♦♦ Hotel Černý Slon – From the airport, we took a 20-minute cab ride to our hotel, Hotel Černý Slon. Located on a narrow street in Malá Strana, the hotel was perfectly situated a few steps away from the Old Town Square. The building itself was constructed in the 14th century and is currently on the UNESCO heritage list. Being such a historical property, there were definitely some quirks – wifi signal was a bit weak and there were no elevators. However, I appreciated the hotel’s convenient location, especially after long days of exploring, and would consider staying here again.

♦♦♦ Old Town Square – We only had to take a few steps out of our hotel to be right in the middle of Old Town Square. Practically untouched since the 10th century, Old Town Square offers a brilliant view into times past. Here, we stopped to watch a colorful array of street performers and marveled at the variety of architecture, from the St. Nicholas Church to the Church of Our Lady before Týn. Enjoy the atmosphere by dining at one of the cafes that line the square.

♦♦♦ Astronomical Clock – What could be so spectacular about a clock to make it one of the must-see attractions in Prague? Perhaps it is its age – the Prague astronomical clock was constructed over 600 years ago – or its hourly performance with its procession of Apostles and representation of the movement of time. It is indeed an interesting sight to behold, and you won’t have trouble finding it as it is on the facade of the Old Town Hall and always surrounded by crowds.

♦♦♦ Old Town Hall – After seeing the astronomical clock, we entered the Old Town Hall to climb up to its observation deck. From there, we had 360 degree views of the city and could see the Church of Our Lady before Týn and even Prague Castle. This was definitely one of the highlights of my Prague trip.

♦ St. Nicholas Church – As one of the most recognizable buildings in Old Town Square, St. Nicholas Church was next on our first-day itinerary. This Baroque church is filled with colorful fresco paintings and intricate ironwork, and its impressive organ was played by Mozart in 1787.

♦♦♦ Church of Our Lady before Týn – The two Gothic spires of the Church of Our Lady before Týn are an iconic sight in Old Town Prague. Built in the 14th century, the church is a preeminent example of Gothic architecture that should not, and cannot, be missed in Prague.

♦♦ Lokál – For dinner, we dined at Lokál, for some hearty, traditional Czech food. I tried the sausages and mustard as well as some goulash and potato dumplings while sipping on some unfiltered Pilsner Urquell. I thoroughly enjoyed the buzzing atmosphere of this lively restaurant and thought its idealized version of Czech pub food was delicious.

♦ Underground Tour – Beneath Prague’s cobbled streets is a hidden, buried city. Due to frequent flooding of the Vltava River, Prague’s street level was raised and the old ground floors became basements that became closed off to the city as it is stands today.

♦♦♦ Trdelnik at Krusta – While wandering around Prague, we seemed to always pass bakeries selling trdelnik, a traditional cylindrical-shaped Slovak sweet pastry, and we finally tried them on our third day. We stopped at Krusta in Old Town to buy our own. Simple and delicious, the trdelnik is on my list of must-try treats when visiting Prague.

♦♦ River Cruise – In the afternoon, we bought tickets for a river cruise along the Vltava River. From the cruise, we had beautiful views of the Prague Castle and National Theatre and floated underneath the Charles Bridge. I thought this was a great, relaxing way to tour the city after exploring by foot for several days.

♦♦ Krčma – For dinner, we ate at Krčma, a traditional Czech restaurant in the heart of the Jewish Quarter of Old Town. It was here that I ordered the most incredible pork knuckle – huge, crispy, fatty, tender – my favorite. Make reservations if you want to dine at a table inside.