Getting back on time: Your ship posts the time to be back on board, and it will not wait for passengers touring on their own.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Prague's trams, metro and buses share one ticket system, and a 30-minute ticket was 39 CZK on paper in October 2026, or 36 CZK in the PID Lítačka app. Longer tickets give unlimited travel for 90 minutes, a day or three days. A 90-minute ticket was 50 CZK on paper or 46 CZK in the app, a 24-hour ticket 150 or 140 CZK, and a 72-hour ticket 350 or 340 CZK. Check fares before you go. Tickets bought by SMS are not valid on PID trains, on the AE airport bus or on suburban PID lines. It is safer to use a major taxi company than to take a car in the street. Some taxis charge high prices, so check the rates shown on the side of the car before you get in.

Question 3

What to Eat

Accepted Answer

Roast pork with dumplings and cabbage, known in Czech as vepřo knedlo zelo, is often called the most typical Czech dish. Dumplings come with several of the other classics too. Svíčková is marinated beef tenderloin in a cream sauce made with root vegetables, served with dumplings. Smažený sýr is fried cheese, usually Edam, served with potatoes and tartar sauce. Czechs drink more beer per person than people in any other country.

Question 4

Tipping and Currency

Accepted Answer

There is no fixed rule for tipping in Czech restaurants, so a tip is your choice. If you do tip, rounding the bill up or adding around 10 percent are the usual approaches. Czechia uses the koruna (CZK), not the euro.

Question 5

Prague Castle

Accepted Answer

The Prague Castle grounds are open to walk through every day from 6:00 to 22:00, even when the buildings are closed. The buildings themselves, including St. Vitus Cathedral, have shorter hours and share one circuit ticket. The castle buildings open daily from 9:00 and close on 24 December. Closing time changes with the season and at short notice for state events. The basic circuit ticket was 450 CZK in October 2026, or 300 CZK reduced, and a family ticket was 950 CZK. Check hours and prices before you go. Tickets are valid for two days, with one entry to each building. The present St. Vitus Cathedral was founded in 1344.

Question 6

History

Accepted Answer

Prague grew up around its castle hill and reached its height in the 14th century, when Charles IV made it an imperial capital. In the 20th century it was the capital of Czechoslovakia through occupation, Soviet control and the Velvet Revolution, and since 1993 it has been the capital of Czechia. Castle hill: A fortified settlement stood on the castle site by about the year 800. Charles IV: Charles IV, who ruled Bohemia from 1346 to 1378 and was also Holy Roman Emperor, made Prague an imperial capital. The city became an archbishopric in 1344, he founded Charles University in 1347 and laid out the New Town, and work on Charles Bridge began in 1357. Jan Hus: The preacher Jan Hus, rector of the university, was burned for heresy at Konstanz in 1415. Four years later, Prague's first defenestration, when rebels threw councilors from the New Town Hall, helped set off the Hussite Wars. 1618: A second defenestration of Prague in 1618 started the Thirty Years' War. One city: In 1784 the four towns of Hradčany, Malá Strana, the Old Town and the New Town were merged into a single city. Capital of Czechoslovakia: After the First World War, Prague became the capital of the new Czechoslovakia, with Prague Castle as the president's seat. Occupation: German troops entered Prague on 15 March 1939, and most of the city's Jews were deported and killed during the war. Fighting in the Prague uprising of May 1945 badly damaged the astronomical clock. 1968: Warsaw Pact forces invaded on 21 August 1968 to crush the reforms of the Prague Spring, and Soviet troops stayed in the country until 1991. Velvet Revolution and independence: The Velvet Revolution took place in November 1989. In 1993, when Czechoslovakia divided in two, Prague became the capital of the new Czech state. To learn more ashore: The main building of the City of Prague Museum, at Na Poříčí 52 near Florenc, displays Antonín Langweil's paper model of the city center as it looked between 1826 and 1837, with more than 2,000 buildings.

Question 7

With Children

Accepted Answer

Prague is easy to mix with children, because the trams, the metro and the buses share one ticket system. The astronomical clock and the castle guard suit any age, while the technical museum and the zoo make good longer outings. Younger children: Time a visit to Old Town Square for the hour, when the astronomical clock's figures move. The Petřín funicular, run by the city transit company, climbs from Malá Strana to the top of Petřín hill; check which ticket it accepts before you board. The castle guard: At Prague Castle the guard changes at the gates every hour on the hour from 9:00 to 18:00, and a fuller ceremony with fanfares takes place in the first courtyard daily at 12:00. School age: The National Technical Museum at Kostelní 42, beside Letná Park, shows historic aircraft and cars, among them the plane Jan Kašpar flew from Pardubice in 1911. A longer outing: Prague Zoo in Troja, on the northern side of the city, opened in 1931 and covers about 58 hectares. It has long bred Przewalski's horses and has returned some to the Mongolian steppes. Teenagers: Letná Park looks out over the Vltava and the historic center. In 1955 the world's largest monument to Stalin was unveiled there, and it was later destroyed.

Question 8

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

At Prague Castle, the visitor buildings have step-free entrances, with four exceptions. Ask your cruise line about step-free access between your mooring and the street. The places without step-free access are the Daliborka tower, the White Tower, the cathedral's South Tower and the defensive corridors along Golden Lane. Tactile guides in Braille are available for blind and partially sighted visitors.

Prague

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