Conscious Travel Experiences in Prague Beyond the Crowds.

I happened to spend a week in Prague during its peak travel season, and in the midst of an intense heatwave that had gripped much of Europe. As someone who goes to great lengths to avoid crowded places, I threw myself the challenge of experiencing Prague beyond the beaten path, beyond the overtourism visible at the Prague Astronomical Clock every hour.

I reached out to locals and residents for recommendations, and must say I was surprised by how my week panned out. The city not just surprised and delighted me at every corner with its glorious architecture, but also allowed me to ditch the crowds in my pursuit of sustainable travel experiences.

Here are my recommendations for low carbon, community-centric, culturally-curious experiences that will allow you to discover the city in a whole other way:

Experience Prague through the lens of its homeless people

Every list of things to do in Prague will tell you about the walking tours of Prague’s old town, new town (not so new, dating back to the 13th century!) and castle. But to scrape another layer in the city, we signed up for a tour by Pragulic – a female-owned social enterprise that trains homeless people in Prague as tour guides!

On a warm summer afternoon, we met our guide who’d spent years living on the streets of Prague. Under the shade of an old tree at one of his old haunts, we sat together as he recounted his life journey – growing up in a children’s home, landing up homeless, meth addiction, the city’s approach towards homelessness, and his transition receiving his own social housing. He led us through the by-lanes, to the city’s grittier side, where people live under bridges and homeless shelters offer showers and clean syringes (yes). Some folks in our group worked on social housing in Amsterdam, and were surprised to hear the perspectives of someone who had experienced homelessness.

Given that tours like this often come with criticism, I had to ask our guide how he felt about leading it. In his classic no-nonsense manner, he proudly told us this is the longest job he’s held in his life – 8 years and counting. He feels heard and seen. That says everything.

Tip: You can also book the tour on GetYourGuide. Use the app to get 5% off on all tours using my code: SHIVYA5

Also read: Ditch the Tourist Trail for These Conscious Travel Experiences in Northern Spain

Eat at a social enterprise that employs reformed convicts

Střecha is not just one of Prague’s finest 100% vegan restaurants, but a movement in itself. It employs people who’ve faced prison time or homelessness, helps the staff with debts and housing, and in an increasingly unequal world, offers amenities like tap water and free wifi to anyone who walks in – irrespective of their economic capacity.

Within its cozy wooden interiors, over a veganized Czech meal of vepro knedlo zelo (potato dumplings over a bed of sauerkraut) with ingredients sourced from local suppliers, I felt a sense of solidarity that feels rare to find these days. You also have the option to prepay for a meal that can be offered to someone in financial need. A great example of how the money we spend as travellers can give back to a city!

Also read: All The Vegan (and Vegetarian) Food I Loved in Salzburg, Austria!

Stay in Prague’s oldest monastery

The 10th century Břevnov Monastery is Prague’s and Czechia’s oldest – and travellers can stay at the Baroque-style Hotel Adalbert within it. For centuries, Benedictine monks have lived on these premises, meditated, brewed beer and tended the gardens. The monastery complex is now designated a national cultural monument, and staying here contributes to its preservation, while also offering the rare chance to become part of Prague’s spiritual traditions.

Also read: Creative Gardening, Deep Work and Living in Berlin at 38

Escape the city in the rocky outcrops of a nature reserve

Not wanting to roast in the unprecedented heatwave in Prague, I postponed my plans of doing a nature-based day trip from the city to another time. But I’m glad long term resident Divya (@recentlytravelled) planned for us to spend a luckily cloudy day amidst the meadows, spring-fed pools and rocky hills of Divoká Šárka – just 40 minutes from Prague by tram! A Bohemian legend has it that the area is named Šárka after a lovelorn female warrior who jumped to her death from one of the cliffs in this nature reserve.

Despite being so close to the city, we found its shaded hiking trails all to ourselves, and settled under an oak tree in one of its meadows for an afternoon tête-à-tête.

Also read: Walking a 1000-year-old Pilgrim Trail Through the Italian Alps

Skip the crowds in local neighborhoods, walking tunnels and vineyards

We were lucky enough to find a HomeExchange in one of Prague’s coolest, lived-in neighborhoods – Karlin. It used to be an industrial hub in the 80s and 90s, and a lot of its old factories and warehouses have been turned into hip cafes, restaurants, bakeries and boutiques. Art deco buildings and street art adorn its leafy cobbled streets.

