Later this week the Blues’ Europa League campaign begins with a trip to face Sparta Prague and for our supporters descending on the city, the official Chelsea website has the lowdown on what to do.
Martin Holub lives in the city, and offered travelling fans some important advice on getting around.
‘The best way to travel around Prague is by public transport,’ he says. ‘You can use the Underground (Line A – green, Line B – yellow, Line C – red), or alternatively both trams and buses are reliable.
‘I would recommend a one-day ticket, which costs 120 CZK, while a single ride is priced 32 CZK and is less effective.
‘When travelling into the city from Prague airport, you can use Bus AE (Airport Express) or regular lines 100, 119 and 179. It’s also worth checking the Prague Public Transportation Website.’
Martin went on to add that the stadium itself [pictured above] is accessible from most areas of the city.
There is so much to see and do when in the city, and Ludek Jando, another local resident, suggested the following landmarks.
‘The Charles Bridge [pictured below] is probably the most famous site in the city,’ he explains. ‘It’s one of the oldest bridges in central Europe and a must-see for all tourists who visit Prague.
‘Wenceslas Square is the biggest square in the country. Located on both “Muzeum” and “Mustek” stations, it’s full of shops and restaurants and is a famous place for both locals and tourists.
‘Prague Castle [pictured below] is the home of our president and one of the biggest castles in Europe. It’s definitely worth the hike up the hill, or you can also take a tram to “Pohořelec” station and then just walk the way down through the castle. There’s also a beautiful St. Vitus’ Cathedral, which is definitely worth visiting.
In a city renowned for its quality beer, Ludek went on to cite the best places to eat and drink ahead of the game.
‘Veleslavínova 3 is a pub which is great for beer, burgers, Czech and also international cuisine,’ he says. ‘There are two floors, with one separated for smokers, and the great thing is that there are taps on each table and you can tap a beer by yourself.
‘You can get a nice meal with a beer for under 200 CZK, which is about 6.7 GBP. It’s located right in the city centre, around five minutes from the Old Town Square and just a few minutes’ walk from Prague Castle.
‘Lokál Dlouhá is the best place to get typical and traditional Czech cuisine, and many people say this is the best place to get beer in Prague.
‘It’s located very close to the Old Town Square, but be aware, it’s very popular and it might be very crowded and full if you arrive after 7pm with no reservation.’
For those supporters who enjoy spending the day exploring what shops are on offer, Holub believes they won’t be disappointed.
‘The biggest shopping malls are Paladium (Line B, station “Namesti Republiky”), Arkady Pankrac (Line C, station “Pankrac”), OC Novy Smichov (Line B, station “Andel”), and OC Chodov (Line C, station “Chodov”),’ he explains.
‘You will also find many souvenir shops in the city centre, although the prices of clothes and electronics are usually higher than in the UK.’