Prague City Tourism Get To Know: Prague’s waterside delights is here to help you! Anyone visiting Prague in the summer can take a break from their tours of the main tour- information about Prague • maps and information brochures for free • tickets for cultural and sport events • city tours • ist attractions not just with some refreshing accommodation • public transportation tickets • souvenirs from relaxation by the Vltava river, but with all sorts Prague • guide services Prague’s of other activities closely linked to our main watercourse. You can try a whole host of rec- Tourist information centres can be found in downtown reational and exciting water-sports, take a boat Prague and at the international airport: trip to the ZOO or just hang out with your family Old Town Hall on the romantic embankments and the Vltava q Old Town Square 1, Prague 1 r daily 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Cubist river islands. In short, the banks of Prague’s Prague:Guides&Tours r daily 9 a.m.–7 p.m. backbone river are like a magnet for all water Na Můstku lovers. All the interest is well met with due q Rytířská 12, Prague 1 r daily 9 a.m.–7 p.m. tourist and leisure facilities. Read on to find Václav Havel Airport Prague Architecture q Terminal 1 (arrival hall) r current information at w prague.eu some of the things we’d recommend. q Terminal 2 (arrival hall) r current information at w prague.eu Take a stroll Get to know Prague in a whole new way In addition to a modern playground complex divided into age Whether you’re looking forward to a stroll through the historical Is Like No Other Strolling along the river downtown is an experience in itself groups, its great attraction is to watch large steamers sailing and it’s not easy to choose which of the Vltava riverbanks is centre, getting to know one of Prague's districts in more detail, from the adjacent river lock, best viewed from the arched bridge. more attractive to visit. From the left bank you can admire the or exploring mysterious or picturesque corners, you can always Worth noting is that the island is one of the first places in Prague majestic Rudolfinum, Národní divadlo (The National Theatre), turn to Prague City Tourism for a licensed professional guide. to offer attractions fit for handicapped children to enjoy. For the youngest tour participants, we’ve put together interac­ ‘Vyšehrad’ Castle or Anežský klášter (St Agnes Convent); from tive routes to learn more about the legends and ghosts of old in the World the right bank you can enjoy the view of ‘Hradčany’ Prague Just a few dozen yards from Shooters Island and majestically Prague, explore house signs, or discover the animal inhabitants Castle, Malá Strana (Lesser Town) or Petřínské sady (Petřín looked upon by the National Theatre, the Vltava River bathes of the Lesser Town. Gardens park). If you care to spice up your walk with a more the banks of Slovanský ostrov (Slavonic Island). Its centrepiece lively programme or some offbeat eating, try one of Prague’s is palác Žofín (the Žofín Palace), a neo-Renaissance building Take a look at the private guided walks that we offer at waterfronts. The Vltava riversides become quite the hub of built in the 1930s, named after the Austrian Archduchess Žofie, w f prague.eu/guides or contact us at [email protected], summer cultural events, leisure activities, farmers’ markets or mother of Emperor Franz Joseph I. and we will plan a fully customized walk for you. food festivals. As a hot novelty there are the local renovated Now with a 20% discount on all tours booked by December 2020! dungeons, which are hollowed out premises in the embank­ ment wall with giant round glass windows, giving the water­ Rental boats and pedalos w prague.eu fronts much­needed new facilities for visitors. In total, twenty prague.eu Like other similar locations, Slavonic Island is a popular des­ of these ‘hobbit-hole’ dungeons have opened on Rašínovo Kovařovic Villa tination for family outings and recreational treats. Among the Inspiration nábřeží (Rašín embankment) and across the water on Hořejší most popular are river­rides on small rowing boats and pedalos. nábřeží (Upper embankment). Three are restrooms, another You’ll find no less than three rental firms on the island for these Places three serve as galleries, five house workshops and art studios, More than a century has passed since a handful nova Streets. One structure that is impossible to overlook is the Grand Café Orient, which happens alternative modes of transport. If you should be unlucky and one hosts a branch of Městská knihovna (Municipal Library) Events the triplex house on Rašínovo Embankment, built according to to be the only Cubist café in the world. find yourself at the back of a queue, you can head to another of daring architects designed several notewor- and