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Prague
The guide that shows you what other travel books only tell you! With more than 550 full-color photographs, DK's Eyewitness Travel Prague captures the capital city of the Czech Republic museums, palaces, synagogues, and gardens. Accurate street-by-street maps and 3-D illustrated overviews direct you through Prague's five main New Town, Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, Little Quarter, and Prague Castle. Special sections highlight the striking Old Town Hall with its 15th century clock, the magnificent St. Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Palace, and the National Theatre. Beside three walking tours that show historical landmarks, city parks, architecture, and impressive views of the city the guide offers suggested days trips from Prague including tours of the medieval castles in Bohemia and historic towns of Karlsbad, Marienbad, and Kutna Hora.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 28, 2014
Things I definitely want to see/do:
Sternberg
St Agnes Convent
St George's Convent
Trade Fair Palace
Mucha Museum
St Vitus
have a beer at U Fleku
walk the Royal Coronation route
January 30, 2025
A great complement to "Top 10 Prague"
Great organization, eye-catching photography, well written narrative and superb cartography! DK Eyewitness Travel guides have got it all but, for me, it's the photography that really separates them from the competition. And Prague covers it all - restaurants, music, beer halls, walks, art galleries, museums, spas, architecture, palaces, hotels, cafés, theatres and churches. And all of the information is organized by neighbourhood in the city so I can make the most effective use of my time once I'm in a certain area.
Here's the outline of the guide in a little more detail:
How to use this guide
Introducing Prague
...A Suggested Four Day Itinerary
...Prague on the Map
...The History of Prague
...Prague at a Glance
...Through the Year (events, holidays)
...A River View of Prague
Prague Area by Area, each section includes:
...Introduction to street by street area
......Detailed pictorials of area buildings
......Architectural drawings, pictures, cut-aways of buildings
......Specific stops, historical monuments, churches, buildings, etc.
...Further Afield (trips just outside Prague)
...Four Guided Walks (highly recommended)
Travelers Needs - includes full list with rankings and notes
...Hotels
...Restaurants, bars, cafes
...Shops / Markets
...Entertainment
Survival Information
...Practical
......Tourist info., Etiquete, Personal Security and Health
......Currencies, Telephones, misc info.
...Getting to Prague
...Getting Around Prague
......Planes, trains and automobiles, signs
......Street Maps
......General Index
...Phrase Book
As far as the phrase book is concerned, Czech is exceptionally difficult to learn and pronounce (among other problems, for example, their nouns are declined with no less than seven cases!) I found that most of the locals have enough broken tourist English to allow even the most linguistic phobic tourist to survive. But, and this is the most basic common courtesy, I recommend you learn at least the Czech words for "please" and "thank you", (prosím and d'kuji vám). Two other mandatory words in a surviving tourist's vocabulary (in this humble traveler's opinion) have to be pivo (beer) and toalety (toilets). Frankly, everything else is luxury and amounts to learning above and beyond the call of duty.
Here's my "best practices" strategy. Read Top 10 Prague first. Make some basic choices, get your mind wrapped around Prague's geography and begin to localize your choices to certain areas. Fine tune your choice and plan your attack day by day by reading Prague. Familiarize yourself with some of the local customs by reading the basic country information in the back of the larger Prague guide - currency, communications, etiquette, food, beer and wine, local transportation and specialized hints like local tipping practices.
Why not five stars? Frankly, with the internet now providing so much current information, I can't see the value in attempting to include lengthy (and probably outdated) lists of hotels and restaurants in densely packed small print index lists at the back of a book like this. There are some outdated addresses which resulted in time wasted on unsuccessful searches for a couple of stores and restaurants which have either moved or closed down. There are also references to a couple of palaces that are now converted to embassies or businesses that are closed to the public. Since they're now at best an external photo op, I'd rather see the space devoted to smaller homes or sites of historical interest that can be still be toured.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Great organization, eye-catching photography, well written narrative and superb cartography! DK Eyewitness Travel guides have got it all but, for me, it's the photography that really separates them from the competition. And Prague covers it all - restaurants, music, beer halls, walks, art galleries, museums, spas, architecture, palaces, hotels, cafés, theatres and churches. And all of the information is organized by neighbourhood in the city so I can make the most effective use of my time once I'm in a certain area.
Here's the outline of the guide in a little more detail:
How to use this guide
Introducing Prague
...A Suggested Four Day Itinerary
...Prague on the Map
...The History of Prague
...Prague at a Glance
...Through the Year (events, holidays)
...A River View of Prague
Prague Area by Area, each section includes:
...Introduction to street by street area
......Detailed pictorials of area buildings
......Architectural drawings, pictures, cut-aways of buildings
......Specific stops, historical monuments, churches, buildings, etc.
