Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

and no. Yes, because Prague Castle—which isn’t so much a castle as a collection of palaces, churches, and towers—contains St. Vitus Cathedral, whose stained-glass windows make it one of the most stunning structures in Prague. No, because from an aesthetic perspective the other buildings in the castle don’t offer much, which given that regular tickets cost at least 250Kc (we recommend the Circuit B option) and a half hour of queuing, leaves us on the fence.

       i Circuit A (350Kč, reduced 175Kč), Circuit B (250Kč, reduced 125Kc), Circuit C (350Kč, reduced 175Kč); last entry at 4:40pm; limited wheelchair accessibility

      MUSEUMS

       DOX CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

      Poupětova 1, Holešovice; 295 568 123; www.dox.cz; open M 10am-6pm, W 11am-7pm, Th 11am-9pm, F 11am-7pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm

      With a façade that functions as a work of art, a 42-meter-long blimp suspended in the courtyard, and a giant crucifix made out of sneakers hanging from a wall below it, DOX is arguably just as interesting a space as it is a gallery. But that argument would be shut down quickly given the quality of the center’s exhibits. Aiming to provide a “critical reflection on current social topics,” DOX’s constantly changing exhibition spaces deal with topics such as big data, capitalism, “the cage of one’s own mind,” and many other cheerful things, none of which, at least when we visited, featured a single painted canvas, but one of which contained three VR headsets. The regular tickets are pretty reasonably priced.

       i Admission 180Kč, reduced 90Kč; last entry 1hr before closing; wheelchair accessible

       KAFKA MUSEUM

      Cihelná 635/2b, Malá Strana; 257 535 373; www.kafkamuseum.cz; open daily 10am-6pm

      Kafka, perhaps more than any other writer, explored what it meant to be a cockroach, and this museum, certainly more than any other museum, explores what it meant to be Kafka. The museum is filled with Kafka’s own letters, manuscripts, sketches, and diary entries, as well as critical commentaries that help make sense of his life and work. What’s more, the dimly lit rooms, eerie background music, and unsettling exhibit layouts work together to produce an atmosphere that can only be described by the term named after the writer himself: Kafkaesque. The museum is worthwhile, as it provides the perfect starting point for learning about a writer that everyone should know how to pretentiously reference.

       i Admission 200Kč, reduced 120Kč; wheelchair accessible

       KAREL ZEMAN MUSEUM

      Saská 80/1, Malá Strana; 724 341 091; www.muzeumkarlazemana.cz; open daily 10am-7pm

      Karel Zeman is one of the most celebrated animators and Czech filmmakers of the twentieth century, having inspired everyone from Monty Python to Wes Anderson. But, unless you grew up in Czechia during the Cold War, you’ve probably never seen his work. Zeman’s films embody a rare combination of artistic brilliance and childlike innocence, and walking through the museum—where you’ll encounter props, costumes, puppets, and most prominently, video clips from his films—you’ll likely be overcome with the same wonder and awe that you’d get from Pixar movies, which—surprise, surprise—owe a great debt to Zeman.

       i Admission 200Kč, reduced 140Kč; last entry 1hr before closing; wheelchair accessible

       NATIONAL GALLERY

      Sternberg Palace (Hradčanské náměstí 15), Trade Fair Palace (Dukelských hrdinů 47), Kinsky Palace (Old Town Square 12); 224 301 122; www.ngprague.cz; open Tu-Su 10am-6pm

      Prague’s National Gallery comprises many individual galleries scattered throughout the city. The most popular galleries include the Sternberg Palace in Hradcany, which showcases European art from the fourteenth to eighteenth century, and the Trade Fair Palace in Holesovice, which is the largest exhibition and focuses on contemporary works. Skip the Alfons Mucha museum and head to the Trade Fair Palace, if you’re content with seeing just a few works by Prague’s prodigal Art-Nouveau son. In Old Town Square, Kinsky Palace houses an interesting, but inessential Asian art exhibition.

       i Admission 150Kč, reduced 80Kč, students free; wheelchair accessible

      OUTDOORS

       BOAT RENTAL ALONG VLTAVA RIVER

      Janáčkovo nábř, Staré Město; open10am-sundown (varies)

      Whether you’re pedaling a car-shaped boat or rowing a boat-shaped boat, an hour on the Vltava River is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon in Prague. Boat rental companies are scattered along the Staré Město bank between the Charles and Legií bridges, with many found on Slovansky ostrov island. Once you’ve paid 200-300Kč (depending on the kind of boat), you are free to roam anywhere between the Charles and the Jiráskův most bridges. While most kiosks remain open until sundown, some offer the option of renting an oil lamp-lit boat at night, which makes for a great date idea. What’s more, if the date goes badly, you can just push the other person into the river.

       i Boat rental from 200Kc; limited wheelchair accessibility

      LETNÁ PARK AND METRONOME

      Badeniho; www.prahazelena.cz/letenske-sady. html; open daily 24hr

      Why spend 10 bucks on the latest Drake album when you could get #views like this for free? That’s a question we asked ourselves many times as we sat in Letná Park overlooking the entire city, feeling like fools as we stared at Drake’s face on the cover of the CD we bought. The optimum viewing point is, without a doubt, on a ledge under the giant Prague Metronome, which occupies the former spot of the reviled Stalin monument and serves as a reminder of the city’s past. When the sun’s about to set, there’s no better place to be. But there’s more to this park than just breathtaking vistas and historically-significant landmarks. Walk west and you’ll encounter one of the most idyllic beer gardens in Prague.

       i Free; limited wheelchair accessibility

       NAPLAVKA RIVERBANK

      Rašínovo nábřeží, Vinohrady; open daily 8am-3am

      It would be trippy if we told you that the best beer garden in Prague wasn’t a garden, wouldn’t it? Well, we hope you don’t suffer from vertigo, because the best garden in Prague isn’t a garden, or even park, but a riverbank. Woah! Every summer evening, locals and in-the-know tourists swarm the stretch of the Vltava riverbank between Palackého most (Palacký Bridge) and Železniční most (Railway Bridge). The area is lined with beer-serving barges, hole-in-the-wall cocktail bars, food stalls, as well as a Captain Morgan-sponsored club in the hull of a pirate ship. Hunt down a 25Kč pilsner and find a spot on the edge of the river, or hunt down a few and you might just fall in.

       i Free; limited wheelchair accessibility

       PETRIN HILL AND TOWER

      Petrínské sady, Mala Strana; 257 320 112; www.muzeumprahy.cz/198-petrinska-rozhledna; funicular open daily 9am-11:20pm; tower open daily Nov-Feb 10am-6pm, Mar, Oct 10am-8pm, Apr-Sept 10am-10pm

      France’s best-kept secret for over a hundred years, the Eiffel Tower first received international exposure in the 2000 box-office smash Rugrats in Paris. Prague, too, decided to build