Orientation

City Layout

The river Vltava bisects Prague and provides the best line of orientation; you can use Charles Bridge as your central point. From the bridge, turn toward Prague Castle, the massive complex on the hill with the cathedral thrusting out. Now you're facing west.

Up on the hill is the Castle District known as Hradcany. Running up the hill between the bridge and the castle is the district known as Malá Strana (literally the "Small Side," but known as Lesser Town in English). Turn around, and behind you on the right (east) bank is Staré Mesto (Old Town), and farther to the south and east Nové Mesto (New Town). The highlands even farther east used to be the royal vineyards, Vinohrady, now a popular neighborhood for expatriates with a growing array of accommodations and restaurants. The districts farther out are where most Praguers live, and have few attractions.

Main Bridges, Squares & Streets -- You'll best enjoy Prague by walking its narrow streets, busy squares, and scenic bridges. After Charles Bridge (Karluv most), the other two bridges worth walking are Mánes Bridge (Mánesuv most), which provides a stunning low-angle view of the castle especially at night, and the Bridge of the Legions (most Legií), which links the National Theater to Petrín Hill.

On the left bank coming off Charles Bridge is Mostecká Street, and at the end of it sits the cozy square under the castle hill, Malostranské námestí. On the hill outside the main castle gate is the motorcade-worn Hradcanské námestí, on the city side of which you'll find a spectacular view of spires and red roofs below.

On the east side of Charles Bridge, you can wind through almost any of the old alleys leading from the bridge and get pleasantly lost amid the shops and cafes. The tourist-packed route through Old Town is Karlova Street. Like Karlova, almost any other route in Old Town will eventually lead you to Staromestské námestí (Old Town Square), the breathtaking heart of Staré Mesto. A black monument to Jan Hus, the martyred Czech Protestant leader, dominates the square. The tree-lined boulevard to the right behind Hus is Parízská (Parisian Blvd.) with boutiques and restaurants; it forms the edge of the Jewish Quarter. Over Hus's left shoulder is Dlouhá Street, and in front of him to his left is the kitschy shopping zone on Celetná. Across the square to Hus's right, past the clock tower of Old Town Hall (Staromestská radnice), is Zelezná Street, which leads to Mozart's Prague venue, the Estates' Theater. Farther to Hus's right is the narrow alley Melantrichova, which winds southeast to Václavské námestí (Wenceslas Square), site of pro-democracy demonstrations in 1968 and 1989.

Finding an Address -- Don't worry about getting lost -- everyone does temporarily, even lifelong Praguers. If you're pressed for time and can't enjoy an aimless wander, you'll find that street signs are emblazoned on red Art Nouveau frames, usually bolted to buildings. House numbers generally increase as you get farther from the Vltava or the square from which the street begins.

Note that Prague street names always precede the numbers, like Václavské nám. 25. Ulice (abbreviated ul. or omitted) means "street," trída (abbreviated tr.) means "avenue," námestí (abbreviated nám.) is "square" or "plaza," most is "bridge," and nábrezí is "quay."

Prague is divided into 10 postal districts whose numbers are routinely included in addresses. The districts forming the main tourist areas are listed below with their corresponding neighborhoods.

Praha 1 -- Hradcany, Malá Strana, Staré Mesto, Josefov, northern Nové Mesto.

Praha 2 -- Southern Nové Mesto, Vysehrad, western Vinohrady.

Praha 3 -- Eastern Vinohrady, Zizkov.

Praha 6 -- Western Bubenec, Dejvice, Vokovice, Stresovice, Brevnov, Veleslavín, Liboc, Ruzyne, Repy, Nebusice, Lysolaje, Sedlec, Suchdol.

Maps -- A detailed Prague street map is recommended if you want to venture off the main streets or retrace where you think you were during your wandering odyssey. Kartographia Praha produces a series of Prague city maps and also has hiking maps covering the best of the intricately marked footpaths throughout the country. Maps are called turistická mapa and have translated keys. You can find them at Czech-language bookstores.

