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How to spend the perfect Sunday in the 'real' Prague

prague - Shutterstock
prague - Shutterstock

Prague’s long-lived popularity among the stag-do hordes has created something of a schism among visitors from abroad; many are prepared to tolerate the boozy hedonism to spend time in the Gothic architecture, ancient bridges and castle ramparts.

Others swerve the place and look ever eastwards towards Kyev and Vilnius for their next eastern Europe getaway. But the “real” Prague of soft, dappled sunlight, crumbling gargoyles and cobbled alleys can be yours with the aid of nothing more than an alarm clock. Rise early on a Sunday and even Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge won’t be overly crowded, especially if you get there by 9am. Rub your eyes, stride out early and your reward is a sublime (and almost guilt-free) Czech beer on the stroke of noon.

Got The Brunchies?

When the cafés of Prague got down to the art of the contemporary brunch, they seem to have communally decided that it wasn’t possible to do it right without eggs. Lots of them. In myriad forms but always in immense quantities. If you can handle the cholesterol count then head to Misto (Bubenecska 12, Dejvice, 00 420 727 914 535, mistoprovas.cz, open from 10am, mains about £5.50) whose modish blonde wood interior is a breezy spot for scrambled eggs with basil, parsley, chives and shallots on sourdough, They also do a sensational almond rum coffee. It’s listed in every guidebook and is hardly an insider’s secret but Café Savoy (Vítezna 5, Mala Strana, 00420 731 136 144, cafesavoy.ambi.cz, open from 8am, mains about £8) still wows with its art deco interior, flawless service and dizzying assortment of pastries. Booking in advance on a Sunday morning is essential to devour their scrambled egg stuffed croissants and omelettes with local vavrinec cheese. But be warned: this is a space where Prague’s “bargain” reputation firmly comes to a halt.

misto
misto

Now Walk It Off

It’s not the most soothing sight first thing on a Sunday morning but the loggia decorated with scenes from the Trojan War in the Wallenstein Garden (Letenska 123/4, open from 10am) is certainly an arresting vision, coming as it does with a stalactite grotto on one side of it. Bronze statues of Greek Gods, some free roaming peacocks and a pond with some gargantuan carp all combine to make this oasis, created in the 17th century for Duke Albrecht, an eccentric highlight in a city not short on peculiar attractions.

The Soviet era statues have long gone but the Czech enthusiasm for bombast predates the hammer and sickle; Jan Žizka was a Hussite general who led his forces to victory against Catholic invaders on Vitkov Hill in 1420. The memorial built in his honour (alight at Knzikova metro stop, park open 24 hours) in the 1920s is the third biggest equestrian monument in the world. The maze of paths zig-zagging around the hill will take you past clusters of oak, lime and maple trees and the view from the summit is a knockout, taking in the haphazard jumble of steeples and blood-red rooftops of the city below.

jan zizka statue, prague - Getty
jan zizka statue, prague - Getty

Pretty As A Picture

One possible reason for Prague’s success in retaining its medieval core is the long-standing ambiguity of its artistic community towards the modern world. Even in the late 19th century, prominent painters and designers were furrowing their brows about the impact of industrialisation, hence the Museum of Decorative Arts (upm.cz, open from 10am), opened in 1900 to showcase aesthetic beauty inspired by earlier times. Today you will find medieval, Renaissance and Baroque-era locks, keys, ironmongery and furniture.

Vaclav Havel’s 1989 speech in Wenceslas Square, where he roared “power to the powerless” propelled him from dissident to president when the USSR collapsed. His legacy can be explored at the Havel in a Nutshell exhibition at the Vaclav Library (vaclavhavel.ca, open from noon), which is a treasure trove of photography, portraits, touch screens and audio exploring the life of a chain-smoking, oft-hungover hero who struggled with the demands of power.

museum of decorative arts, prague - Getty
museum of decorative arts, prague - Getty

Music Maestro

Check in advance for pandemic-related changes but this summer is due to see the return of the daily lunchtime classical concerts inside the baroque 17th-century Concert Hall at the Lobkowicz Palace (lobkowicz.cz, starts at noon or 1pm). Take time to explore the new music galleries inside the palace, too, which contain Mozart’s autographed revisions of Handel’s Messiah, and first editions of some of Beethoven’s symphonies.

For an altogether more casual vibe you are all but assured to find some of Prague’s aspiring musicians busking in front of the John Lennon Memorial Wall at Velkoprevorske namesti on Sunday mornings. A more professional ambience can be found at the Benedictine Brevnov Monastery, which hosts occasional chamber concerts. Come September, on Sundays there will be an afternoon concert of French poetry and song as part of the Czech Touches Of Music festival (book at czechculture.cz).

Lobkowicz Palace
Lobkowicz Palace

Market Forces

You’ll need to be a seriously early riser to catch the best bargains at the U Elektry flea market (blesitrhy.cz, open from 6am). This colossal place is utterly chaotic with traders from across the country setting out wobbly tables that can contain anything from old war medals to porcelain vases, guitars, flat caps and Communist-era LPs. It claims to be the biggest flea market in Europe and we’re not about to argue. Saturday is, emphatically, market day in Prague when it comes to food so you’re fresh out of luck if you’re looking for fresh, seasonal, local produce on the Sabbath.

A more unusual option awaits if you’re prepared to head out to the Sapa neighbourhood to visit its market (sapa-praha.cz, open from 8am) which is dominated by Vietnamese food stands. Known as “Little Hanoi” by local residents, you should seek out the Bun Ca Hai Phong stand for their bun ca (fish broth with bun noodles and fish patties) or, if you’re already au fait with pho, try another Vietnamese breakfast dish of banh cuon (steamed rice pancakes with minced meat, fish sauce and ham) at Phuong Phuong.

market, prague - Getty
market, prague - Getty

Let Us Pray

And you thought the construction of HS2 was slow? It took 600 years to complete St Vitus Cathedral (hrad.ca, mass at 8:30am and 10am). The result is, as you might expect, a staggering mish-mash of styles that take in Art Nouveau stained glass, the baroque silver tomb of St John of Nepomuck and the medieval mosaic of the Last Judgement.

Mass is conducted in Czech at the Church of Our Lady Victorious (pragjesu.cz, 10am) more commonly known as the Church of the Infant Jesus, due to the wooden statue that was brought over from Spain, hence the slightly Moorish look to Jesus’ face. It’s credited with having saved Prague from the Swedish siege in 1639 due to its miraculous healing powers. His crown is a more recent addition, given by Pope Benedict XVI, who came here in 2009.

st vitus cathedral, prague - Getty
st vitus cathedral, prague - Getty

If You Do Nothing Else...

If you haven’t had a glass of native pilsner beer then you’ve missed rather too much of the point in visiting Prague. Ancient beer halls and micro bars catering to tourists are numerous, but for the real deal head to Hospoda U Novaka (V Jircharich 2, open from 11am) near the National Theatre, a time warp from Communist days where the beer is cold and cheap, the locals are garrulous and the bar tabs the regulars have racked up are on display by the door.

For more ideas and information, see our online guide to Prague and our pick of the city's best hotels.

Overseas holidays are currently subject to restrictions.