My Romantic Weekend in Prague

Everyone knows Paris is romantic, but few of us realise the beauty of Prague – which dare I say, is more romantic and charming. To celebrate our first year together, me and my boyfriend spent 4 days exploring the capital of the Czech Republic, taking in the historical sights, diverse food and cobbled picturesque streets. If you are planning a couple’s getaway, may I suggest a weekend in Prague.

A UNESCO historical site, the city has managed to preserve its medieval, Roman, Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic architecture. The place is a fairy tale for anyone who appreciates history – from the castle built in 880 to the world’s oldest working Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square.

Like any city, there are many museums, and sights to explore – my extended weekend could not accommodate everything I wanted to see. Considering the size of Prague, you can easily walk around and physically see it all, but if you do your research, you’ll find many hidden gems.

Prague Romantic attractions

I’d describe my perfect romantic day as one that involves walking along a beautiful, cobbled street followed by drinking wine at an al fresco bar. If you’re the same (you appreciate a nice stroll and a glass of wine) walking along the Vltava River and stopping in the Old Square or by the Wenceslas Square (great for shopping) is your ideal date night.

Classically, like the Louvre in Paris, everyone goes to Prague and visits the Charles Bridge. Completed in 1402, the bridge is home to several statues including Saint John of Nepomuk, who was thrown off the bridge by King Wenceslas IV in 1393. On the bridge, expect lots of caricature and portrait artists and Instagram models. And by models, I mean countless people taking photos for their feed.

The best and quietist time to visit is in the morning or evening, and ideally on a weekday. 

As an absolute romantic must, plan a trip to the Prague Castle. Me and my boyfriend enjoyed visiting the different sections our castle ticket permitted, such as Golden Street (tiny houses from the 16^th century) a museum housing medieval armour, a medieval prison and torture chamber, St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Old Royal Palace. There are also castle gardens and incredible views of Prague to be found here.

Other romantic activities include seeing one of the oldest opera houses, riding in a horse-drawn carriage through the Old Town, walking up the Petrin Tower (a mini-Eiffel Tower), viewing St Nicholas Church, and wandering the Wallenstein Palace Gardens.

We made the mistake of going on a boat ride labelled ‘Prague Venice’ – I recommend going on a different river boat – if you’re feeling lavish, splurge on the wine boat tour.

Food and drink

I consider myself a cultured person – I love visiting other places and exploring past the tourist spots. However, I had Czech as well as Mexican and Italian food during my trip! This was not because I didn’t enjoy the food – my only complaint was the overload of whipped cream in my pancakes. There was not one thing I ate that I didn’t enjoy.

Prague has some of the best street food – forget ordering a dessert at a restaurant and buy a Trdelník (chimney cake). Though it originates in Romania, it is a pastry found everywhere in Prague and can be described as a warm donut with ice-cream inside.

Another favourite street food of ours was the grilled sausage (Grilované klobásy). It’s exactly what you need for lunch after a morning of sightseeing.

For the romantics, I adored visiting Restaurant White Horse. There are some bad reviews online (mainly due to expensive drink prices) but the food and ambiance scream date night goals. Set in a 12th-century cellar, me and my partner sat and ate our meal as we listened to a singer play his guitar to classic hits like ‘Baby can I hold you tonight’ by Tracy Chapman and ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis.

You’ll find lots of al fresco restaurants and bars in the Old Town. If I’ve convinced you to book a weekend in Prague, be sure to head to Black Angel’s Bar for an intimate, late-night drink. We also enjoyed the many jazz bars around (some of them open much later than others).

Overall thoughts

Although I imagine Prague is much less visited than Paris or Rome, it’s still a big tourist hub filled with people worldwide vying to capture the most famous spots. At times, it felt a little hectic – especially around the castle. But of course, that’s to be expected in any city. We had the best time celebrating our relationship with one of the prettiest places I have been to.

As mentioned before, it is not as big as other popular capital cities – I would advise looking at what you want to see before going because you can easily walk round and miss locations.

Prague is ideal for couples that appreciate old architecture and history.

One thing to note: expect lots of cannabis shops. With such a late-night party scene (including a red-light district), stag and hen parties are frequent. We saw more people exploring the architecture than partying however and there is a wide choice of bars so you can easily avoid certain areas.

A funny highlight was entering the sex museum – very interesting to see the ‘equipment’ people used to experiment with.

What are your thoughts? Have you been to Prague before? Would you consider it for a romantic weekend?

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