The Czech Republic - Eastern Europe - page 216

open daily from 6am to 11pm. If you arrive without room reservations, this agency is
definitely worth a visit.
Hlavní nádra z í, Wilsonova t r ída, Praha 2 ( & 224-614-071 ), is the grander and
more popular station. From the train platform, you'll walk down a flight of stairs and
through a tunnel before arriving in the ground-level main hall, which contains ticket
windows, a useful Prague Information Service office that sells city maps and dis-
penses information, and restrooms. Also useful is the C D center ( & 840-112-113;
www.cd.cz) run by the Czech Railways. It provides domestic and international train
information as well as currency exchange and accommodations services. It is open
daily 7 to 11am, 11:30am to 2pm, and 2:30 to 5:45pm. Visa and MasterCard are
accepted. An information window is open 3:15am to 12:40am (the train station is
closed 1-3am). The station's basement holds a left-luggage counter, which is open 24
hours and charges 30K c ($1.25/£1) per bag per day. The nearby lockers aren't secure
and should be avoided.
Nádra z í Hole s ovice, Partyzánská at Vrbenského, Praha 7 ( & 224-615-865 ),
Prague's second train station, is usually the terminus for trains from Berlin and other
points north. Although it's not as centrally located as the main station, its more man-
ageable size and location at the end of metro line C make it almost as convenient.
Prague has two smaller train stations. Masaryk Station, Hybernská ulice ( & 221-
111-122 ), is primarily for travelers arriving on trains originating from other
Bohemian cities or from Brno or Bratislava. Situated about 10 minutes by foot from
the main train station, Masaryk is near Staré M ê sto, just a stone's throw from nám ê stí
Republiky metro station. Smíchov Station, Nádra z ní ulice at Rozko s ného ( & 224-
617-686 ), is the terminus for commuter trains from western and southern Bohemia,
though an occasional international train pulls in here. The station has a 24-hour bag-
gage check and is serviced by metro line B.
BY BUS
The Central Bus Station-Florenc, K r i z íkova 4-6, Praha 8 ( & 900-144-444 for
timetable info), is a few blocks north of the main train station. Most local and long-
distance buses arrive here. The adjacent Florenc metro station is on both lines B and
C. Florenc station is relatively small and doesn't have many visitor services. Even
smaller depots are at Z elivského (metro line A), Smíchovské nádra z í (metro line B),
and Nádra z í Hole s ovice (metro line C).
CITY LAYOUT
The river Vltava bisects Prague and provides the best line of orientation; you can use
Charles Bridge as your central point. From the bridge, turn toward Prague Castle, the
massive complex on the hill with the cathedral thrusting out. Now you're facing west.
Up on the hill is the Castle District known as Hrad c any. Running up the hill
between the bridge and the castle is the district known as Malá Strana (literally the
“Small Side,” but known as Lesser Town in English). Turn around, and behind you on
the right (east) bank is Staré M ê sto (Old Town), and farther to the south and east
Nové M ê sto (New Town). The highlands even farther east used to be the royal vine-
yards, Vinohrady, now a popular neighborhood for expatriates with a growing array
of accommodations and restaurants. The districts farther out are where most Praguers
live, and have few attractions.
MAIN BRIDGES, SQUARES & STREETS You'll best enjoy Prague by walking its
narrow streets, busy squares, and scenic bridges. After Charles Bridge (Karl * v most),