The beautiful Czech Republic city of Prague has a wonderful tram network which makes visiting the city very easy. The trams in the city date back to 1875 when the trams were horse drawn but today the system is one of the most modern in Europe and covers over 140 kilometres of track and over 900 tram cars. For a real treat look out for the historic no 91 tram which runs over the warmer months. This quaint wooden tram adds a charming and nostalgic addition to Prague’s magnificent old architecture. For people wanting to see some of Prague’s most popular sites then tram 22 is the one for you it passes the Staromestska National Theatre, the Malostranska and offers some amazing views of the Prague Castle and the Pohorelec. The tram network run 24 hours, the daytime timetable runs from 4:30 am to midnight with services about every 10 minutes while the night service runs every 40 minutes.
Posts Tagged ‘Prague’
Prague’s Trams
Smetana Museum
Smetana Museum
The Smetana Museum or Muzeum Bedricha Smetany is a Prague Museum dedicated to the great Czech composer Bedrich Smetana who died in 1884. It has prime position on the beautiful Vltava river in Old Town right next to the Charles Bridge. Before 1936 the lovely Renaissance building was home to the Prague Water Company and now houses many of Smetan’s possessions including music stands, letters and even his ear bone. He is best known for his symphonic poem Vltava (also known as The Moldau from the German), his tomb can also be visited at the VyÅ¡ehrad cemetery in the grounds of VyÅ¡ehrad Castle.
The Galerie Rudolfinum
The Galerie Rudolfinum is the home to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra who are regarded as one of the world’s finest. Beautifully set on the banks of the Vltava amongst lovely manicured gardens the building was once home commercial operations but the Czech Savings Bank bought the site in 1874 and decided to utilize the building as a house of arts to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Located in-between the Old Town and Lesser Town the Rudolfinum is in short walking distance to other prominent Prague galleries and performing arts centres including the Academy of Decorative Arts, and Facility of Philosophy. The beautiful neo renaissance building also houses a art gallery which focuses on contemporary art and shows exhibitions from many new and emerging artists. The building was also home to the provisional seat of Parliament of the Czechoslovak Republic from the 1920’s but after the second World War the Czech Philharmonic were given the facility back again and in the 1990’s it was rebuilt and modernized to suit their purpose and restore many of the original features for many years to come. Read the rest of this entry »
All aboard the Tramvaje in Prague
There is a lot to see in the Czech city of Prague and there is no better way to cover the distances between palaces, castles and museums than on the Tramvaje. The local tramway has over 500 km of tracks around the city and it is estimated used by over 300 million people a year. You will catch a tram every 10 or so minutes so there is no long waiting time but peak hours the carriages can get very busy. Tram 22 and 23 are probably the most useful for tourists they go past many of the city’s most scenic routes including passing the National Theatre to StaromÄ›stská and Malostranská metro stations, and continuing up to the Belveder, Prague Castle and PohoÅ™elec. Tickets are cheap as chips costing only 25Kc for adults and 10kc for kids and seniors, but for a real bargain get a short term tourist pass they work on all public transport . Tickets can be bought from newsagents, stations, hotels and some department stores. There are also vending machines close to many stops.
Prague’s Charles Bridge
For over 600 years the Charles Bridge spanning the Vltava River has been one of the main focal points of Prague has held battles, processions and even executions and since the fall of the Berlin Wall it has became increasingly popular with film directors who what to add some beautiful scenery to their latest blockbuster. The construction of the bridge dates back to 1357 and has been an important trade route in and out of Prague over the centuries. Built from Bohemian sandstone the bridge is an amazing engineering feat being 516 metres long and nearly 10 metres wide resting on 16 huge arches. The Gothic tower and city skyline is a favorite of the artists who paint on the bridge. It is best to visit either early morning or late in the day as the bridge can get chaotic with people. There are some 30 statues most depicting religious stories, these are all now reproductions, the originals stand in the Lapidarium of the National Museum for safe keeping.
Stay in a botel
Sick of the standard hotel room on your tour of Europe, well here is the answer, a Botel- its a hotel but its a boat. This one is in Prague in the Czech Republic on the Vltava River. It is a stationary vessel which has bar, restaurant, lobby and all the things you would expect in a budget hotel only it is a boat. on the It might not be 5 star luxury (or even 2 star for that matter) but it sure is fun and good value. The cabins are fairly small and sparse but for novelty value who cares and lets face it your only sleeping there as there’s so much to do and see in Prague you will hardly find time to sleep. Prague has a few different botels to choose from and you will find them in other European cities including Amsterdam.
