Prague By Tram: A(nother) Great way to see the city

Photo above courtesy of Canva

Did you know? There are many beautiful tram rides through Prague that are a convenient - and inexpensive - way to see the city. 

Of course, the best way to see Prague is on foot – it’s the only way, in fact, to get at many of the city's medieval nooks and crannies. But the trams have their advantages, too:

• You can cover more ground in less time;
• You can get warm if you're visiting in cooler months; likewise, you can get out of the rain if necessary (though sometimes the wet windows can be difficult to see out of, and it might also mean that the tram will be extra crowded, as you won't be the only one doing this!);
• You can conserve your energy for walking around the places you can't reach by tram; this is especially true for steep climbs, like the one up to Prague Castle ("ride up and walk down" is my motto!);
• If you're mobility-impaired, trams can be a great way to see the city;
• You can quickly and easily get out to Prague's suburbs, many of which have historic and/or unique architecture of their own.

​Let's take a look at some of the most beautiful and/or interesting routes in the city.

This classic 23 tram
is taking visitors up
to Prague Castle.

Video is by the author of this blog.

​​TOP PICKS

Trams 22, 23, 17 and 18 - these trams all go through or around the historical center. By far, the most beautiful - and most popular - route is the number 22, especially the section from the Národní Třída stop to Prague Castle. 

On this route, you'll pass the National Theater (Narodní Divadlo) and the famous Cafe Slavia. Next you'll cross the Legií Bridge offering stunning views of the Vltava (Moldau) River, the Charles Bridge, the Lesser Quarter (Malá Strana) and Prague Castle atop its bluff overlooking them all.

​Once on the other side of the river, the 22 will wind through the Mala Strana, eventually passing through an archway so narrow that you'll swear that the tram can't squeeze through - until it does.

Tram passing through an archway - but this is not the extremely narrow one I mention in the post! Photo courtesy of Evada at Pixabay.

---

---

​Perhaps the best part, though, is the view you’ll get of the entire old city as you wind your way up the Castle hill on the so-called “serpentine.” Just before you reach the Prague Castle (Pražský Hrad) stop, you'll pass the famous Belvedere, or the Royal Summer Palace, the first Renaissance building in Prague (and a beautiful example of the style).

---

​Tip: Going a few more stops Past the Prague Castle (Pražský Hrad) Stop to Pohořelec will give you interesting views of St. Vitus Cathedral. 

---

Trams 17 and 18 – these trams run along the riverbank on the Old Town side of the Vltava. As with the 22, this route also gives you a beautiful view of Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge, but at a slightly different angle from that on the Legií Bridge (Most Legií). 
 
The Karlovy Lázně tram stop on this route is the one I call "the most beautiful tram stop in the world." Hopefully, you'll get a chance to see why. 

The Karlovy Lázně tram stop - the most beautiful tram stop in the world? Image is by the author of this blog.

---

---

Beyond the Historical Center

In either direction past the Staroměstská and Narodní Divadlo stops, the 17 and 18 tram routes diverge. Of the two, the 17 offers more interesting views and sites. Heading south, it will travel along a row of gorgeous turn-of-the-(last)-century apartment buildings, mainly in the Art Nouveau style. 
 
No matter the style, it will be immediately apparent to you that these residences (below, right) were meant for the well-heeled. Indeed, former dissident and president Vaclav Havel, who was mercilessly persecuted by the communist regime simply (mainly) for being from a wealthy family, grew up in one of these buildings. He managed to keep his flat throughout the communist years, and it became a place of pilgrimage for foreign dignitaries and intellectuals during that time.

Sponsored link from Amazon.com:

A laminated Streetwise map of Prague will be very useful for your visit.

​This route will also take you by the famous "Dancing House," or Fred and Ginger, as the funky building (pictured above on the left), a collaboration between Frank Gehry and Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić, is known. 

---

---

In the opposite direction, heading north from the Staroměstská stop, the 17 passes the neo-Renaissance Rudolfinum, home of the Czech Philharmonic and filming location of many movies and TV shows.

​The Rudolfinum will be on your left (below, left), while on your right will be the Museum of Decorative Arts. The museum backs onto the Old Jewish Cemetery, and eventually the tram will run along the cemetery's wall. At this point there will be a modern (1920s) building in a neo-Classical style on your left. This is the law school of Charles University designed by renowned architect Jan Kotěra.
 
From here, the 17 will cross the river on the Art Nouveau Čechův Most and then turn right on the other side. The river will have veered right, too, so the tram (now moving east) ​will continue along the river before turning left into the Holešovice neighborhood. Before it does this, though, you'll get great views out of the right-hand side of the Old Town and St. Agnes' Monastery. 

​​When the tram reaches the Strossmeyerovo Náměstí stop, you’ll get a glimpse of the extremely tall spires of the neo-Gothic Church of St. Anthony of Padua (above, right).

​Other Tram Lines

​In addition to these top picks, there are several other tram routes to explore if you have time. Two are the 11 and 13, which run up Vinohradská from IP Pavlova to Jiřího z Poděbrad.
 
Vinohradská is named for the neighborhood in which it lies: Vinohrady. Originating as a neighborhood of wealth and style, it's now known as the place to see and be seen at its local farmers' market and in its trendy cafes and restaurants. And it's also a very desirable place to live. Riding along this famous boulevard you'll see some of the beautiful apartment buildings for which Vinohrady is famous.

​Eventually you’ll reach Jiřího z Poděbrad Square, getting a great view of the unique Church of the Sacred Heart of Our Lord (Kostel Nejsvětějšího Srdce Páně, pictured above) designed by Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik and completed in 1932.
 
The 10 and 16 trams will wind around Náměstí Míru, the main square in Vinohrady. This particular square is lined with some of the most sumptuous apartment houses in Vinohrady and is dotted at the top of the square with the glorious neo-Gothic church of St. Ludmila (pictured below). The imposing Vinohrady Theater (Vinohradské Divadlo) is also on the northeast side of this square.

St. Ludmila on Namesti Miru. Image by the author of this blog.

---

---

Note: ​Prague is a very safe city, but it does have good pickpockets, especially on the trams. So please use caution if you use the trams, especially the 22 and 23, as these both go to Prague Castle, which means they’re full of tourists – the folks targeted most by the pickpockets, unfortunately!

---

My top-selling guidebook is full of practical information on Prague's public transport and more! It's available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle versions.

The above is a sponsored link on Amazon's Affiliate Program.

---

Střešovice a Ořechovka

In a previous blog post I wrote about the amazing Ořechovka neighborhood, which borders Střešovice also. Trams 1 and 2 will take you there. It's further out of the center than Vinohrady in the opposite direction, and it's a particularly lovely, green part of of Prague.

An apartment house in Ořechovka displaying the neighborhood's typical style. Image by the author of this blog.

---

---

A Ticket to Ride

To sum it up, riding Prague’s trams is a good way to see the city, including parts of it that might otherwise be off your radar. And the routes highlighted here are just a few of the more interesting tram rides you can take. For more information on getting around Prague, check out my guidebook, Prague Travel Tips: An American’s Guide to Her Adopted City. It’s available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions. Or contact me through this website here.

And don't forget that you need to buy a ticket - and stamp it once you board - to ride the trams. Spot checks by undercover conductors do take place, and, unfortunately, as with the pickpockets - they go for the tourists first! My book also had info on buying tram tickets and more! 

Happy riding!

---

Disclaimer:  The author has made every effort to obtain and provide current and accurate information. Therefore, the author accepts no responsibility for any inconvenience, loss or injury incurred by any person using this blog post or website.