Hotel Review: The Golden Wheel, Prague
Located on the same cobbled streets travelled by kings as they made their way to St Vitus Cathedral for their coronation, The Golden Wheel is perfectly located to experience the history, revel in the charm and the cultural experience that is Prague.
This boutique hotel with spacious rooms is a hidden gem. Each room comes equipped with a mini bar, TV and complimentary internet. While we found the internet connection to be slow at times and would occasionally disconnect, the charm and hospitality of the staff made us feel right at home. Breakfast was included daily with the room and far exceeded expectations. On our final morning, due to an early flight, we found ourselves needing to leave prior to the 7am breakfast. The staff went above and beyond, opening the kitchen early to make sure we had our breakfast before departing for our flights.
From the hotel’s upper floors or from an all-glass balcony lookout you can feast your eyes on a view of the Prague Castle, or also Petrin Park with its lookout tower and the typical red roofs of Lesser Quarter houses. An outside staircase will lead you to a small garden attached to the old walls of Prague Castle, where you can relax in a pleasant, garden, a respite from the crowds.
Located between the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, everything is accessible on foot while exploring all that Prague has to offer (Prague’s Top Ten).
History of the Golden Wheel
The first records of a building at this location go back all the way to the end of the 15th Century. In 1541, after a major fire destroyed almost three quarters of the Lesser Quarter in three hours, “The Golden Wheel” underwent a thorough renovation. At the end of the 17th Century, the building was owned by the painter Kristian Dittman, who performed another major renovation and added another floor. Roughly a hundred years later, in 1814, the building is mentioned in the Land Registry as having four floors and from that time onwards has stayed largely unchanged.
Perfectly situated only 500 meters from historic Prague Castle and the iconic Charles Bridge, the Golden Wheel easily answers the question “Where to stay in Prague”.
Everything is in walking distance to the Golden Wheel hotel, whether you are visiting the Old Town Square and the Christmas Markets, the Astromonical Clock, savouring the flavours of Prague or looking for that special wine tasting experience (Not Your Standard Cave), the charm and hospitality of the Golden Wheel coupled with a central location – you can’t go wrong.
Also in walking distance: Prague Love Locks and Lenin Wall, Petrin Tower and the Jewish Quarter.
Great hotel review. I wish you were reviewing my trips
Posted by blisstravelsnews | June 5, 2012, 10:24 amHey Wendy – I would love to! I read your travel tips and photos from Provence and can’t wait to come back to Provence. It is such a magical place!
Posted by Anita Mac | June 5, 2012, 10:33 amIt is so generous of you to take the time (and the beautiful photographs) to share with others, alerting us of a potential vacation spot worthy of visiting, Anita. I hope you are enjoying yourself as you snap off these shots and enjoy the features of the hotel your are highlighting. The town of Prague, itself, looks lovely. Your photographs are stunning! Thanks for the share.
Posted by orples | June 5, 2012, 11:01 amMy pleasure. I love travel and photography – glad to see people enjoying my passions. I really lucked out on the Golden Wheel too – we picked it last minute on Expedia – it was such a great place as we kicked back and experienced Prague. Definitely a worth while bucket list destination – was so excited when we had the chance to go – it was pretty last minute.
Posted by Anita Mac | June 5, 2012, 4:47 pmPrague looks lovely. I hope I can travel there soon. I have not been to Europe yet! I wished I visted when I lived in NYC. Now that I live in Hong Kong, airfares to Europe are really expensive.
Posted by thehungryegghead | June 5, 2012, 12:04 pmI hope you get the chance to visit. Prague is quite spell binding – loved wandering the cobbled streets and soaking it all in.
Posted by Anita Mac | June 5, 2012, 4:48 pmI want to check out Prague so bad after reading this – thanks for sharing! Have a Great Day:)
Posted by cravesadventure | June 5, 2012, 12:07 pmYou will love it! So much to see and do. A fabulous destination – I can see why Prague gets so many tourists….that many people just can’t be wrong. Well worth the visit.
Posted by Anita Mac | June 5, 2012, 4:49 pmI love the architecture!
