As in Venice or Paris, the delights of Prague can sometimes feel overwhelmed by tourists. But in his personal guide to the city, Ondřej Fér, editor-in-chief of Czech magazine Media and Marketing (and a member of the Epica Awards jury), shares some spots that are better known to locals.
Note: Some street addresses show two numbers, something of a quirk in Prague. The larger number is related to the age of the building while the smaller one is the more traditional street number.
The Most Creative Museum or Gallery
The National Technical Museum (Kosteini 42) is close to beautiful orchards with stunning city views. Packed with machines, gadgets and information, the museum presents the technical and technological development of the Czech Republic in a way that will appeal to almost everyone.
The café where you go to read, write or be inspired
Café V Kolona (Fifth Column) can be found at the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital (Pujmanove 1219/8). It is located in a former winter garden, which evokes pure Art Nouveau. You will find perfect peace of mind while hospital clients serve you as part of their treatment.
A restaurant with a difference
The Peperoncino restaurant (Letohradská 34) is quite unobtrusive, but it offers a wonderful garden setting and above all incredible Italian cuisine. Don’t forget to ask for the pistachio ice cream!
The most creative neighbourhood
In the Holešovice district you’ll find Vnitrobloc (Tusarova 791/31), a former warehouse complex that’s now a remarkable demonstration of how a neglected space can be transformed into a place where creatives, business people and students meet to exchange ideas.
The store you can’t pass without going in
Also in Holešovice, on Dělnické street (336/45), there is one of the most interesting antiquarian book shops I’ve ever seen in a European city. Its owner Jiří Novák is somewhat eccentric, but that may be because he’s carrying in his head is an encyclopedia of everything that's been published in the last hundred years!