Prague in 3 Days

Three days arranged geographically so you never cross the city twice: the Old Town on day one, the castle and Lesser Town on day two — all of it downhill from the top — and the Jewish quarter and New Town on day three. Every stop opens its full page with prices, times and directions. The golden rule in Prague: start before 9 am. The difference between Charles Bridge at seven and at eleven is the difference between a city and a queue.

1Day 1

1Old Town SquareStart before 9 am: the square is nearly empty and the cafés are just opening. Find the twenty-seven crosses in the pavement by the town hall.

2Prague Astronomical ClockCatch the 9 or 10 am show before the crush, then take the glass lift up the tower — its view over the square is the best of your day.

3Havelské tržištěThree minutes away: buy fruit and water here instead of paying square-café prices — the cheapest stop in the area.

4House of the Black MadonnaOn Celetná as you go: the world's first Cubist building. Go up to the Cubist café — ordinary coffee prices inside a design landmark.

5Powder TowerAt the end of Celetná. The climb is optional (186 steps, no lift), but walking under the arch is free and the carving repays a look.

6Municipal HouseAttached to the Powder Tower. Foyer and café are free — rest here over a coffee in central Europe's finest Art Nouveau interior.

7Old Town Bridge TowerClimb it an hour before sunset: the whole bridge with its statues and the castle behind — Prague's most famous shot, above the crowd rather than in it.

8Charles BridgeEnd the day crossing at sunset, then come back after 10 pm if you can — the bridge at night with the castle lit is a completely different experience.

2Day 2

1Strahov MonasteryTake tram 22 to Pohořelec and start from the highest point — the rest of the day is downhill. The Philosophical Hall alone justifies the trip up.

2Royal Garden of Prague CastleEnter the castle from the north gate through the free Royal Garden before 9:30 — you walk it completely empty (closed in winter).

3Prague CastleBuy the Circuit B ticket at the second-courtyard windows. Allow three hours, and catch the noon changing of the guard if the timing suits.

4St. Vitus CathedralDo this first inside the castle — it has the longest queue. Stand under the Mucha window between 10 and 2, when the sun cuts through it.

5Golden LaneIncluded in your ticket. House 22 is where Kafka wrote. Leave the stroller at the entrance — low doorways and steep steps.

6St. Nicholas ChurchWalk down the old castle stairs into the Lesser Town square. The summit of Prague Baroque, with the organ Mozart played.

7Lennon WallSeven minutes south. Fifteen minutes is enough — then cross the little bridge over the Čertovka into Kampa.

8Kampa IslandFinish on the island lawns at sunset with the river and Old Town in front of you — free, and the calmest place after a long day.

3Day 3

1Jewish Museum in PragueStart early on the combined ticket. Do not plan this day for a Saturday or a Jewish holiday — every site closes.

2Pinkas SynagogueThe heaviest stop on the route: eighty thousand names on the walls, and the Terezín children's drawings upstairs. Take your time, and no photographs.

3Old Jewish CemeteryThe exit from Pinkas leads straight into it. Stay on the path — twelve thousand stones over twelve layers.

4Spanish SynagogueMake it the last of the quarter — gilded Andalusian ornament ends the route on something beautiful after what came before.

5Wenceslas SquareTwo stops on metro line A. Walk the square uphill to the statue, and look for the Jan Palach memorial set into the ground below it.

6Head of Franz KafkaFive minutes west. Wait for the moment the forty-two layers align — that is the shot, and it is far stronger in person than in photographs.

7Dancing HouseWalk down to the river. Photograph it from the far bank at Jirásek Bridge — from too close the building loses its motion.

8Letná ParkEnd the trip here: tram to Letenské náměstí and walk in from the top with no climb. Five bridges in one frame at sunset.