Posted by midnitechef | June 5, 2012, 12:11 pmIsn’t it great! So much history behind those walls.
Posted by Anita Mac | June 5, 2012, 4:49 pmI love that I know exactly where you were standing when you took that photo of the couple coming down the hill from the castle. The first photo in my Prague post was from the top of that hill. Here’s the link if you want to see it: http://insidenanabreadshead.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/vacation-photos-week-3-prague/
We were in Prague for a week last fall on our great Den Haag to Istanbul to Prague adventure, and I absolutely fell in love with Prague. We stayed a block from the Charles Bridge in a rented apartment and loved every minute we spent there. If I ever get the chance to return, I’d love to go in the winter. I’ve seen shots of Prague covered in snow and it’s even more magical.
Thanks for sharing, Anita!
Posted by NanaBread (Jeanne) | June 5, 2012, 3:09 pmI would love to spend a week – wait, change that – a month in an apartment in Prague or Istanbul. Prague has been so high on my bucket list for so long, I was thrilled when I realized I had a few extra vacation days from work….couldn’t book that ticket fast enough! Your post about the food made it easier to convince my partner (http://insidenanabreadshead.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/prague-the-food/) – I believe the email response after I sent it to him was 2 words: Book it!
Posted by Anita Mac | June 5, 2012, 4:57 pmWell, if you’re going back, I’m happy to share the info on that rental apartment. It was spectacular, and shockingly large and roomy compared to the postage stamp-sized hotel room we’d just left in Istanbul. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, full kitchen, dining & living room, washer & dryer, etc. We could have moved in full-time and lived there. The location can’t be beat, and the views are breathtaking. Surprisingly, it was about the same cost as a hotel room in that area but much more private and spacious. Here’s the link: http://www.vrbo.com/305027 It looks just like the photos, but is even more spacious than it appears. We worked with Walter. Not sure if he’s the owner or manager of the apartment, but he was delightful. We absolutely loved this place!
Posted by NanaBread (Jeanne) | June 5, 2012, 7:14 pmWhat a great city to be visiting. We coincided with a fringe festival (a bit like Edinburgh’s) down by the river, with some great events. And you simply have to cross (and re-cross) Charles Bridge a dozen times or more, where life changes by the minute!
Posted by Frank Burns | June 5, 2012, 6:34 pmYou are so right – we crossed the Charles Bridge a dozen times a day. It was amazing how it changed throughout the day.
Posted by Anita Mac | June 12, 2012, 8:18 pmGreat photos and review…
Posted by eof737 | June 7, 2012, 9:49 pmThanks.
Posted by Anita Mac | June 12, 2012, 8:19 pmSounds like a nice place.
Posted by Smith | June 11, 2012, 11:02 pmIt was a fabulous location. The breakfast was quite good and the rooms were lovely – I was surprised how much space there was in the heart of Prague.
Posted by Anita Mac | June 12, 2012, 8:20 pmoh..god…! it has been my dream to travel this place…(prague)……i really want to know the history behind the wall…it’s a great effort that you gave us always an updates of this place…new things i’ve learned…
Posted by marymae | October 4, 2012, 9:55 pmIt is such a fascinating place – I highly recommend it as a travel destination. The history in Prague through the ages….I would recommend a walking tour so that you can hear and learn the history as you walk through the Castle, along the walk of Kings (which passes right past the hotel) and the defenestration of Prague (http://traveldestinationbucketlist.com/2012/01/06/the-defenestration-of-prague/). Well worth the visit!
Posted by Anita Mac | November 8, 2012, 10:05 amgood article s
Posted by Waste removal Sydney | October 25, 2012, 2:31 amHotel Golden Wheel was renamed and these days it is Hotel Aurus: http://www.checkinprague.com/hotel-aurus/
Posted by peter | November 8, 2012, 6:22 amThanks for the note however I checked with the hotel, and they have confirmed that there has not been any changes of name – they are still the Golden Wheel.
Posted by Anita Mac | November 8, 2012, 10:06 am