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Home » Worldwide Destinations » Other » 5 Reasons to Visit Prague in the Autumn
OtherSolo Travel

5 Reasons to Visit Prague in the Autumn

travelsmartwoman November 15, 2020 Prague, solo travel, Worldwide Destinations Comments are off
Prague in the Autumn

Update May 13, 2021: Before planning a trip to Prague or Czechia, be aware of travel restrictions. Get the latest information from the U.S. Embassy in the Czech Republic and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are always plenty of reasons to visit Prague…but autumn may be the best time to experience the city. I’m partial to off-season travel (meaning, not in the summer or during school breaks) and the colors of fall make most places more attractive and interesting. Prague? I’m certain it was founded with autumn in mind.

Not that you need reasons to visit Prague…but autumn makes it even more magical. And you’ll actually be able to move about and enjoy the sights! (All photos by Suzanne Ball)

1. Fewer crowds, more space.

World-class cities are never without tourists. But there are spaces in the year when the residents can exhale and enjoy their everyday lives, without having to plan their days around peak tourist times. These are the times to go–not for the weather, but for the “normalcy.”

Locals relax at a Prague cafe, without long tourist lines.
No lines, no long waits…locals can gather and enjoy their beer the at their favorite cafes. Mild weather lasts until mid-to-late October in Prague.

“You’re smart to stay away in summer,” one waiter told me. “It’s a mess here.” He went on to say that foot traffic on the Charles Bridge comes to a halt and it’s impossible to get close to the statues that line the bridge, let alone get a decent photo of the Prague Castle.

Old Town Square is wonderful when not jammed with tourists.
Sure, there are people in the historic Old Town Square. But you can actually see what’s happening and stroll without shuffling. And you can actually see the monument to Jan Hus, the defiant religious reformer who symbolizes Czech nationalism. He was charged with heresy and burned at the stake in 1415.

I wandered the city without being in lock-step. I got lost and happily found my way back by following local shoppers, not hordes of travelers who were on a tight itinerary. I stopped for coffee–and beer, of course–and took my time. I swear, I could feel the relief of the city as it exhaled after another non-stop summer.

One of the reasons to visit Prague in the autumn is to see everyday life. Here, two women chat at the market.
Two women chat at the market on an October morning. There are modern grocery stores, but open markets still offer the freshest produce.
A line of people, bouquets in hand, wait at a local flower market. Aren't they one of the reasons to visit Prague in the autumn??
Local shoppers line up, bouquets in hand, at a flower market.

Czechia tourism has soared over the past decade–over 22 million travelers came in 2019. That’s more than twice the country’s population. Prague hosted more than 8 million tourists…a lot for a city of 1.3 million souls.

2. Better to see the details

Come during high season, and you’ll get a better view of the famous Astronomical Clock on a postcard. The magnificent dials tell time in both one-hour and half-day segments, shows the monthly zodiac symbol, displays seasonal scenes, and features “saint-of-the-day.” Pretty cool for a clock from the 1400s!

It’s hard to take in all the tiny details from Prague; architecture and art are everywhere. Even the sidewalks are attention-worthy. Without crowds, you can focus in all directions, taking as much time as you need and getting as close as you can.

One of my favorite things about travel is finding these small features that someone devoted their time creating. I could hardly walk a few feet without a new discovery.

One of the reasons to visit Prague--history is everywhere! Powder Gate, from 1475.
An ornate lamp post sits in front of the Powder Gate, one of the original 13 city gates. It was built in 1475. The gate is nice, but the lamp post is what I noticed.
decorated
Look up! Even the entrance ceilings are decorated in Prague. Itty-bitty mosaics in the Old Town Hall tell the story of the city.
Reasons to go to Prague in the autumn include having the space and time to notice tiny details everywhere.
A walkway in Vysehrad Cemetery is made of carefully-constructed stone designs.
The Municipal House is a slice of heaven for “detail freaks” like me. Even the doorways are intricately decorated.
Detail from a door in The Municipal House
Imagine the craftsman who worked to create these tiny two-tone knobs. There are hundreds in the Municipal House.

One of the reasons to visit Prague is the staggering amount of detail in everything, from ironwork to cobblestones to citizens. Thankfully, modern digital cameras let me take hundreds of photos of miniature works of art.

3. The morning light and the brides

One of the best reasons to visit Prague in the autumn: The Charles Bridge at sunrise...
One of the best reasons to visit Prague in the autumn: Charles Bridge at sunrise…

To paraphrase the art critic wannabe, I’m not a professional photographer, but I know good light when I see it. And Prague in the autumn offers the perfect angle and slant of the sun. Anyone holding a device that takes pictures will look like a pro. Who doesn’t want that?

Map of Prague's bridges from Vysehrad
Light and clouds can combine to make photos with more expression. Here, a map of Prague’s bridges, taken on a rainy morning in the Vysehrad neighborhood.

All this talk about autumn light is nice, you say. What about the brides? It turns out that Prague is a primo pre-wedding photo destination. Maybe I’m the only one who didn’t know this–what a delightful surprise!

Mornings seem to be the best time for the shoots, maybe because of the soft light. It was easy to see half a dozen brides–sometimes with the groom, more times without–posing around the city. I took to getting up early, just to be there to watch the elaborate process.

