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Today is my last day of my last semester of my MSc in Brewing, so I'm off to Prague on Saturday with some pals and my girlfriend to unwind.
Have never been before.
Does anyone have recommendations for interesting things to see or do? Am willing to do 1 or possibly 2 cultural or historical things, but mostly I'm thinking of relaxing, eating and drinking.
Are there any really good bars or brewery tours there? I was at the Tennents Brewery yesterday - it was amazingly interesting
I find the best thing to do is just amble around the old city and soak up the atmosphere. The obvious places like the castle  the Charles bridge,and Wenceslas Square are also worth a visit. . If you know anybody from the Czech Republic helps too as the bars and restaurants have two price lists. One for the locals and one for the tourists. The Staropramen brewery is in Prague and they do tours. Never been myself though.
Prague resident here. Not seen the two price list thing, but as a lot of places have English and Czech menus, I guess it does happen. Just avoid the obvious tourist traps (eg, anything right on Starometske Namesti/Old Town Square) and you'll be fine. Tourism is a massive, massive business here, so most waiters in the centre of town will speak some English.
This place is near my work. Namesti Miru Metro station. Fill your boots! http://www.praguebeermuseum.cz/en/content?page=submenu&XUBPAGEHL=2&XUBPAGE=98
Been to Prague many times on stag do's and with the Mrs before kids. Love the place but not been for about 12 years so probably different now. I think the advice to just bible around and get lost in the streets is the best advice. I stumbled across many a bar that we just sat and had a drink at that way that were off the touristy areas.
However there was one place I went to on a mates stag do once that was fun...more of a place to go as a group. We called it the 'Black Beer' place as we had no idea what it was called. It was way off the usual touristy areas and we were lead by someone who'd been before. He led us to an anonymous gate, we entered into a courtyard where there were loads of long benches laid out. It was buys with a band playing and they just started servicing us this black beer (not sure what it was) in large tankards and they served some typical Prague hearty food. We were there for a good few hours and had a blast. It was on the castle side of the Charles bridge, hang a left and over that way somewhere. I've tried to find it since but didn't have a chance. Maybe Squidlord knows it?
As to to the things to do, we enjoyed a saunter around Gorky park, we didn't take the funicular but headed upto the observatory. We also had a saunter around the Castle, and of course up and down the river edge.
My favourite beer was Krusovice, but it's all good really. When I buy Staropromen from the Supermarket and it says Imported on the bottle, I'm a bit sceptical as it tastes nothing like the Staropromen in Prague. I suspect it is brewed in the UK under license like other so called 'imported' beers.
Staropramen have a few of their own bars dotted across the city, decent beer (there own) and cheapish simple Czech food (goulash etc). Fat Cat in Karlova is a large dining hall, decent burgers etc but nothing too exciting, however about a dozen "craft" beers on with tasting notes etc. One of the highlights for us was the American Bar in the basement of Municiple House. Fantastic art-deco styling, well stocked bar (not so much beers though) like stepping back in time, fairly quiet (stumbled in by accident) but nice to sit with a cocktail for a little while and channel Humphrey Bogart.
Do some charity work* at the black ox
as I understand it (and details may be a bit sketchy as it was a long session) the bar came up for sale and the regulars, worried it might fall into the wrong hands or be lost as a pub came up with the money to buy it. So it's now a sort of collective, but rather than spend the profit on the pub or the decor (and lose all the charm of the old tables and the crap toilets, etc.) they had no better idea than to give them away to a children's charity (maybe blind? - I was, very, very drunk)
So not only is it a traditional and characterful drinking place, with some lovely and chatty locals (I say locals, there were two memorable Siberian girls, where apparently nights are very long and cold and you need to sleep together in groups to stay warm apparently 8o ) the more you drink the better it is for the little kiddies.
National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror is well worth a visit if you have any interest in history. If you can get out to Ledici as well that really is a deeply moving experience.
When I was there for a few days (with work) a local took us one evening to the Strahov Monastery microbrewery for an evening meal & beer. Close to the castle. Nothing fancy about it at all but the beer and food was fantastic.
Afterwards it was a (steep) downhill walk into the town and bridge. Check out the carvings over old town doorways. Often depict what the original owners profession was.
@wobbliscott - was it a bit up the hill? It sounds like it might have been this place: http://www.baracnickarychta.cz/en/ Not been there in years, and sadly it looks like it's been gentrified. There was talk that they were going to lose the garden.
However, black beer & benches sounds more like this place, although it's in a different part of town, closer to Charles Square. Look familar? http://ufleku.cz/saly/zahrada/ Â Good fun, strong beer, but it can get very tourist.
Couple of other ideas for OP: U Hrocha (no website) under the castle might tolerate your presence if you want a traditional spit'n'sawdust experience. Famous pub.
http://www.uzlatehotygra.cz/en/ Â is famous, but without a reservation you might have to queue to get in, which spoils it IMO.
Also quite trad:Â http://udvoukocek.cz/en/restaurace
And I quite like u Medviku (Although opinion is divided on this). Budvar place, near the Tesco in the centre of town. And they have their own microbrewery as well. http://umedvidku.cz/restaurant/
Beer geeks might be interseted in http://www.pivovarskydum.com/pivo/ - though most of the brews look like gimmicks to me.
Thirsty now...
We were there in February, fantastic place. Loads of places to go but particularly enjoyed the beer in Lokal, try the dark( I also liked the food here). Also the farmers market on Saturday morning beside the river was a nice way to spend the morning. Grilled sandwiches, cakes and craft beer. Near Lokal is a butchers called Nase Maso, they also sell cooked food, grab a burger and a beer, simply sublime, probably the best burger I've ever had.
As others have mentioned just wandering around is the way to go, the architecture and how much it must have all cost is staggering. If you like walking going up the hill to the Petrin tower gives some fine views ( you can also descend and pop into the monastery for a beer).And the hill to the war memorial is a nice climb.
Excellent tips team. The monastery brewery sounds good as does the beef emporium.
A lecturer told me about the dark pilsner - said it was wonderful.
And, for our last day of classes, I got the grade for an exam - 95%! So, definitely in celebration mode
Pivovarsky Dum as suggested above - they used to do roadie tops too.
There's loads to see (or there was, I went years ago). Quite fancy going back now.