Instead of going on a Prague bus tour, take a free tour on a tram. Tram #22 offers a nice ride for getting to know Prague. It operates approximately every 5 to 10 minutes, and passengers can get on or off as they want (a 32 CZK standard ticket is required and valid for 90 minutes).
1. Get on the New Town tram to ride over the river into the Little Quarter, then onto the castle (this tram stops in Pohořelec). You will notice how simple it is to utilize the trams, get your bearings, and travel swiftly straight to the castle (saving yourself a 250 CZK taxi journey and a lot of sweat).
2. Begin at the stop of Národní Třída (opposite the Metro stop sharing the same name, take the tram nearest to the Metro, on the identical side of the road as the Tesco supermarket). This tram will rattle and turn along Národní Třída (National Street). Or, because many recommended venues to sleep and eat are close to the stop at Náměstí Míru (4 stops before Národní Třída), you might begin the tour there instead.
3. Národní Divadlo is the following stop, and you will notice the National Theater opposite Café Slavia, just prior to the tram crossing the river. Sample the boat rental options (the island has rental wharves) and the romantic beaches, and survey the fine castle views. Four hundred yards upstream, and more difficult to see, is The Dancing House, which Frank Gehry designed.
4. The following stop, Újezd, is opposite a park. Witness the Communist Victims Monument—the spectral bronze figurines descend onto the park steps in the corner. A funicular takes you to the Petřín Eiffel-shaped Tower.
5.Then, the tram goes northwards from the stop at Hellichova, travelling parallel to Kampa Island on the right hand (river) side. On the left-hand side, the tram goes past the Church of Our Lady Victorious, frequented by pilgrims due to its’ Baby Jesus of Prague. Next, the tram slowly travels uphill and enters Little Quarter Square. You will catch a look at the Charles Bridge on the right-hand side at the street’s end.
6. Then, the tram stops at the nearest stop to Charles Bridge, Malostranské Náměstí. This is on the main square of the Little Quarter and is characterized by the Saint Nicholas Church. Here, you can trek up to Prague Castle from Nerudova street.
7. On the left-hand side, 15 yards after the stop at Malostranská, is the entrance to Wallenstein Palace Gardens. On the right-hand side in the park, and behind you, is a modern-day World War Two freedom fighter’s memorial (after that, a bridge goes across the River Vltava to the Jewish Quarter, Josefov). The tram enters the longest route in-between stations—ideal for ticket inspectors to appear on to catch out all those travelling without valid tickets. After the tram finishes its’ climb uphill and takes a sharp turn to the left, you will notice the Písek Gate, or Sand Gate (Písecká Brána) on the right, which is one of the few gates of the Baroque Prague system of fortification that is still preserved.
8. Královský Letohrádek is the following stop. Instantly across the road are the Royal Gardens and the Royal Summer Palace, which fragrantly lead to a public toilet and to Prague Castle.
9. If you are in a rush to see the sights of the castle, get off at the stop at Pražský Hrad to locate the most direct path to the entrance of the castle. If you have got extra time, remain on board for a favourite journey from Pohořelec, described shortly.
10. Brusnice is the following stop. From here, you can see the New World (Nový Svět) neighbourhood, a time-frozen area of tiny houses and cobblestone streets, with no tourists or shops (to get here from the stop, stroll over the small park which has a statue—slightly ahead on the left-hand side—then head down the steps).
11. This tram now negotiates through a greenbelt constructed alongside the remnants of the city’s wall. The Pohořelec stop is a preferred route to the castle and the stop nearest to the Monastery at Strahov. Get off here, and everything is downhill. Alternatively, take the tram heading in the opposing direction, and make this journey in reverse.
12. Making the Route Longer: Should you wish to witness Prague at work without any sign of tourists, remain on the tram for 3 more French cheese and seafood shops, suggesting that young, cosmopolitan families now inhabit this neighbourhood from the 1930s. Be seated for a fairly cheap but good quality meal at “By the White Lion“, which is on the left once you leave the tram, or pick from a wide range of poppy seed pastries offered by the small cafe-cum-bakery across the road. You could also stroll, or get the tram, to (2 stops further down) the tranquil Benedictine monastery, Břevnovský Klášter. This is located 5 stops following Pohořelec. This is constructed in a nice, straightforward Baroque style and has a discreet restaurant, garden and the well regarded Hotel Adalbert. To return to the castle and the Strahov Monastery at any time, catch tram #22, which goes back in the opposite direction.