Brides pose on Charles Bridge in the chilly morning air.
Three brides pose in the chilly morning air on Charles Bridge. Between photos, they put on jackets. Walking between sites, heels came off and Nikes came on.
A bride and groom stop for a photo op in Prague's morning light.
I later learned that because Chinese weddings are so busy, couples don’t get a chance to take photos on their wedding day. Extra time is devoted to pre-wedding pictures.
A couple stands in the middle of Charles Bridge for a wedding photo. Try that in the middle of summer!
A couple poses in the middle of Charles Bridge. Try doing that in the middle of summer!

You’ve got to agree, this is a very cool time and place for wedding photos. It was fun to observe–however, local joggers and commuters passed by without a glance. Just another day in Prague to them…

4. Somber autumn settings

There’s something sweet, but sad, about autumn. The colors are beautiful, yet they remind us that the year–and time–is rushing by. Because Prague has its share of unhappy history, autumn provides an appropriate backdrop to some of its places.

Prague’s Jewish Quarter is an essential part of any trip to the city. Jews have lived in Prague since about 970. The population flourished during the Renaissance; at the start of World War II, almost 100,000 Jews lived in Prague–about 20% of the population.

Over two-thirds would be murdered during World War II; Czech Jews were sent directly to the death camps. Today, there are about 5,000 Jews remaining in Prague.

Six synagogues and an ancient cemetery make up a museum of Jewish culture, history, and survival. With autumn leaves lying on gravestones, and trees growing bare, the experience is heightened.

The cemetery I;n the Jewish Quarter holds centuries deceased Prague Jews.
Over 12,000 tombstones are in the Old Jewish Cemetery. Because Jews could only be buried here between 1439 and 1787, graves had to be layered on each other. The small area holds over 85,000 deceased Prague Jewish citizens.
Pebbles show the dead aren't forgotten. Notes are prayers and wishes.
Visitors place pebbles on graves to show that the dead aren’t forgotten. Paper notes with handwritten prayers and wishes are slipped into stone cracks.

Entry into the synagogues and cemetery requires a ticket; the ticket is good for a week, so you can go slowly and absorb the history. Except for Sabbath (Saturday) and holy days, the Quarter is open every day.

For another moving experience, take a day to visit to Terezin, the “model” concentration camp built to fool the Red Cross inspectors. Hitler called it his “Gift to the Jews.”

National Cemetery--one of the reasons to visit Prague in the autumn.

The National Cemetery, also called the Vyšehrad Cemetery because it was established in 1869 on the grounds of the Vyšehrad Castle, might be the most beautiful cemetery I’ve ever seen. Each grave or headstone is a work of art.

National Cemetery in Prague, a short metro ride from the old city center.
Established in 1869, the National Cemetery is not large, but filled with graves of many important and cherished Czech citizens.

It’s the final resting place of composers, writers, artists, sculptors, scientists and politicians. There’s also a small graveyard dedicated to the nuns who served the adjacent Saints Peter and Paul Church, magnificent all by itself.

A small enclosed section of the National Cemetery is devoted to nuns.
Covered in fallen leaves, a small section of the National Cemetery is devoted to nuns.

Then there was the painful communist era. The Memorial to the Victims of Communism looks even sadder with decaying leaves at the foot of each statue. Remembering the victims who perished between 1948 and 1989, the memorial shows six bronze figures on a flight of stairs. As you walk up the stairs, the figures “disappear,” losing limbs and their bodies becoming hollow.

Memorial to the Victims of Communism, Prague--one of the most moving reasons to visit Prague in the autumn.

Alongside the figures, a metal strip shows the numbers of Czechs who were impacted by the communist regime, including 4500 political prisoners who died in prison, 327 shot attempting to escape, and 248 who were executed. 

The final component of the memorial is a foot...perhaps one of the saddest reasons to visit Prague. The autumn leaves magnify the intensity.
The final component of the memorial is a foot…perhaps one of the saddest reasons to visit Prague. The autumn leaves magnify the intensity.

5. Czech food is autumn food

Czech food isn’t light fare. It’s hearty, with emphasis on meat and gravy. And, of course, dumplings. (Read about my effort to love Czech dumplings.) It’s the sort of food I look forward to preparing as summer ends: stews, soups, with root vegetables and satisfying sauces.

Duck, with dumplings and gravy.
Crispy duck, served with dumplings and gravy…washed down with Czech beer, of course! The hearty food is a delicious reason to visit Prague in the Autumn.

Only it’s on the menu year-round in Prague. There’s no doubt that it’s delicious…and perfect for those months of hunkering down until spring reappears.

How about a joint of pork?
If you’re ever going to enjoy a joint of meat, Prague is the place and autumn is the time! I love it when the food matches the weather.

I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for gravy and bread to sop it up with. I got plenty of chances to do just that…one of the best reasons to visit Prague in the autumn.

A lake of gravy and bread to sop it up with...heaven on a plate!
A lake of gravy and bread to sop it up with…a bit of heaven on a plate! Sure, the only vegetables are the the garnish, but at that moment, I didn’t care.

When will you go?

Need one more reason to visit Prague in the Autumn? The slanting sun creates soft light and long shadows…it makes photography easy.

No doubt, there are always good reasons to visit Prague. I’m outright biased, because I prefer to visit a place when crowds are down, at least a bit. I like milder weather, even if it means rain or snow.

Have you been to Prague? What time of year? Tell us in the comments what season you visited–share your experience and advice!

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