Is a day trip to Prague worth my time?
When I guide relatives through Europe and we visit Prague, they often ask "Is taking the time for a trip to Cesky Krumlov worth the effort?" When I am in Cesky Krumlov and meet people who have stopped off in Cesky Krumlov on their journey between Salzburg and Vienna, many ask "Now that I am in the Czech Republic, is a trip all the way to Prague worth the effort?" In both cases I tell them to be sure to make the trip.
In the summer it is daylight before 6:00 am. For 150 CZK per person during the summer on weekdays one can catch the bus at the main Cesky Krumlov bus station at 5:20 am and reach Prague (at the Roztyly bus/metro station) at 8:25 am without transfers (see link at www.idos.cz). Once at the Roztyly bus/metro station, take the metro (see Prague Subway Map at www.urbanrail.net/eu/pra/praha.htm) with a transfer to station Malostranska; go to street level then take tram #22 or #23 north bound to the second stop (Prazsky hrad) to reach the back of the Prague Castle. Be aware that Tram 22 is nicknamed "The Pickpocket Express;" as tourists crowd into the closing tram doors, they are watched by groups of pickpockets; see additional "pickpocket" comments below. Since the spring of 2008, the "Student Agency" buses (one does NOT need to be student to use them) has a four times per day service between the two cities. Since its first bus leaves Cesky Krumlov at 7:00 am and arrives in Prague only 2 hours 45 minutes later (at the Na Knizeci bus station above the Andel metro station), this more civilized method of travel would get you to Prague almost as early as the above public bus. I mention seeing the Castle first since all of your walking after that will be easier being downhill (see interactive map of historic center of Prague at www.pragueexperience.com/maps/map.asp). Also in the morning the sunlight striking the stained glass windows of St. Vitus Cathedral and striking the gold mosaics above the doorway to St. Wenceslas´ Chapel are more impressive than later in the day. Try to picture yourself being in Prague seven hundred years ago when the contrast between the spectacular colors of St. Wenceslas Chapel (with the high walls of the Gothic style Cathedral) and the drab squalor of the populace must have been especially striking.
If you have a family or group with you, an easier and faster way to reach Prague is via taxi. Krumlov Taxi (see link at www.krumlov-taxi.cz) offers a 3,890 CZK flat rate; several other taxi companies in Cesky Krumlov will match this price. Mike´s Chauffeur (see link at www.mike-chauffeur.cz) offers a ROUND TRIP price of 3,800 CZK (less 3% for Castle View Apartments´ clients). This price is for a vehicle with up to four passengers and allows you to enjoy an entire day in Prague. (If you are driving your own car, the route via E49 is faster than the route via E55). If you leave Cesky Krumlov about 7:00 am, the taxi or chauffeur service can drop you off just outside the main Prague Castle gates about 9:00 am. You can watch here the changing of the guard; the front gate is near a great spot for a panoramic view of the rest of downtown Prague and the steps along the Castle walls. After you have toured St. Vitus Cathedral and the other major sites inside the Castle, walk down the Castle steps towards the Charles Bridge. Just before you reach the Charles Bridge will be St. Nicholas��� "Cathedral" with a later Baroque architecture than the Gothic style of St. Vitus Cathedral; note the comparisons between these two styles. There is another St. Nicholas "Church" on the OTHER side of the river at the Old Town Square so don���t be confused by the indexes in Prague guidebooks.
In the summer the Charles Bridge can be packed with tourists; try to see it again in the evening before you return to Cesky Krumlov when the crowds are smaller and lights illiminate the area to make it magical in appearance. After you cross the river, walk towards the famous mechanical clock tower in the Old Town Hall. Although I think this site is overrated and too crowded by tourists watching to see the figures move on the hour, you might as well be able to say you have seen it. Those who are mechanically inclined and energetic can go to top of the tower which has a great view; I agree that the clock is much more impressive when one sees the complicated mechanism behind the clock and realizes that most of the controls were designed 600 years ago. At this point I should mention to be alert against pickpockets, even though one is "on vacation." Although Prague is a safe city, people who flash expensive cameras (pun intended), jewelry, handbags BEHIND their chairs at outdoor restaurants,etc. are just asking to be robbed. As in any large city, wear a money belt UNDER your clothes, and be aware of your valuables when you are in crowds.