One evening, we were surprised to find ourselves in a walking and cycling only tunnel, that connects Karlin to the neighborhood of Žižkov across the hill, where small vineyards still exist! Climb all the way up to Vítkov hill for a stunning sunset with a panoramic view of the city.

If you’re new to HomeExchange, use my code shivya-26 to get 250 extra Guest Points, equivalent to 1-3 nights of accommodation in Europe!

Also read: How I Used HomeExchange to Experience Europe Like a Local

Taste a bit of Iran in Prague’s only Persian eatery

I think I carry a bit of Iran wherever I go, and was so delighted to find Prague’s (and the Czech Republic’s) only Persian restaurant right in our backyard in Karlin! Descend down the steps of Aubergine to find yourself surrounded by domed brickwalls, traditional Persian instruments, photos from Iran, and the gentle aroma of Persian spices and herbs.

Since travelling in Iran several years ago, I’ve rarely ever seen ghormeh sabzi on a menu. And having this vegan spinach and greens stew, with dried black limes, kidney beans and herbs at Aubergine brought back a flood of memories. SO SO GOOD. I wish I could’ve tried the kuku sabzi and mirza ghasemi too, but sadly they weren’t available as vegan options.

Chef Ata Alipour grew up in Tehran and found his love for cooking as a young boy. But as life would have it, he ended up in Prague to live in exile for political and religious reasons. After working numerous jobs in cooking and catering for the local Iranian community, he finally achieved his dream of opening the country’s first Persian restaurant.

Sitting so far away from Iran, one way we can show solidarity with the Iranian people is supporting businesses by the Iranian diaspora, and appreciating the ancient Persian culture and cuisine from afar.

Also read: Why You Should Drop Everything and Travel to Iran Now (well, not now)

Row a boat on Vltava River in the silence of the night

I can still close my eyes and see myself floating in the breeze on Vltava River, as the colors of sunset fade away and the lights of Prague’s magnificent old buildings flicker on. After the sweltering heat of the day, rowing a paddle boat on the river at night felt like creating a core memory. Not exactly an offbeat thing to do, but by virtue of being electricity and diesel free, it’s a great low-impact way to slow down and let the city work its charm on you.

Also read: A Slow ‘No Fly’ Journey from Switzerland to the Lofoten Islands, Norway!

Catch a performance at the theatres where Mozart once performed

Prague’s 19th century opera house turned National Theatre, on the banks of the Vltava River, is a sight to behold. Every time I walked past it, I gazed in awe at its Neo-Renaissance architecture. In the old town, the Estates Theatre built in neoclassical style (part of the national theatre) in 1783 is an architectural delight too. The ancient halls of the Estates Theatres once hosted the world premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. As it turns out, Mozart was first loved in the Czech Republic, long before finding recognition in his home country Austria and elsewhere!

Sadly by the time I learnt about the affordability of drama, opera and ballet shows in these theatres, it was already time to leave. Next time!

Also read: Fun and Alternative Things to do in Copenhagen – Perhaps Europe’s Coolest Capital City

Sample Prague’s incredible vegan food scene

As someone who’s been living in Berlin for nearly six months now, my benchmark for vegan food has become considerably high! And yet, Prague’s vegan scene was full of surprises. Across the city, lots of locally-owned, locally-sourced, seasonal, plant-based offerings have sprung up, including all-vegan restos serving up Czech food, hand-churned vegan ice cream parlors and creative fusion food from around the world!

I plan to write a vegan guide to Prague soon, but some of my favs were:

• Strecha – A social enterprise serving up vegan versions of traditional Czech food.
• Dosa Dosa – A Czech-owned plant-based eatery offering fusion, surprisingly good dosas!
• Imaginarni Zmrzlina – A vegan parlor with creamy hand-churned ice creams using a cashew-coconut milk base.

Have you spent time in Prague? What did you most love about this historic city?

Also check out:

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Hi there! I’m Shivya, and I started this travel blog back in 2011, when travel wasn’t trendy, Instagram didn’t exist and AI wasn’t a thing (simpler times, I know!). I write about slow, meaningful and conscious travel – that is good for us, the places we visit, the people we meet along the way, and the planet at large. Settle down, grab a cup of tea, and read stories that remind you of the essence of travel. I’m so glad you found me!