Ah, the famous Astronomical Clock Tower in Old Town Hall square! For years, I've always wanted to…read morevisit Prague to see this. When I first arrived, I did not realize it was almost noon, so the crowd was HUGE and CRAZY, and I didn't understand why until I realized at at the top of every hour, the windows open and the puppets of the 12 Apostles pass through and people want to watch them. The crowd is definitely MUCH MORE manageable after that, and I came back several times for more attempts to take photos in front of the clock until I got some that I'm happy with! It's the symbol of Prague, smack dab in the touristy area, and easy to walk from to head off to many other tourist sites in the city!

You don't have to pay to see the astronomical clock, which was finished in 1490 and has run ever…read moresince. Every hour the two little blue doors open and figures of the 12 apostles come out and move. It's attached to the old town hall. It's wonderful to stand in the center of the old town and watch this mechanical clock. The first part of it was built in 1410.

Dancing House is a must-see when visiting Prague!…read more Also known as "Fred and Ginger," the deconstructivist building's two towers represent the famous dancers Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, with a solid stone tower (Fred) and a fluid glass tower (Ginger). They were designed by Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunić and completed in 1996. I stood on the sidewalk and waited for busy traffic to pass so that when I took photos, cars weren't blocking the view of the building. The best spots to take photos are along the river. I also entered the building, and went upstairs to the lobby of the restaurant/bar Glass Bar. I didn't order anything, I just checked it out, and then continued on with exploring and walking around Prague.

-Cute house architecture in Prague -Near the river…read moreWe stopped by to check it out...fun to look at and see.

The municipal house has a wonderful restaurant on the ground floor. It is beautiful and definitely…read morea date-type place to go. The ambiance was elegant. We had multiple servers who were so attentive. In addition, there was a pianist on an acoustic piano playing nice music (NOT an electric keyboard w/boom chicka booms). I started with their soup of the day-cauliflower. The picture doesn't do it justice. We each ordered the filet mignon which came with roasted potatoes and a salad. The meat portion was huge and there were plenty of potatoes. To finish I had a crème brûlée, my favorite dessert. It did not disappoint. Overall, it was a lovely dinner and then after we went upstairs to a string concert. A great night.

Stopped by for a quick breakfast and coffee before starting our day in the city. Yes, it's a…read morebeautiful place, although not as gorgeous as New York Palace in Budapest. The food is good. I got the mini pancake with the berry jam and a cappuccino. The jam on the pancake was tangy and sour and sweet, which elevated the dish. The server that served us was good, but we went around 8:30, and there were only 4 other customers sitting down. We didn't see a server at first or a hostess, so we tried to ask someone that's behind the entrance making coffee if we can just sit down. Let me tell you that she was so rude, as in she didn't even acknowledge our existence and totally stared and turned her head away. For an establishment in the middle of a tourist center open during breakfast hour, maybe have a cup or two of coffee so you don't become so rude. A few days in Prague, and by far, this was the rudest encounter. Everywhere else, they were super nice.

Charles Bridge also previously known as a Stone Bridge is almost 700 years old bridge across the…read moreriver Vltava in old town Prague. Used for many centuries as the only bridge in Prague it was also the main road for coronation processions and it decorated with religious statues along the way. Today the bridge is used for pedestrians and is visited mostly by tourists. Even on rainy and snowy day when I visited - it is nothing short of impressive. In particular - the bridge is roughly 35 feet wide - and considering its age it is an amazing fear of engineering.

This is the gorgeous gothic bridge that most tours start from. It's absolutely breathtaking if you…read morewalking across the parallel bridge from it, and even more striking up close. Our guide told us several of the statues (particularly the ones people touch for good luck) were actually tested and carry staph and e-coli, so a definite heads up for those visiting to either not touch, or use hand sanitizer after they do. Every statue has a bit of a story to it and this was probably our favorite part of the tour we were on. I would be extra careful for pickpockets because it's beyond touristy, but all in all, a definite must-do via a tour guide if you have the chance.

Late Gothic Landmark with Limited Hours…read more Peter Parler and Matthias of Arras designed and built this 14th century spired cathedral. It is so interesting how the "face" has been changed with the addition of a building directly in front of the church entry. Climb the Old Town Hall Towers for a better view. Note: There are limited hours for entry. Check the schedule, we were lucky to enter 5 minutes before they closed midday.

Church of Our Lady before Týn is the name of the ridiculously gorgeous Gothic church that stands in…read morePrague's Old Town Square. You've seen pictures before. Despite visiting years ago, it took living here for a month for me to learn its name or explore inside. It wasn't until one of my new friends invited me along for a classical music performance that I became acquainted with it. I heard that it's a rarity to be able to attend a concert in the church, but I also heard the opposite, so I'm not actually sure. Either way, if you have the extra funds and want to experience some local, albeit touristy, culture, be sure to book through Via Musica. The ticket cost me around $38 (935 crowns...NOT cheap!!) but I think it was worth it for a one-time visit. I spent most of the 65-minute concert mesmerized by the church itself. Faces everywhere. Gold everywhere. Intricate designs. Unreal beauty. It was such an amazing experience! It was also cold. Keep in mind it's a very old church. Even though it's indoors, it's not like they have central heating so you'll still feel the elements. Dress appropriately! And be sure to arrive early for a good seat. If you're visiting Prague, don't miss a trip inside this church. Classical concert or not!

