Just finished booking our trip for 1 week in Prague and 1 week in Vienna next month.

I've read up on the threads on here from over the past few years about both and just want to see if there is any updated info or other advice ya'll have.

Getting some Air BnBs to stay in in the old parts of each city. We plan to just use walking and city transportation to get around. No agenda planned as of yet.

We love history, architecture, beer and avoiding large crowds.
Any recommendations on tours, or city passes with access to multiple things, ect?

For Prague-

If you like history and no crowds, they have a decent antique arms and armor museum. It's fairly basic but it's a nice break from the crowds. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20188

If you go to Strahov monastery, there is a trail in behind it that leads up in to the hills where the royals kept their deer herds walled in for their private hunting. Its a nice walk through some garden areas. Takes you to Petrin Hill with some nice views. Then you can ride the lift down.

There's a nice outdoor beer and simple food area down by the river right here. https://goo.gl/maps/prjZ6czBnb42 Was a really nice area to just relax away from the crowds.

I highly recommend Kozel beer. Can't get it in the US.

The torture museum in Prague was a fun afternoon.

CS78 said:

---

For Prague-



If you go to Strahov monastery, there is a trail in behind it that leads up in to the hills where the royals kept their deer herds walled in for their private hunting. Its a nice walk through some garden areas. Takes you to Petrin Hill with some nice views. Then you can ride the lift down.

---

Second this. There's a nice little beer garden in the monastery before you go up the hill that's fun to just relax and have a bite and a brew (on a nice day).

Vienna is super expensive so bring lots of cash.
Great city though.

U Fleku

I Iive in the region. If you have a week in Vienna, dedicate a day or two to day trips.

I live in Bratislava and you can add another country and enjoy a much cheaper day here. Trains leave every hour between 0600 and 2200, a return ticket costs 10 euro. An hour journey. Or, you can take a Danube River shuttle.

In Austria, Gottweig Abbey is in Austrian wine country and well worth a trip.

Inside Vienna, the lines are long and the museum is missable at the Hofburg for the Sisi Museum, unless you are fanatical about her. The Imperial Treasury, on the other hand, is amazing.

In Czech, well worth the trip to Cesky Krumlov.

TheFirebird said:

---

In Czech, well worth the trip to Cesky Krumlov.

---

Yes, it is.

I am going back to Prague for the 2nd time in July and visiting Cesky Krumlov from Salzburg and staying the night on our way to Prague. Very excited for this little town.

I second U Flecku. Also go to the Charles Bridge at night. Have to go see the Jewish cemetary.

CS78 said:

---

For Prague-

If you like history and no crowds, they have a decent antique arms and armor museum. It's fairly basic but it's a nice break from the crowds. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20188

If you go to Strahov monastery, there is a trail in behind it that leads up in to the hills where the royals kept their deer herds walled in for their private hunting. Its a nice walk through some garden areas. Takes you to Petrin Hill with some nice views. Then you can ride the lift down.

There's a nice outdoor beer and simple food area down by the river right here. https://goo.gl/maps/prjZ6czBnb42 Was a really nice area to just relax away from the crowds.

I highly recommend Kozel beer. Can't get it in the US.

---

I like Kozel and it's worth a pour, especially on draft. Funnily enough, here in Slovakia it is marketed as the cheapest "good" beer, with a half liter can selling for .79 euro or sometimes less.

U Fleku is a great spot in Prague where they brew on the spot. At non-brew pubs, look for Svijany or Bernard. Great beers.

I second the treasury museum and day trips.

If you can swing going to Lake Bled in Slovenia you won't regret it either.

Youre not far from Krakow either where you can get great pottrry, crystal and see Auschwitz.

Im just concerned youre going to run out of thungs to do in a week. But we are fast travellers as well.

https://www.secretfoodtours.com/prague/

my wife and i were in Vienna and Prague in December. we did this food tour in Prague. it was great.

here's the thing about Prague. the crowds are nuts these days. i went the first time back in 2005, and it wasn't anything like this. but, it's still a great place.

you will enjoy Vienna. i recommend going to both the Sacher Hotel and Imperial Hotel to try their famous tortes. The sacher torte and Imperial Torte are both awesome. we did late afternoons, so it wasn't crowded. had a drink a bit of cake.