Adjacent to the clock tower is an delightful town square with another stunning Gothic church (The Church or our Lady before Tyn) with its "twin" towers that are actually NOT 'identical" directly ahead. Just north of this Square is the Jewish Quarter. If you decide to buy the ticket that admits you to all of the major sites in the Quarter, be sure to get the ticket with the guided tour for a small additional price; it is the most "value added" purchase you can buy in Prague. Although the many synagogues amd famous Jewish Cemetery are interesting, the museum that has drawings by children in the Nazi concentration camps are especially poignant. Returning to the above Square, if you walk down the street to the right side (south) of the above Gothic church, you will see another Gothic tower (the "Powder Tower" which was one of the 13 entrances of the Old Town wall) next to the Municipal House. Be sure to step inside this building to look at both of the impressive Art Nouveau restaurants on the ground floor. Music lovers will enjoy the architecture and accoustics of Smetana Hall upstairs. When you leave the front door of Municipal House, cross the Na Prikope Street and walk to your right towards the famous Wenceslas Square. Along this street and elsewhere downtown, walk inside the lobbies of banks built over a hundred years ago such as the "Unicredit Bank" at #20 Na Prikope. Just as almost a thousand years ago many cities began building big cathedrals to impress others and affect the psychology of people who walked inside, a hundred or so years ago banks did the same thing. After all, a bank that looks this solid/impressive must be a safe place for one's money! Those who do their banking at ATMs and 'drive through' windows do not realize the psychological impact that these cavernous bank lobbies can have; they are architectural masterpieces with walls and high ceilings covered with decorated and polished, multicolored blocks of stone as well as wide, stone staircases and Corinthian columns that seem to ascend to the heavens. During the summer of 2008 I was shocked to see another of the architectural masterpeices on this street having its interior plastered over and chopped up into smaller offices in the name of "progress". Unfortunately many similar buildings in Prague are now being "modernized" and thereby eliminating more and more of the city's interior architectural heritage so see them while you still can! Also on this south side of this street is the "Moser" showroom at "Na Prikope 12". Go inside to get a feeling of Prague at its most elegant; its helpful staff was a shock to me after the Velvet Revolution when other clerks in Prague still had the "communist attitude" toward any customers who dared to enter their premises and disturb them. Once inside, walk up the stairs to the "first floor" to see how high-end, quality glassware looks and feels. Seven years ago when there were 40 Czech crowns to the dollar, I thought their crystal was rather expensive so I bought only a few glasses for special occasions; now that there are fewer than 15 crowns to the dollar, the only thing I can afford to do there is drool. Much of the omnipresent glassware sold in tourist areas is junk; if interested, ask your hotel where locals go for good crystal at fair prices. Wenceslas Square (actually shaped like a long thin rectangle rather than a "square") is where the student Jan Palach set himself on fire in January, 1969 to protest the invasion of Czechoslavakia by the Soviet Union the previous year. Visit the Hotel Europa on the east side of the Square to see its Art Nouveau Restaurant, lobby, and cafe; don´t be discouraged by the recently painted front of the hotel with its hideous yellow color. Go to its first floor to see an impressive multistory enclosed atrium which problaby inspired the famous Brown Palace Hotel in Denver and has been used as a backdrop in many famous movies. Remember that in Europe the street level floor is called the "ground" floor, the next floor above is called the mezzanine floor, and the next floor above is the, yep you guesed it, "first" floor!