...Further Afield (trips just outside Prague)
...Four Guided Walks (highly recommended)
Travelers Needs - includes full list with rankings and notes
...Hotels
...Restaurants, bars, cafes
...Shops / Markets
...Entertainment
Survival Information
...Practical
......Tourist info., Etiquete, Personal Security and Health
......Currencies, Telephones, misc info.
...Getting to Prague
...Getting Around Prague
......Planes, trains and automobiles, signs
......Street Maps
......General Index
...Phrase Book
As far as the phrase book is concerned, Czech is exceptionally difficult to learn and pronounce (among other problems, for example, their nouns are declined with no less than seven cases!) I found that most of the locals have enough broken tourist English to allow even the most linguistic phobic tourist to survive. But, and this is the most basic common courtesy, I recommend you learn at least the Czech words for "please" and "thank you", (prosím and d'kuji vám). Two other mandatory words in a surviving tourist's vocabulary (in this humble traveler's opinion) have to be pivo (beer) and toalety (toilets). Frankly, everything else is luxury and amounts to learning above and beyond the call of duty.
Here's my "best practices" strategy. Read Top 10 Prague first. Make some basic choices, get your mind wrapped around Prague's geography and begin to localize your choices to certain areas. Fine tune your choice and plan your attack day by day by reading Prague. Familiarize yourself with some of the local customs by reading the basic country information in the back of the larger Prague guide - currency, communications, etiquette, food, beer and wine, local transportation and specialized hints like local tipping practices.
Why not five stars? Frankly, with the internet now providing so much current information, I can't see the value in attempting to include lengthy (and probably outdated) lists of hotels and restaurants in densely packed small print index lists at the back of a book like this. There are some outdated addresses which resulted in time wasted on unsuccessful searches for a couple of stores and restaurants which have either moved or closed down. There are also references to a couple of palaces that are now converted to embassies or businesses that are closed to the public. Since they're now at best an external photo op, I'd rather see the space devoted to smaller homes or sites of historical interest that can be still be toured.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
March 12, 2017
I'm being obsessed with Prague right now. I've never actually read a guidebook from cover to cover because I typically use the internet to learn about places but, in this case, I actually just wanted to learn all I could about the city without anyone's opinions on it. Not only is this where Daughter of Smoke and Bone takes place, but at the turn of the century, my mother's family immigrated from towns just outside Prague that DON'T have books about them so reading about Prague, I felt, would give me the best sense of the history of the area without actually having to read a textbook :)
And I was right! There is a great historical section at the beginning of this book with lots of pictures and timelines that are great reference - plus, as you read about different buildings or areas, they provide the original historical page numbers so you can go back and remind yourself about what you learned and place it in historical context.
I really loved learning about this ancient city. I feel like I have a sense of the basic conflicts and resolutions as well as the actual geography of the space - the different districts and major landmarks. The graphics in this guide book are quite good and there MANY colorful maps and diagrams. My only complaint (why it gets 4 stars instead of 5) is that sometimes things felt a bit out of order. In general, there would be a map of a district, say New Town, and on that map are lots of numbers that correspond to different paragraphs about that specific place. Almost always, it would go map then paragraphs (so you could go back and forth to reference). And then a couple times, there would be additional numbers that weren't on that initial map and so I'd search all around and find that number on a later map and that was annoying. Consistency would've been better - or a notation to see map on pg. # whatever.
Of course, at the end there are practical sections for people who are actually going to travel there, which seem to be very thorough and up-to-date, but probably I would always look online first before traveling to make sure things haven't changed. I did skim through most of that stuff but there appears to be lots of suggestions for hotels/restaurants, etc. I don't actually know if they skipped anything important but it was really full of information and for places of larger significance (the most popular cathedrals/art galleries/palaces) they would get their own two page spreads with suggested walking routes and particular things to look out for.
I think this book is really well done and an awesome resource for people who either are going to travel there or just want to learn about this major city and the surrounding area.
And I was right! There is a great historical section at the beginning of this book with lots of pictures and timelines that are great reference - plus, as you read about different buildings or areas, they provide the original historical page numbers so you can go back and remind yourself about what you learned and place it in historical context.
I really loved learning about this ancient city. I feel like I have a sense of the basic conflicts and resolutions as well as the actual geography of the space - the different districts and major landmarks. The graphics in this guide book are quite good and there MANY colorful maps and diagrams. My only complaint (why it gets 4 stars instead of 5) is that sometimes things felt a bit out of order. In general, there would be a map of a district, say New Town, and on that map are lots of numbers that correspond to different paragraphs about that specific place. Almost always, it would go map then paragraphs (so you could go back and forth to reference). And then a couple times, there would be additional numbers that weren't on that initial map and so I'd search all around and find that number on a later map and that was annoying. Consistency would've been better - or a notation to see map on pg. # whatever.
