Prague: Places to Explore

Vinohrady and Zizkov

From Riegrovy Park the eclectic apartment buildings and villas of the elegant residential neighborhood called Vinohrady extend eastward and southward. The pastel-tint formation of turn-of-the-20th-century houses—which not long ago were still crumbling after years of neglect—are now chockablock with upscale flats, slick offices, eternally packed restaurants, and all manner of shops.

Much of the development lies on or near Vinohradská, the main street, which extends from the top of Wenceslas Square to a belt of enormous cemeteries about 3 km (2 mi) eastward. Yet the flavor of daily life persists: smoky old pubs still ply their trade on the quiet side streets; the stately theater, Divadlo na Vinohradech, keeps putting on excellent shows as it has for decades; and on the squares and in the parks nearly everyone still practices Prague's favorite form of outdoor exercise—walking the dog.

For Prague residents, Zizkov is synonymous with pubs. There are more places to knock back a Pilsner Urquell or a shot of Fernet Stock per square inch here than anywhere else in the city, giving it a kind of seedy reputation that it doesn't deserve. Nowadays the district is starting to recoup. Some of the city's coolest cafés, clubs, and trendy apartments have opened up here. There are still some—in fact, lots of—crumbling, run-down areas, but it's also one of the most interesting districts in the city for its nightlight and dining.