Prague Travel Guide
Where to Stay in Prague
How to choose your Prague base — the Old Town for first-timers, Malá Strana for romance and quiet, the New Town for value and transport, Vinohrady for local life — with the right hotel in each.
Prague's historic centre is compact, so almost anywhere central puts you within a walk or a short tram ride of the main sights. But the neighbourhoods have very different personalities, and your choice shapes your trip: whether you wake up to church bells in a quiet lane or to the buzz of a busy square, whether you walk to dinner over Charles Bridge or around the corner. Here is how to choose.
The Old Town (Staré Město): the first-timer's choice. The medieval heart of Prague, around Old Town Square, is the most convenient base for a first visit. Everything is close: the Astronomical Clock, the Jewish Quarter, Charles Bridge, the Municipal House and the metro at Staroměstská and Náměstí Republiky. The trade-offs are crowds and noise in the busiest lanes, especially around Karlova and the squares, and prices that are higher than elsewhere. Choose a hotel on a side street or on the river side. Our picks: the Four Seasons Hotel Prague, on the riverbank beside Charles Bridge, for the best castle views in the city; Hotel Josef, a design hotel on a quiet street five minutes from Old Town Square, for style and value; and Hotel Paris Prague, the 1904 Art Nouveau landmark opposite the Municipal House, for historic grandeur.
Malá Strana (the Lesser Town): romance and calm. Across Charles Bridge, below the castle, Malá Strana is the most beautiful and the quietest of the central districts, a Baroque quarter of palaces, gardens and cobbled lanes. It is ideal for couples and for anyone who wants to wake up close to the castle and walk Charles Bridge at dawn. The evenings are quiet, with cellar restaurants and wine bars rather than nightlife. The trade-offs are hills, cobbles and steps, which are tiring with luggage and strollers, and higher prices. Our picks: the Mandarin Oriental Prague, a former monastery with a spa in a Renaissance chapel; the Aria Hotel, a music-themed boutique hotel with private access to the Vrtba Garden; and the Golden Well Hotel, a small Renaissance house right below the castle, with a celebrated terrace restaurant.
Hradčany (the Castle District): for early risers. Around the castle itself, Hradčany has a handful of hotels and guesthouses in historic buildings, and it is magical in the evening when the day visitors have gone. It is, however, a long walk or tram ride from the Old Town and its restaurants, and quiet at night. Choose it for a romantic, peaceful stay rather than a first visit.
The New Town (Nové Město): value and transport. Despite its name, the New Town was founded by Charles IV in the fourteenth century. It surrounds the Old Town on the south and east, and includes Wenceslas Square, Charles Square and the riverside around the National Theatre and the Dancing House. It is a lived-in, busy district with offices, shops, cafés and pubs, and it offers the best value in central Prague, with excellent metro and tram connections. Note that the upper end of Wenceslas Square is fenced for tram construction until mid-2027, and its lower end can be rowdy late at night. Our pick: Mosaic House, a sustainable design hotel and hostel near Charles Square, with private rooms and en-suite dorms, a few minutes from the river.
Vinohrady and Žižkov: live like a local. East of the New Town, Vinohrady is an elegant residential district of Art Nouveau apartment buildings, tree-lined streets, parks and some of the best cafés, wine bars and restaurants in Prague. It is a short metro or tram ride from the centre, and hotels and apartments here are good value. Neighbouring Žižkov is grittier and famous for its pubs. Both suit repeat visitors and travellers who want a local feel; the trade-off is that you need public transport to reach the main sights.
Holešovice and Letná: the creative north. Across the river to the north, Letná and Holešovice are up-and-coming districts with galleries, cafés, the Letná beer garden and the National Gallery's modern collections. They suit second-time visitors who want something different, with trams connecting quickly to the centre.
Apartments and getting in. Short-term apartments are plentiful in Prague, especially in the Old Town, the New Town and Vinohrady, and suit families and longer stays, but check the reviews for noise and stairs, as many older buildings have no lift. Arriving from the airport, public buses connect to the metro and an express bus runs to the main railway station, while a taxi booked through an app or the official rank takes around half an hour to the centre, longer at rush hour. Most hotels can arrange a transfer, which is worth it late at night or with children.
Practical tips. Check the distance to the nearest tram or metro stop, not just the distance to the Old Town. Ask for a quiet room, away from the street, in the Old Town and the New Town. If you are bringing heavy luggage, avoid hotels up steep lanes in Malá Strana and Hradčany, or ask about car access. Book early for December, when the Christmas markets draw crowds, and for spring weekends. And remember that a modest city tax per person per night is usually added to the bill.
Our verdict. First visit: the Old Town, with Hotel Josef for value or the Four Seasons for a splurge. Romantic break: Malá Strana, at the Mandarin Oriental, the Aria or the Golden Well. Budget: the New Town, at Mosaic House. Repeat visit: Vinohrady, for local life.