Of course, at the end there are practical sections for people who are actually going to travel there, which seem to be very thorough and up-to-date, but probably I would always look online first before traveling to make sure things haven't changed. I did skim through most of that stuff but there appears to be lots of suggestions for hotels/restaurants, etc. I don't actually know if they skipped anything important but it was really full of information and for places of larger significance (the most popular cathedrals/art galleries/palaces) they would get their own two page spreads with suggested walking routes and particular things to look out for.
I think this book is really well done and an awesome resource for people who either are going to travel there or just want to learn about this major city and the surrounding area.
July 30, 2025
I bought this after first starting to visit Eastern Europe and after having already been to Prague, I wanted to have a great guide when going there the next time - which this book beautifully fullfilled. Ironically, wasn't really needed when there as was staying with a Czech local who lived in Prague so what it ened up serving as was a great memento of my wonderful stay in this still beautiful city.
While my edition has since been updated, it came at the time before the likes of McDonald's sprung up there and 'modernised' the experience.
In the book are detailed, full colour diagrams and city highlights to help you find and identify key sites.
If you are visiting Prague, especially if not with a local, this book is a fantastic asset for your time there. Yes, you can pay to follow a tour guide along the 'tourist trails' where you will spend time amongst a swarm of others - or you can do use this book to do it independently, step a few metres off their overly beaten track, and also explore the areas of Prague normally known only by locals.
While my edition has since been updated, it came at the time before the likes of McDonald's sprung up there and 'modernised' the experience.
In the book are detailed, full colour diagrams and city highlights to help you find and identify key sites.
If you are visiting Prague, especially if not with a local, this book is a fantastic asset for your time there. Yes, you can pay to follow a tour guide along the 'tourist trails' where you will spend time amongst a swarm of others - or you can do use this book to do it independently, step a few metres off their overly beaten track, and also explore the areas of Prague normally known only by locals.
August 10, 2023
We adore these comprehensive guide books. They are small enough to fit in your pocket or handbag. They contain lots of information, colour drawings, explanations, interesting facts, tips, information, full-colour pictures, descriptions, recommendations and a fold-out map. They are well edited and very well thought through. We have a lot of them and I am happy to recommend them for a short break in a foreign city.
August 25, 2017
Very good information. Can't wait to go in October.
December 30, 2017
Really great for history, background, and for walks. We loved seeing places in foot and reading about them as we went.
November 16, 2018
I was a travel agent for 23 years - in my late, lamented youth - and prepared many European trips for clients. I wish then that I had had a book like "DK Eyewitness Prague" to work with. These books, which come out yearly, are the best, most complete siteseeing guides produced today. They are mostly siteseeing because while they give a few suggestions for restaurants and hotels, the books' publishers realise that those things are covered by websites devoted to up-to-date info on dining and accommodations.
"DK Eyewitness Prague, 2019" is the latest in the Prague guide series. I think this year's book is a bit lighter than in previous editions. The front and back covers are thinner than before, and that makes a difference in carrying the book with you OR committing burn/slash on the book, cutting out the needed pages. That's what I was doing with the books when I travel.
Now, as for the book itself. I go to Prague every two or three years so I'm fairly familiar with the city and it's sites. The DK Eyewitness books cover the sites in great detail. They highlight small, out of the way museums and historic sites. The book is so detailed that a high school or college history professor could use the book in teaching the history of Berlin. By the way, the book is also available in Kindle.
"DK Eyewitness Prague, 2019" is the latest in the Prague guide series. I think this year's book is a bit lighter than in previous editions. The front and back covers are thinner than before, and that makes a difference in carrying the book with you OR committing burn/slash on the book, cutting out the needed pages. That's what I was doing with the books when I travel.
Now, as for the book itself. I go to Prague every two or three years so I'm fairly familiar with the city and it's sites. The DK Eyewitness books cover the sites in great detail. They highlight small, out of the way museums and historic sites. The book is so detailed that a high school or college history professor could use the book in teaching the history of Berlin. By the way, the book is also available in Kindle.
July 29, 2011
Good pictures and while it cannot suffice as your only guide book, along with the Lonely Planet and the Rough Guide would be good
September 24, 2013
This was really useful and the maps were excellent for our holiday.
September 22, 2014
Gyönyörű és alapos :)
July 3, 2015
Excellent resource.
November 20, 2015
J'aime les guides qui donnent du contexte historique. Cependant, après le voyage, j'ai trouvé que les suggestions offertes étaient des offres banales que j'ai ignoré.
June 1, 2016
Decent travel guide. I am not the biggest fan of travel guides as I feel you can get a lot more information and up to date advice online. I only read travel books if I borrow them from the library.
October 1, 2017
good helper in the city
January 29, 2019
Love the EYewitness books
July 11, 2013
Nice pictures. Excellent isometric drawings of areas of interest.
February 11, 2015
2015 edition.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews