A Quieter Side of Prague

It’s no secret that Prague is no secret.

Crowd at Prague Castle

During my stay in Prague, I joined throngs of holiday shoppers in Wenceslas Square and happily ate and drank my way through the bustling Old Town Christmas Market. I went with the flow of tourists across the Charles Bridge and up the hill to Prague Castle. I was having a wonderful time, but it seemed that I was always part of a crowd.

But I managed to find a side of Prague that was a bit quieter, at least at the time. These are some of the scenes I captured along the way.

Retezova Street

Even near such a center of activity as Old Town Square there are side streets and alleys less-traveled by visitors.

Side Street in Old Town

High end stores like Prada and Cartier line the streets in Josefov (Jewish Quarter) between Old Town Square and the Vltava River.

Prada on Parizska Street

I had lunch at a nearly empty restaurant across from the Prada store. Goulash was my meal of choice for the few days I was in Prague.

Goulash

I loved this Art Nouveau building on Maisolova Street, where Restaurace u Stare Synogagy (The Restaurant at the Old Synagogue) is located.

Restaurant at the Old Synagogue

Although there are many visitors to the synagogues and museums in the Jewish Quarter, it was rather quiet as I walked past the Old Jewish Cemetery and took this photo through the fence. The cemetery dates from the 15th century when Jews were not allowed to be buried outside of the ghetto. The last burial here was in 1787.

Old Jewish Cemetery

This view of the Rudolfinum, home to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, is from Manesuv Most, the less crowded bridge north of the Charles Bridge.

Rudolfinum, Prague

A beautiful and quiet ending to a day in Prague.

This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website.


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48 thoughts on “A Quieter Side of Prague

  1. Leigh

    For years I have wanted to visit Prague but the thought of so many tourists has put me off somewhat. Nice to see you exploring and finding the quiet side of the city.
    Interesting that the Jewish cemetery in your photo looks very much like Sophie’s shots from Warsaw today. I wonder why.
    Goulash and a glass of wine – order in what language?? sounds good to me.

    1. Cathy Post author

      Ah, yes. The wine — another indulgence while traveling. Hope I don’t get criticized for having white wine with goulash. I suppose I should have had a Czech beer. 🙂

  2. Sabrina

    Looks like a fun trip! Lots of different sides to one city… and definitly less touristy than you see elsewhere. The goulash looks delicious 🙂 Makes me wanna cook some!

  3. Courtney Mroch

    Oh wow. Your photos captured the calm. And I love the goulash pic. Never had it, but I’d like to try! And the old synagogue restaurant…WOW what amazing architecture. Also, the Jewish cemetery was quite intriguing and I really like the effect you put on that pic.

    1. Cathy Post author

      Glad you liked the effect on the cemetery pic. I like that, too. I had another one that didn’t show the fence, but I preferred the feel of this one.

  4. Turkey's For Life

    Oh, that goulash looks sooo tempting. I could eat that right now! It’s always good to find the quieter side streets of a city isn’t it? It gives you a better feel for the place. The old Jewish cemetery looks like a sad place.
    Julia

    1. Cathy Post author

      The story of the Old Jewish Cemetery is sad. Another fact about it: there are up to 12 layers of graves (with about 100,000 people) because the area was so small.

  5. eileen ludwig

    Great pictures – love reading and following your website – would love to know how you get to travel so much outside a regular job – very nice and invitiing

  6. Steve

    Prague looks like like a fantastic place to visit, and the crowds seem like they’d be a small price to pay, especially when there’s so much empty space just outside of the square. Don’t know about the goulash thing though.

    1. Cathy Post author

      It is a fantastic place to visit — don’t be deterred by any crowds. If you go, try the goulash — my pic doesn’t do it justice.

    1. Cathy Post author

      The architecture in Prague is stunning. There are several different styles that you see there reflecting so many interesting periods in history.

  7. Laurel

    Beautiful photos! I found myself drawn towards the quieter side streets in Prague as well, although I needed more time to find those really special gems – next time.

  8. Aleah | SolitaryWanderer.com

    I’m going to Prague this March as part of my solo 70-day backpacking trip to Europe. I’ll look for off-the-beaten paths like this also, the quieter streets, the less known places. Thanks for the tips 🙂 (Dropping by from the Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday)

    1. Cathy Post author

      How wonderful to take a 70-day backpacking trip — enjoy! I’d like to explore more of the Czech Republic outside of Prague. Hope you get a chance to do that in addition to visiting the city.

  9. Sophie

    You were smart to get away from the throngs of tourists in Prague. (It’s also about which time of year you visit, I expect). Lovely night time shot of the Rudolfinum.

    1. Cathy Post author

      Thanks, Sophie. You’re right about timing. I was there early December and I think many are drawn to it as a great holiday destination. I know that I was. 🙂

  10. Jenna

    I love these! It looks like you had a great time there and saw a lot. Prague definitely has two sides, and the quieter side really isn’t that hard to find even in the historical center. It’s about getting off the main tourist avenue even one or 2 blocks. My favorite quiet place in Prague is the area past the castle. So quiet, old, and beautiful. Seeing your photos makes me miss Prague even more 🙂

    1. Cathy Post author

      I’m flattered that you, a former Prague resident, has been enjoying my posts. I had lunch one day at a restaurant just beyond the castle area. It was quiet and I wished I would have had the time to go further — next time.

  11. Annie - FootTracker

    Prague’s quiet streets look so beautiful! The photo of the restaurant at Old Synagogue looks pretty (gold color definitely catches attention!)

    Good idea of getting away from the crowd! I will try that sometime when I am visiting a popular tourist city =)

  12. Madligence

    Finding the quieter side of a busy city is no easy job… so well done!
    I also loved your style of writing, its like a travelogue, experience sharing.
    I also followed you on twitter 🙂

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