Neighborhoods in Brief

Prague was originally developed as four adjacent self-governing boroughs, plus a walled Jewish ghetto. Central Prague's neighborhoods have maintained their individual identities along with their medieval street plans.

Hradcany The Castle District dominates the hilltop above Malá Strana. Here you'll find not only the fortress that remains the presidential palace and national seat of power but also the Loreto Church, Strahov Monastery, and the main national art gallery at the archbishop's palace. You can take a scenic walk down the hill via Nerudova or through the lush Petrín Hill gardens.

Malá Strana (Lesser Town) Prague's storybook Lesser Town was founded in 1257 by Germanic merchants who set up shop at the base of the castle. Nestled between the bastion and the river Vltava, Malá Strana is laced with narrow, winding lanes boasting palaces and red-roofed town houses. The parliament and government and several embassies reside in palaces here. Kampa Park, on the riverbank just south of Charles Bridge, forms the southeastern edge of Lesser Town, and the riverside Liechtenstein Palace on the park's northern edge was used as the U.S. Embassy in the Tom Cruise version of Mission: Impossible (the real U.S. Embassy is a few blocks away). Nerudova is the steep, shop-lined alley leading from the town square to the castle. Alternate castle routes for the strong of heart are the New Castle Stairs (Nové zámecké schody), 1 block north of Nerudova, and the Old Castle Stairs (Staré zámecké schody), just northwest from the Malostranská metro station. Tram no. 22 or 23 will take you up the hill if you don't want to make the heart-pounding hike.

Staré Mesto (Old Town) Staré Mesto was chartered in 1234, as Prague became a stop on important trade routes. Its meandering streets, radiating from Staromestské námestí (Old Town Sq.), are still big visitor draws. Old Town is compact, bordered by the Vltava on the north and west and Revolucní and Národní streets on the east and south. You can wander safely without having to worry about straying into danger. Once here, stick to the cobblestone streets and don't cross any bridges, any streets containing tram tracks, or any rivers, and you'll know that you're still in Old Town. You'll stumble across beautiful baroque and Renaissance architecture and find some wonderful restaurants, shops, bars, cafes, and pubs.

Josefov Prague's Jewish ghetto, entirely within Staré Mesto, was surrounded by a wall before almost being completely destroyed to make way for more modern 19th-century structures. The Old-New Synagogue is in the geographical center of Josefov, and the surrounding streets are wonderful for strolling. Prague is one of Europe's great historic Jewish cities, and exploring this remarkable area will make it clear why.

Nové Mesto (New Town) Draped like a crescent around Staré Mesto, Nové Mesto is where you'll find Václavské námestí (Wenceslas Sq.), the National Theater, and the central business district. When it was founded by Charles IV in 1348, Nové Mesto was Europe's largest wholly planned municipal development. The street layout has remained largely unchanged, but many of Nové Mesto's structures were razed in the late 19th century and replaced with the offices and apartment buildings you see today. New Town lacks the classical allure of Old Town and Malá Strana, but if you venture beyond Wenceslas Square into Vinohrady you'll find restaurants, interesting shops, and a part of Prague that feels more like a normal city instead of a tourist attraction.

While violent crime is still relatively rare, you should take caution here at night, especially around Wenceslas Square and nearby Perlová Street, where prostitutes and drug dealers ply their trades.

What's All the U-ing About?

Czech establishments have traditionally taken on the name of a distinctive landmark nearby, the name of the house, or the name of the owner of the house. The Czech preposition for at is u. You'll find that a u fronts many pubs, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses, followed by the distinctive name, such as the Malá Strana restaurant U Malíru (At the Painter's), originally the home of 16th-century artist Sic. Another example is U Fleku (At Flek's), which was Mr. Flek's 1499 home brewery, now a regular stop for German tour buses.

Often the place takes the name of a statue or frieze over the entrance to the building that sets it apart from all others (much more so than just an address number). For example, the frieze above the door of the popular Old Town pub U medvídku tells patrons that they're about to drink "At the Little Bear's" house.