Why not go for a run and feel a little less guilty about eating all those delicious Czech dishes you can’t wait to get your hands on? Vacations are perfect for working out since you are far from your typical routine, and you might actually have more time to exercise.
Tomas and I love to run! When we travel, we always look for parks, trails, and streets that we can explore, and because we run here all the time, we would love to share one of our favorite running routes in Prague just for you. Good luck!
START:
Start at the stairs that lead up to Letná Park. (If you are in the city center, cross the bridge Čechův most, and you can’t miss them.)
I don’t know how you feel about running up stairs, but we love them! We run up them as fast as we can. It’s a bit challenging, yes, but in the end it’s totally worth it. (You can do it! We believe.)
After the steep stairs, we are totally out of breath and enjoy running on the smooth park pathways for a bit. Letná Park is a popular spot for families, couples, foreigners, locals, the young and the old, so it’s always fun to just breeze through the park and people-watch. If you want to take a mini-break here, just head to the edge of the hill and catch some unbeatable city views.
LETNÁ:
Letná is full of winding streets that can get confusing, so just as you run through try to stay on the right side of the park, heading north. In the northeast corner, you will run into Letenské náměstí. (In other words, you will end up on the opposite side and to the right of where you entered the park.) When you get to the corner of M. Horákové and Nad Štolou, you are in the right place. Just cross the street to reach Čechova street.
STROMOVKA:
Once you’re at Čechova, run through it until, at the end, you can finally see our favorite park Stromovka. In our opinion Stromovka is simply the best place for running in Prague. If you want a shorter workout, skip all the previous stuff and come straight here. It’s worth it.
Stromovka Park is a massive area with the perfect mix of flat surfaces and elevated points, so we do sprints, run hilly routes, or even go for long distances! It was designed as an English garden, and it used to belong to the King from the 13th century until the 19th century. Basically, it’s gorgeous. You can amuse yourself with the beautiful trees, the lovely ponds, or the spacious flower meadow (which is my personal favorite).
THE FOOD:
When you are ready to call it quits, it’s time to treat yourself! Gain back your energy by heading out for a good bite to eat.
This neighborhood is teeming with hot new places for food, but we definitely have our favorites. If we run in the mornings, we love to eat breakfast in a cafe called Farm Letná (on Korunovacni street). It is known for farmer’s market quality lunch, brunch, breakfast and snacks, and it’s a great place for a coffee or meal. We love the pancakes! Sometimes we like to run in the afternoons, and, in that case, we go get our refreshments from Lokál Nad Stromovkou which is also nearby. It’s the perfect place to eat authentic Czech food, sip on a refreshing beer, and enjoy a friendly and relaxed environment.
We wish you all the best on your Prague running adventures, and we hope you have a fantastic workout! In the end, we just hope that you get the chance to see our beautiful city in a different way… straight from the parks and streets. Never stop running!
Photo by Kubo Krizo