Prague: Off-the-beaten-path walkable neighborhoods?
 

For those of you familiar with Prague, what are your recommendations for neighborhoods to visit that are off the beaten tourist path? We like to take a half-day to get on the metro (or other transit) and get out into a neighborhood to wander around, visit a café, bar, a shop or two, observe how the locals live, maybe walk all or part of the way back to the center of town. Sometimes these are areas around universities, sometimes an inner suburb, etc. This would be on a Friday in May. Any specific recommendations about streets to walk or cafes/shops are also welcome. Thanks, Fodorites!

I am no expert, but Prague has some beautiful parks, so in May I would choose perhaps part of Vinohrady or across the river to see the Veletrzni Palac (modern Czech art) and the surrounding area, visiting Letenska park on the way back.

We had several other areas we wanted to see but just ran out of time. It's a great idea to spend time outside of the tourist crush of Old Town!

Here's a sample Vinohrady walk I found online (several years old). We just gravitated towards parks on our map--that was our method.

http://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/pragu...king-tour.html

I am very interested in this topic, too --- we will be in Prague in mid-May for five days, our first visit to this city. Staying in an apartment near Wenceslas Square, and planning to explore via the metro and walking.

Just about any area that isn't dead center will be off the beaten path (Old Town and the Castle area). Vinohrady is a good idea. I've visited the modern art museum a couple times, it's very good, but I don't think the neighborhood is that fascinating, personally. the area across the river where there is a brewery (Staropramen) and Mozart's house is another idea (Smichov). You can do a brewery tour, and Mozart's house is a museum, also (Bertramka), although frankly, it isn't that good compared to some other cities (like Vienna). He lived there when composing Don Giovanni, I believe.

I'd also suggest Zizkov which is Prague 3 -- used to be a rough, working class area many years ago, then Bohemian, gentrifying/renovatiions more recently--Dvorak's museum/old home is there, also (if you aren't interested in classical music, that will mean nothing, I know). It supposedly has more bars per capita than any other area in Europe.

You'll have to read some guidebook or online info to make some sense of these and have some kind of itinerary and know where to walk/how to get there. Vinohrady is in-between Wenceslaus square and Zizkov.

You may want to consider going to Vyšehrad park: http://www.praha-vysehrad.cz/lang/l2 Definitely off the beaten path but with historical significance (was the original fortifications of Prague)and includes churches, a park, and cemeteries.

Hardly any tourists were there when I went in Summer of 2010, so I'm guessing it still may be off the beaten path.

And, great views of the Prague Castle and Vltava River.

I stay inthe Dejvicka area of the city which is quite interesting, the main university is here as is some army bulidings,i stay in the hotel DAP which is a former Army hotel and main main army admin offices are next door..All the other places metioned are worth visiting and wandering around, get off the main streets and have a look around/Another area is Holesovoice, there is a big exhibition ground there, getting a bit run down these day but worth a look ,there is a small funfair there to, also a bit further out is the big riverside market. not a tourist market but worth looking around and see how praguers do a bit of shopping ,big indoor meat and fruit and veg markets withing the pkace too.

Thanks, everyone -- this is great information to work with!

The park called Jiriho z Podebrad is now an area becoming more interesting and high quality, for example in the past year opened a great bakery:

http://www.antoninovopekarstvi.cz

Reminds me of Dean and Deluca etc in G'wich Village years ago, this stuff just now happening in Prague.

Big farmers' market in this square on Saturdays and I think maybe Thursday too.

Also Le Caveau cafe/wine bar just on the corner of the park, 50 meters from the bakery:
http://www.broz-d.cz

Very close by is interesting quite new store: NILA http://www.nila.cz

Also v good traditional Czech beer place: U Sadu (" at the orchard" ) only about two blocks away, outdoor seating is great, how it is supposed to be: http://www.usadu.cz