Prague is the capital city of the Czech Republic, with a population of a million and a quarter. It’s located in the Bohemia Territory and spreads out on two sides of the Vltava River.

How To Get There: Airlines serving Prague Ruzyne International Airport (airport-prague.org) include Czech Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, American, Delta, United and many others. The airport is about 30 minutes away from the city by taxi and public transport.

Where To Stay: Consider one of Prague’s unique floating, riverside boatels. An example is Boatel Admiral (Horejsi nabrezi, Prague 5, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for about $100 a night, including buffet breakfast. The location offers pleasant views of river and bridge traffic and the surrounding city. It’s just a short walk to many of the tourist sites. Where To Eat: Authentic Czech food is at Na Kopci (K ZavErce 2774/20, Praha 5, nakopci.com). It requires a cab ride from the city center, but savings ($15 to $20 for a full ethnic dinner) and atmosphere is well worth it. Try the roast pork with dumplings and red cabbage (vepro-knedlo-zelo), with kolace yeast cakes for dessert.

Must See Prague Sites: Old Town Square has many interesting vintage landmarks, including the 15th Century Astronomical Clock on Old Town Hall. It features many moving figures and music and actions, making it a fascinating attraction for tourists and local children. (praguewelcome.cz)

Nearby is Wenceslas Square, named for the medieval king of the old Christmas carol. In addition to many ancient statues and vintage buildings, Prague also has modern cafes, some featuring music and exotic dancers.

The outlandish Mucha Museum is unique. Everything goes against the standard architectural lines, with leaning, stretched columns and walls, resembling the work of Gaudi in Barcelona. (mucha.cz)  

Prague Castle has been continuously in use since the 7th Century. Its 18 structures were homes through history to warlords, emperors, kings, presidents and Communist officials. Stroll through the castle’s churches, royal chambers, towers and gardens. (hrad.cz/en)