I have not mentioned the Prague restaurants worth trying because that would take many pages depending on one´s budget and preferences. A sausage on a roll can be obtained from a street kiosk on Wenceslas Square for 25 CZK. If you are NOT driving (the Czech Republic has a zero tolerance for alcohol in one´s system when driving), consider having one of the inexpensive, quality local beers with your sausage to really feel like a Czech. For those who refuse to eat at McDonald´s or KFC while overseas but have trouble understanding Czech menus, on week days a luncheon special of entree, vegetable, starch, salad, and dessert for 199 CZK (149 CZK without dessert) is available from noon until 3:00 pm at the "Culinaria" deli at Skorepka 9 (just north of Narodni Street near the Narodni Trida metro station just west of Wenceslas Square). Here it is easy to know what you are ordering since everything is in plain view. For a splurge meal there are restaurants (some along the river by the Charles Bridge) that serve truffle dishes (cooked with the underground fungus, not with chocolate) for less than half the price charged in Paris but where the above mentioned 199 CZK would not cover the tip for a multi course dinner with wines. To avoid mediocre food at high prices, avoid tourist areas; ask your hotel where locals eat. For example, stay away from restaurants that have signs such as "We speak English and accept Euros." In any restaurant, check the waiter and cashier's addition and the cash you receive back for "mathematical errors"; if something appears on your table that you did not order (ie., nuts, breads, etc.), ask the waiter to remove it so you will not be charged for it later.
Wherever you travel in Prague, be aware that many taxi companies are notorious for ripping off tourists. Always agree on a price in writing BEFORE you step into a cab, and remember that all of the tourist sites are within easy walking distance of each other, especially if you begin at the Prague Castle and walk downhill through the town. It is much better to have your hotel/restaurant call for a taxi than hail one on the street since the taxi companies would be more hesitant to cheat a client of an established business in Prague than cheat an individual tourist on the street. Central Prague streets are narrow and winding. Often trucks block these streets for several minutes as they unload their wares so it often can be faster to walk to a nearby destination than take a taxi. Historically "AAA Taxi" has had a good reputation for its prices inside Prague; however going from Prague to Cesky Krumlov they tend to use the LONGER E55 route when "on the meter" and can easily cheat you over 1,000 CZK for the trip.
For the return to Cesky Krumlov, almost all of the bus/train schedules require a transfer except for such private companies as "Student Agency". A faster but more expensive option is to use a transportation service to Cesky Krumlov after supper in Prague and another quick trip to see the Charles Bridge with the illuminated Prague Castle in the distance. Mike´s chauffeur service (see link at www.mike-chauffeur.cz) has a rate of 3,500 CZK (with a 3% discount for Castle View Apartments��� clients) for the two and a half hour trip from Prague to Cesky Krumlov.
If you are visiting this area between June and October, consider another option especially if you are hiring a car/driver mentioned above. These are the dates that Tour #2 is available at Karlstejn Castle, just outside of Prague. Take a "virtual tour" at their website at www.hradkarlstejn.cz/virtual-tour/. by clicking the thumbnail of the next to the last photo at the bottom of the virtual tour selection. These tours, starting at 9:00 am and lasting about two hours, include the "Chapel of the Holy Cross," the most beautiful room from medieval Europe with its gold and semiprecious stones on the walls. Reservations for this tour are needed in advance (see above website for details). English speakers often do not have their emails answered or their phone calls returned by such websites, especially if you do not indicate that you will take tour #2 in any language if English is sold out. When you arrive in Prague, your hotel receptionist can also call them to reserve your tour although sometimes you need to go to another Prague address to pay the reservation fee in cash if they are not willing to accept your credit card. I know this procedure seems like a hassle, but this tour is worth it! If Tour #2 is sold out in English during your visit, take this Tour in any language available. You will soon forget the words of the tour guides anyway, but the images of these rooms will last a lifetime. I think that a taxi could take you to the top of the hill to the gates of the Castle to save you some time. Afterwards the taxi or chauffeur service could take you to Prague Castle; there if you follow the directions mentioned in above paragraphs, you would have an easy downhill walk seeing the main sites of historic Prague on your way to Wenceslas Square. For much less money one can take a direct train from Prague to Karlstejn. If you use the train, take a detailed train schedule of that route with you, and sit in the front of the train so you will recognize when you reach Karlstejn and be ready to exit. Some of the stops that trains make in small towns are only for a minute and only have one station sign to tell you the station name. The Karlstejn train station is across the river from the Castle. After leaving the Karlstejn train station, turn to your right then cross the bridge over the river; then make another right turn and walk up the hill to the Castle. Be aware that the guided bus tours from Prague to Karlstejn take the MUCH less impressive Tour #1, and one still has to walk up the hill to the Castle unless one rents a horse drawn carriage at the town parking lot.