Ungelt (Tyn Courtyard)
by sue_stone
Although Ungelt (aka Tyn Courtyard) is located just off the Old Town Square, it was a world away….small, stylish and quiet. You will find it hiding behind the Church of our Lady before Tyn.
Lined with fabulous Baroque and Renaissance Houses, this elegant square has some good restaurants and a couple of friendly cafes. It makes a great place to relax and plan your days itinerary. We returned a couple of times to the Ebel Coffee house for their fab coffee and bagels. And check out the crazy chairs at the Art Shop.
Ungelt had such a good feel about it…so became one of my favourite things about Prague.
Nearest metro: Namesti Republiky
Third courtyard
by mardaska
As you enter the third courtyard you stand in front of the cathedral of St. Vitus. You can choose either to wait to the line to go inside the church, or to move on and visit the church later. That’s what we did since the line was endless and there are so many other things to see.
Czech is hard, but thank you is easy
by jglsongs
It will take about a day or so to acclimate yourself to the language barrier....and it is one at that. Despite tons of Americans and Brits taking over the city, there will be times when English (or German, the next safe bet) will not be spoken.
Try to learn at least a couple of words in Czech - at the very least "do you speak English/German/..." and "thank you." This really goes a long way; just thinking about a city, which in a short period of time went from a semi-sheltered Communist city to a free tourist center to a new residential destination for many Americans and Western Europeans. It's enough to make one big collective head spin.
Prague still is going through some growing pains...and it's a lot easier to make the overwhelming rush of tourism for some locals a little less...overwhelming.
See babies clambering over the Zizkov TV tower!
by CatherineReichardt
It has to be said that the TV tower in Zizkov (one of Prague's inner suburbs) is horrendous, even by the low architectural standards set by TV towers worldwide!
Built just before the fall of the Berlin Wall (at a time when I am guessing that public participation didn't feature much in the planning of strategic installations), the tower looks like a rocket on a launch pad and apparently featured at No.2 in one list of the world's ugliest buildings: well justified recognition. And, to add insult to injury, part of a Jewish cemetery was demolished to built the tower's foundations.
So, how do you go about rehabilitating such an unloved monstrosity? Easy - you get David Cerný (somewhat of a celebrity 'enfant terrible' sculptor in the Czech Republic) to affix a group of giant bronze babies onto the tower's pillars so that they appear to be using the tower as a climbing frame! These marauding infants were first installed in 2000 as a temporary arrangement, but proved so popular that they were reinstated in 2001 as a permanent fixture.
I have to declare my bias - I absolutely love them (although my brother - who actually lives in Zizkov - is somewhat scathing about their cultural merit)! The TV tower and the outline of the babies are visible from across the city, and the mere glimpse of them on the skyline makes me smile! For me, this sculpture epitomises the cultured but irrevent spirit of Prague, and I find it hard to think of another city that would have permitted this (for which many people will probably be grateful)!
I visited the TV tower early one Sunday morning during my last visit to Prague. It was midsummer, and as part of my quest to dodge fellow tourists by venturing well off the beatern track, I decided to walk (although it is easily accessible by tram from the city centre). Despite the fact that is was a swelteringly humid day, I rather enjoyed the experience of following the tram line through suburbs that tourists don't usually venture into.
Apparently the restaurant in the tower was closed in 2010, but the observation platform is still open.
Maltese Square (Maltezske Namesti)
by sue_stone
Maltezske Namesti is a small square located close to Nerudova (the main road leading up to the castle).
Untouched by time, this L shaped square is surrounded by baroque houses and was named after the Knights of Malta who established a monastery nearby.
This is one of those little 'just of the beaten track' treasures that give you a real feel for this beautiful city.
Nearest metro: Malostranska
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Charles Bridge and Prague Castle
Huge banana split
Inside the Royal Palace
Prague
