Mini-break destination wish-list: Prague

If you’re looking for a city mini-break to add to your travel wish-list, Prague – the capital of the Czech Republic ticks a lot of boxes.

The beauty

Prague is undeniably a beautiful destination. The historic old town gives you stunning buildings, cobbled streets, and Insta-worthy views everywhere you look.

If you’re here in Winter, you might be lucky enough to see the towers and rooftops dusted with snow – like an old-school Christmas card brought to life.

On this trip, we were here in peak summer – the warm weather sees the city embracing the opportunities of an outdoor lifestyle. One afternoon, we opted to work on our tans at the Petynka outdoor swimming pool – bliss.

Prague is situated on the Vltava River – sitting by the river, enjoying a beer in the sun is hard to beat.

The history

Prague has been one of the key hubs of central Europe throughout the centuries. It’s a history that is clearly visible as you walk through the streets of the old town – Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture all sits easily side by side.

In years gone by, Prague was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia. It was also one of the centres of power for the Habsburg monarchy, as well as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In more recent history, the city was the capital of Czechoslovakia – when the region was within the sphere of influence of Communist Russia.

Today, Prague is a modern, dynamic city that offers everything you’d expect in one of Europe’s leading capitals.

The queer community

We’d timed our trip to coincide with the annual LGBTQ Pride celebrations.

Prague Pride is a week-long celebration, culminating with a parade through the streets of the old town.

This was the first parade that had been able to be held since Covid-19 put everything on pause. The weather was perfect and there was a huge and enthusiastic crowd taking part in the event.

It was probably around 100,000 people – after a short parade, everyone ended up in the park overlooking the city. The perfect way to spend the afternoon.

Where to stay

On this trip we stayed at the Andaz hotel.

Andaz is part of the Hyatt group of hotels – it’s their luxury boutique line of global properties.

The Prague edition of Andaz delivers on everything that you’d expect from a luxury hotel – an ideal location within the old town, warm and welcoming staff, a stylish and contemporary feel, and lots of thoughtful touches that demonstrates that this is a hotel committed to elevating the guest experience at every opportunity.

This property has only recently opened, transforming an historic building into a high-end hotel that really works.

It’s hotels of this quality that really help to make a city break memorable.

Where to eat

We had lots of great meals during our stay in Prague – really embracing the pork and dumplings that seem to be the bedrock of the cuisine of this region.

Given the warm weather, there were lots of opportunities for eating outside – even a simple meal can feel pretty special when you can sit in the sun and watch the world go by.

One of our favourite meals was at Le Grill – which is part of the Grand Mark Hotel. We sat outside in the garden, selecting dishes from the chef’s seasonal menu, drinking local wines, and toasting a great mini-break in the city of Prague.