The first time I went to Prague was almost a decade ago, for a friend of a friend’s wedding. To this day, it remains to be one of the best weddings I’ve ever been to. The best kind of wedding is when you barely know anyone going in, and you leave the weekend with an overflow of new friends added on social media. Back then, it was still Facebook. Weddings are the adult version of a condensed summer camp. The best kind is also a destination one, when a foreign city plays the role of a romantic backdrop, humming to the march of a union accompanied by boisterous fêtes. I woke up with a french fry next to my chin after dancing to Sweet Caroline until 4 a.m. This, was my first experience in Prague. The capital of Bohemia wasn’t center stage, but the steady baseline to chilled Pilsner, steamy goulash, relentless hangovers, beads of sweat on sweltering summer days, and Charles Bridge at 7 in the morning when not a soul was in sight as the city was ours.

A rare occasion in Praha.

Almost ten years later, I went back to Prague with our very own Nadia Cho in 2019. This was a much more low-key peek at unflinching crowds rampaging the city, from Old Town to the Jewish Quarter. Letná Park was where we eventually strummed along a mellow pace, trees replaced tourists and birds sang louder than human chatters. In a post-COVID-19 world, of course, Letná Park means a different kind of escape, not from human chatters but from human contact. It comes at a cost of nostalgia for traffic jam on the Charles Bridge, when bodies of bottleneck didn’t fear or deter us.

To the city where 8 million tourists a year was relative to the connotation of nuisance, I now look back with borderline sappiness. Longing for the day when cities aren’t shut down, people aren’t afraid, a vivid Old Town Square would once again be congested with tourists.

Okay, maybe not that many tourists.

In 1140, Strahov Monastery was founded by Prince Vladislav II for those following the teachings of St. Augustine. The Gothic-style architecture from Baroque period features its most charming and impressive room: the library, which boasts one of the oldest monastic collections in Czech Republic. The 800-year-old library also displays more than 16,000 books! This is Beauty and the Beast’s famous scene coming to life!

*Hot tip: Since Strahov is situated on the outskirts of the city, I’d recommend planning this landmark and the Prague Castle on the same day.

Constructed in the 9th century, Prague Castle is also the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. In the past, it was the chamber of power for the kings of Bohemia and Holy Roman emperors. Its enormous 750,000 square feet of space makes it the largest ancient castle in the world.

Try to avoid massive tourists at the Charles Bridge by seeing it at 7 a.m. Yes, 7 a.m.! Trust us, it’s completely worth it getting up early to experience the real beauty of the oldest bridge still standing over the Vltava river. It links Prague Castle to Old Town and elevated Prague as a vital trade connection between Western and Eastern Europe. There are 30 statues of saints mounted on both sides of the bridge.

After Charles Bridge, you’ll reach Old Town which welcomes 8 million travelers every year. Make sure to squeeze your way to the medieval astronomical clock which shows the positions of the Sun, Moon, Earth, and Zodiac constellations. There are different versions of why the clock is cursed but in one belief, the clockmaker was driven mad and blinded because Prague Concillors at the time did not want him to repeat his work anywhere else. The clockmaker threw his own body in the clock to break it so no one was able to fix it.

Six synagogues, a museum, a Jewish Town Hall and a solemn cemetery all add up to a somber reminder that the Jewish Quarter or Josefov. This district boasts an important part of the Czech history, since ironically, it was the Nazis who prepared for an “Exotic Museum of an Extinct Race” and collected Jewish artifacts in preparation for the museum.

Strolling through the expansive Letná Park, you’ll encounter a spectacular view of the entire city. This massive natural oasis comes with immense history from the Middle Ages, when military camps were situated here due to its strategic location. In the late 1980s, Letná witnessed several protests and demonstrations against the Communist regime. Today, it’s a nice break from an insane amount of tourists.

As the longest river in the Czech Republic,Vltava River has given rise to Prague’s most historic and important sites. We highly recommend going on a river cruise after dinner, you’ll get a glimpse of Prague by night and maybe catch a group of swans floating on the river.

Like how we stumble upon most hidden gems, we discovered Holesovicka Sedma randomly and indulged in down-to-earth, straightforward Czech food. Tenderloin soaked in sauce, goulash with Pilsner right from the tank.

With several locations throughout Old Town Prague, Lokál is where locals and travelers intersect via pints of Pilsner on tap, topped with heavy foam and a slew of traditional Czech dishes. Lokál is great for a midday stop after sightseeing, my personal favorite: fried cheese and goulash.

Mlýnec is a true gastronomic paradise, this beautiful venue right in front of Charles Bridge is a modernized take on traditional Czech cuisine. The menu we tried started with Prague Ham and Freshly Smoked Veal Tartar. Followed by a fatty but perfectly prepared Traditional Czech Duck Leg Confit which required seven hours to cook, and a Veal Fillet Mignon a la Schnitzel. But the shining jewels of the night were elaborate desserts, including: Fried Chocolate Fondant presented in a stunning haze of dry ice, and a glistening golden Cream Puff.

During the late 18th century, absinthe became popular in Europe due to one of its ingredients, wormwood – used for various illnesses, even malaria. But wormwood contains a chemical called thujone, which causes hallucinations. Back then, absinthe was known as “The Green Fairy,” and captivated artists including: Van Gogh, Gaughin, Picasso, Hemingway, Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe…and many more. In Prague specifically, demand for absinthe started during the First Republic around the early 1900’s, but exponentially grew amid the fall of Communism in 1989. Today, the best place to taste absinthe is at Absintherie bars, with two locations in Old Town. But go to the one in Jilská, it’s a lot more fun with a vibrant ambiance.

If you want a cool speakeasy with a great cocktail menu and a music playlist that appeals to everyone in the room, head over to AnonymouS. The mascot of the bar is Guy Fawkes in a cryptic mask, an homage to the movie V For Vendetta. AnonymouS’ crafty cocktails stay true to the art and science of mixology. Fun, tasty, and thoughtfully executed. There might be a line outside but once you grab a seat, you’ll soon realize that the vibe isn’t at all pretentious. In fact, the staff is welcoming and the crowd is a great mix of locals and internationals.

Check out Bar and Books where you can sample some of best whiskeys while soaking in the elegance of colonial-style designs. Leather seats, wooden stools, a copper bar that stretches along sparkling bottles of high-end brands. If whiskey isn’t your favorite, there are other delightful options on the menu as well.

Na břehu Rhôny is a self-service wine bar with lovely collections of French wines. Walk up to three different closets labeled: red, rosé, white. Grab an empty glass, choose the kind of wine you’d like to taste, pour from the box, write down on a piece of paper the kind of wine you chose and the size of your glass. At the end of the night, that paper is your bill. Boxed wine has never been this fun after college days.

Mama Shelter Prague boasts 238 rooms, much bigger than most Mama Shelter properties, which means more space for even more of the brand’s fun, colorful homey goodness! The designers always create public spaces which encourage effortless socialization among guests. Staying at Mama Shelter Prague is effortlessly fabulous from top to bottom.

We stumbled upon Artisème by accident, originally I wanted to check out Lennon Wall again but it was under construction. Strolling through the garden nearby, I came across this beautiful shop that showcases modern handmade pieces by local artisans. This concept store’s gorgeous garden lounge makes the entire shopping experience ultra serene.