the rest are cafés. Since the end of May, the theatre ‘Loď a design by Josef Chochol. Particularly striking is its central Here you'll immediately find yourself pedalo rental on Smetanovo nábřeží (Smetana embankment). Tajemství’ (Ship of Secrets), the original floating stage of the thy structures in Prague. With their unconven- section, completed by a polygonal gable and highlighted by immersed in the environment enjoyed by If you feel the ‘need for speed’ of a motorboat, or fancy a cruise Forman brothers, is anchored at Rašín embankment. For more tional appearance – sometimes to the point of a dominant bay window above the main entrance. An excep­ the crème de la crème of Prague society raft with a barbecue, visit the branch office of this company, information, visit the w prazskenaplavky.cz website. summer bizarre – they win the admiration of not only tional example of a purely architectural form of Cubism is the shortly before World War I. headquartered on the Smíchov bank on Strakonická street near nearby Kovařovic Villa (q Libušina 3), which is the work of the the Lihovar bus stop. the art world but also the members of the gen- The second Cubist jewel situated in the same architect’s studio. This multi-level house with a white central part of the Czech metropolis To the islands eral public who travel to see them year after lime plaster façade and polygonal central section (known as is the Diamant House on the corner of year. Their architectural style, built on a perfect an “avant­corps”) elegantly extending into a small garden is The islands along the Vltava greatly complement Prague’s Sightseeing cruises Spálená and Lazarská Streets in New enhanced by the original design of the gable walls constructed overall composition, being at the same time tourist­friendly, and playful combination of prisms, cubes, and Town, designed by Emil Králíček. Two Romantic sightseeing cruises are inherently part of the colour­ of diagonal surfaces. The garden fencing, which uses additional lively areas, cultural, sports and relaxation zones, and blossom­ pyramid shapes, was revolutionary right from monumental corner oriels dominate the ful mix of most major European cities. Prague has no shortage Cubist elements, complements the aesthetic impression of this ing into a kind of open­air community scene in the summer. the start with regard to the way space was con- magnificent building, and its segmented in that regard. The views you get from the deck are truly mag­ free­standing villa. Among the most popular is Kampa, between the Vltava river façade is overflowing with impressive nificent; unforgettable vistas of the historic heart of the city ceived, as it was possible to look at the individ- and its millstream arm, the Čertovka. Overall, it is one of the The third – and, according to experts, the best – of Chochol’s details – portals, cornices, sculptures, and its wider surroundings. Particularly popular are late after­ ual parts of the structures from multiple angles most picturesque places in the metropolis and ranks among realised projects is the five-storey rental building on the corner and other ornaments. noon and evening cruises; romantic couples will definitely enjoy the most impressive urban islands in Europe. This comes down at once. Although Cubism represents only one of Neklanova and Přemyslova Streets. It’s known as the Hodek a sightseeing cruise in a Venetian gondola or the historical Old Town Hall fully to not just its attractive location on the Lesser Quarter shore­ Building after the name of its builder, František Hodek. Here, saloon boat of the ‘Prague Venice’ company Pražské Benátky. short episode in the history of architecture, line, but also to the quaint, almost fairytale atmosphere that Chochol took advantage of the sloping terrain as well as the fact Small Cubist Gems There are guided cruises on the Vltava with live music and here in the Czech environment (and particularly seems to emanate from every wall of its ancient houses, mills operational from July that the two streets meet at a sharp angle at this location, which dining on offer from Prague Boats and Parníky Praha. If you’d in the capital city), it holds a prominent position. Emil Králíček also designed several and palaces. The south lawns are widely used for cultural and intensifies the building’s overall composition. The main façade care to venture further out to explore the city’s wider surround­ Discover the beauty of the most famous town hall in Prague, additional noteworthy objects, includ­ social events of all kinds, for picnics or just relaxing. No art There is no other country in the world where is once again composed of diagonal surfaces, and a slim corner ings you can board the historical paddle steamers or modern now again in the usual opening hours and standard operation.