Viennese wine is great. so, make sure you partake.

Quote:

---

Im just concerned youre going to run out of thungs to do in a week. But we are fast travellers as well.

---

I understand your concern, however we did 10 cities in 2 weeks last year for our honeymoon in Spain and though it was fun, we would like to try to stick in one place for several days and really get into the culture and atmosphere and just get to have some relaxing no rush days.

I am considering a day or overnight trip to Dresden, seeing that it's only 2 hours train ride. Anyone know if that's worth it?

Jewish cemetery

Texaggie7nine said:

---

I am considering a day or overnight trip to Dresden, seeing that it's only 2 hours train ride. Anyone know if that's worth it?

---

When we were there we drove from Prague to Dresden. Stayed in the cool little town of Oybin, Germany then drove through the Saxon Switzerland National Park and a few days at a B&B in Dresden. I would highly recommend the drive and some exploring. But if I were going to take a direct train ride, I would go somewhere else with more to see. The Dresden Armory is top notch but that's about all that was there. Most everything had to be rebuilt after the war.

I've been reading up a lot on prague and vienna history. I think we can really fill up an entire week in both cities. So much history and things to see.

So far I have booked an opera in prague and an opera in vienna. The rest I think we can figure out when we are there. Didnt feel like paying $200+ a seat for the Vienna State opera house.

Any other recommendations for things I should book now?

Can anyone recommend a great place to eat in Prague that is under $50 pp? When we went 8 years ago we just stopped wherever looked good so won't remember them but would like to have one place reserved since traveling w/ a different crew.

We really liked this place for Italian. More of the seafood and steaks end of things. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d1504567-Reviews-La_Finestra_in_Cucina-Prague_Bohemia.html

There's a number of good Indian restaurants. You'd have to try pretty hard to spend over $50 a person in Prague.

Do this...

Yes, I was including $50 for alcohol too. Wherever we went all those years ago we got an appetizer, meal, dessert and 2 drinks each and I think we spent $60 bucks and it was delicious. Was a 2nd floor place on a patio.

Was it Cafe Louvre?

wildcat08 said:

---

Was it Cafe Louvre?

---

We had a great meal at Cafe Louvre, but the pork knuckle was spectacular at Prague Beer Museum. Would recommend both!

Ag with kids said:

---

Do this...

---

Does it come with a happy ending?

I didn't love Vienna (we went there during our honeymoon) but on one of our days we went up Nussdorf) and wandered around until we found a winery at the end of a dirt road). Wine was good and cheap.

Theres a bunch up there but we ended up at Buscgenschank Worseg. If you know where you're going it's only about a 10 minute walk from the end of the street car. We did not know where we were going....

Terezin was very interesting and would be worth going to outside Prague after you do a tour of the jewish quarter in the city.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terez%C3%ADn

the town became a concentration camp, sort of the model town the germans would present to inspectors of how the jews were being treated "well."

the fortress near the town became the gestapo prison for political prisoners.

Cool bonus. I didn't know a lot of the newer Casino Royal was filmed in Karlovy Vary

Ag with kids said:

---

Do this...

---

Ha! We did this...skip the wrap and stay in the bath. No more beer after you leave the bath area. Also, they recommend not showering after which we found disgusting lol

In Vienna, I enjoyed walking around the Schnbrunn grounds. Wasn't overly into the the tour of the inside but the walk up to the Gloriette was nice and gives you a nice photo OP of the city and palace.

I recommend the restaurant Salm Braeu too.

We stayed in Bratislava and day tripped to Vienna. Bratislava is so cheap compared to Vienna. We stayed in an Airbnb that overlooked the presidential palace for $80 a night.

Didn't get to do as much as I wanted, but overall it was great.
Karlovy Vary was a great surprise. Better than I expected and less crowds.

what were your favorite things in each city? i'll be doing vienna then prague next 2 weeks

If you haven't already, spend some time reading up on the Hapsburg Dynasty.