Powder Tower is a gorgeous gothic tower in Old Town that is open to the public to go up…read more I didn't go up, but I did enjoy admiring it and taking photos of the building.

Very impressive and intimidating looking tower. Reminded me from something from the Lord of the…read moreRings movies. Great photo opportunities, but as for the 190K/$8.25 to go up to the top of the tower...it wasn't worth it the time, effort, and money. While I do love a good European tower with 100s of steps, this interiors of each floor weren't too exciting, and the views from the top weren't all that exciting. If you're limited on time, you can skip going up there, and just admire the architecture from the outside.

Prague is full of fascinating statues to take photos of! Franz Kafka is a famous writer and…read morenovelist from the Czech Republic, well known for "The Metamorphosis," about a salesman named Gregor Samsa who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a giant insect (usually depicted as a cockroach). I was just wandering around and exploring Prague as a tourist, and came across the statue. Snapped a photo of it for my travel memories. I'm sure that bigger Kafka fans would want to spend more time with the statue and pose with it. A few Kafka quotes: "From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached." "A book must be the ax for the frozen sea within us."

Iconic sculpture of the famous writer, located in the Jewish quarter…read more His writings were published by a friend after Kafka's death and they became world famous. So many people have held onto the front of Kafka's shoes that they have become shiny, this is a popular tourist activity, supposedly bringing good luck and return to the city in the future. But take a look at the cobbles under the base of the statue and in amongst the red cobbles are many black ones which make the shape of a "gigantic insect" which is a reference to the opening line of Kafka's short story called The Metamorphosis.

We took a guided tour of the castle and it was a fantastic experience. The castle complex is…read moreenormous--about 753,473 square feet--making it the largest ancient castle in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The complex stretches down to Lesser Quarter (Mala Strana), where you'll find several beautiful chateaux and palaces. One notable example is Wallenstein Palace, which is home to the Czech Senate and includes 26 houses and six gardens. Inside the castle walls, there's so much to explore: a stunning cathedral, multiple museums, the office of the Czech president, the Bohemian Crown Jewels, and much more. The entire complex is incredibly expansive--it can easily take several hours to see everything. If you're visiting Prague, this is definitely a must-see landmark, and taking a guided tour really helps you appreciate the history and scale of the place.

We saw Pražský hrad through a Get Your Guide tour while we were in Prague for the day and overall,…read moreI'm not sure I would recommend it. Compared to the Madrid Palance, Pražský hrad feels dusty. The Madrid Palace is opulent and had air purifiers in almost every room. Pražský hrad has rooms that are almost unbearable to stand in due to the allergens and construction. The carpet was dingy and it's mostly the gorgeous gothic outside that's the draw. All in all, I don't think you need to have a guide for Pražský hrad and I could see buying entrance tickets and being perfectly content with your choice.

Tickets to the Klementinum sell like hotcakes. You cannot enter the Klementnum and see the Baroque…read moreLibrary and Astronomical Tower without a tour ticket. I went back in the morning to try to snag a ticket, and the line at 9:55am was already looong. After I got in line, it instantly grew looooonger behind me. I got a 2pm ticket, which I feel very lucky to get. I came a little late, but thankfully my group for my time slot didn't go too far. I can see why we needed a tour guide. We were led up these veerryyyyyy narrow winding stairs for multiple floors. It felt very scary, going up these narrow and steep stairs that I worry about the stability of, AND going so high up. The view of the Baroque Library was worth it. What a beautiful library. Made me feel like I was in a magical library! Took a bunch of photos and a video. I just wish we could actually enter the library. Everyone was crowding to take photos and videos from the doorway. To reach the Astrological Hall, we went up wooden stairs that are the original from the 18th century! More scary stair-climbing. The views of Prague from the top floor of the tower balcony were very beautiful. Even though I was scared of heights, dropping my phone, and bumping into someone and risking falling, it was very cool to be so high up and get a bird's-eye view of Prague. Made it back down safely! This is not a great tour for anyone scared of heights. And you'll be disappointed if you were expecting to enter the library.

This was one of the most overrated and underwhelming tourist experiences in Prague. Online tickets…read moresold out about a week in advance, so the only option was to get a same-day ticket by lining up at 9AM. I got to the ticket office at 8:50AM and there were already about 100 people in line. At around 10AM, I made it to the front of the line and was able to purchase tickets for 1:30PM. Most same-day tickets run out by 11AM. The tour itself was only 45 minutes long and no one could even go into the heavily advertised Baroque Library (1 star off). The library was barely lit and the tour group had to look in from the entrance. The library looked impressive overall, but I was not able to see the details the tour guide described, being held so far from them. In fact, I learned more from the digital rendition of the library. The was not what I had expected after lining up an hour and paying CZK380 for a live tour. The tour included the Astronomical Tower, but it was just an empty room with two small display cases of small (astronomical?) instruments (1 star off). The aerial view was nice...if you could squeeze in the tight balcony. An obese lady in my group sadly could not experience it. The tour did not include the Chapel of Mirrors, which was included in past tours. Now it requires a separate ticket. Save your money and time by learning about this place online...from the comfort of your own home or the Starbucks across the street from the Klementinum.