Region

Central Europe

Country/State

Prague

Place(s)

  • Old Town
  • Charles Bridge
  • Jewish Quarter

Best Time to Visit

  • Season(s): Late Spring & early Fall
  • Month(s): March-May, September-November

Uniquely Popular For

  • Romanesque chapels and cellars
  • Gothic cathedrals
  • Baroque palaces and gardens
  • classic music
  • shopping centres
  • traditional cafes and desserts

General Tourist Attractions

  • Explore the Old Town Hall with Astronomical Clock in Czechia (Staroměstská radnice s orlojem). The Old Town Hall was established in 1338 as the seat of the Old Town administration. The oldest part of the complex consists of a beautiful Gothic tower with a bay chapel and a unique astronomical clock – known as the Orloj – where, every hour between 9 am and 11 pm, the twelve apostles appear.
  • National Gallery Prague, Czechia – Trade Fair Palace (Národní galerie Praha – Veletržní palác), this was the largest building of its kind in the world and the first Functionalist building in Prague. It exhibits a unique collection of Czech and international modern and contemporary art, it includes some extremely valuable examples of French and European art, including important works by such illustrious names as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, Gustav Klimt and many more. Alongside there is also the National Museum.
  • Vyšehrad, Czechia is oldest seat of Czech princes, situated on a rocky promontory above the Vltava River, it offers stunning views of the city, and the park area holds hidden architectural treasures including the rare Romanesque Rotunda of St Martin, the neo-Gothic Church of Sts Peter and Paul, the national cemetery Slavín, and the underground casements housing the some of the original Baroque statues from the Charles Bridge.
  • Convent of St Agnes of Bohemia (Národní galerie Praha – klášter sv. Anežky České) is one of the most important Gothic buildings in Prague. It was founded around 1230 AD by the Premyslid princess St Agnes of Bohemia along with her brother King Wenceslas I. The guided tour traces the history of the individual parts of the uniquely preserved medieval monastery. All major areas are accessible for viewing, including the Oratory of St Agnes, the Shrine of the Saviour, and the Church of St Francis, where the remains of King Wenceslas I are buried.
  • Prague’s Jewish Museum, one of the oldest and continuously existing Jewish museums in the world, was founded in 1906. The mission of the museum is to document the history, traditions and customs of the Jewish population in Bohemia and preserve valuable artefacts from the Prague synagogues that were destroyed during the liquidation of the Prague ghetto.
  • The Old Town Bridge Tower is one of the most beautiful Gothic gateways in the world. The tower, along with Charles Bridge, was built by Emperor Charles IV according to designs by Petr Parléř in the mid-14 th century. The gate to the Old Town was also conceived as a symbolic victory arch through which Czech kings passed on their coronation processions.
  • Prague Zoo is considered one of the most beautiful zoos in the world. The rugged terrain offers over 10 km of walking trails through such exotic exhibitions as the Africa House, the Indonesian jungle, or the Valley of the Elephants. This beautiful slice of nature is a popular destination for families with children who can pet and feed animals at the Children's Zoo.
  • Museum Kampa is housed in the former Sova Mills in the Lesser Quarter, where it includes the Jan and Meda Mládek Collection, which contains works by the pioneer of abstract art František Kupka and the Czech Cubist sculptor Otto Gutfreund, as well as the works of prominent artists of the 20th century from the Eastern block.
  • Farmers' Market at Náplavka gives you a relaxed atmosphere and the calmly flowing Vltava River make this riverfront market a popular destination for both Prague residents as well as tourists.
  • Art Parking is a multi-genre drive-in festival that provides safe concerts, theatre performances and film screenings. A number of cultural events, which visitors will be able to see from the comfort of their cars.
  • Vrtba Garden (Vrtbovská zahrada) is one of the most important and most beautiful Baroque gardens created around 1720. It’s one of the city’s smaller gardens, but its unique architectural design on an irregular slope as well as the artistic and historical value of its decoration ranks it high in importance in Europe.
  • Prague Botanical Garden, Fata Morgana greenhouse (Botanická zahrada, skleník Fata Morgana), The garden is laid out over almost 30 hectares, with exhibition areas including the historic vineyards of St. Clara, a Japanese meditation garden and the unique tropical greenhouse Fata Morgana. The 130 m long greenhouse, divided into three separate areas with different temperature and humidity, offers a trip through tropical nature at any time of the year.
  • Petrín Park is the city’s biggest and most beautiful park, with sweeping views of Prague. You’ll find a garden, a maze, and a lookout tower that looks like the Eiffel Tower.
  • Kutná Hora was an important centre for silver mining in medieval Bohemia. It helped keep the kings of Prague rich. Now the town is famous for its creepy bone church, Sedlec Ossuary, which contains 40,000-70,000 bones.
  • Visit the Botanical Garden of the Natural Sciences Faculty of Charles University (Botanická zahrada Přírodovědecké fakulty UK). It opened in 1898 and gradually expanded to include an arboretum, greenhouses, ponds and large alpine garden. These parts form a cosy green area in the centre of Prague breathing the atmosphere of old times.
  • Walking tour inside the Prague Castle, the largest castle complex in the world, which consists of the St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George's Basilica, the Powder Tower, the Old Royal Palace, and the Golden Lane.
  • Gaze at the historical statues along the Charles Bridge.
  • Experience a guided tour in the Clementinum which houses the National Library, and often serves as the venue for jazz events and music fests.
  • The Městská knihovna v Praze (Municipal Library) located bang in the city centre deserves a visit for all the right reason. Right at the entrance you'll find a unique vertical "tunnel" made of books where you'll see a never-ending hole of books- unlike any other you've seen before.

Memorable Pursuits

  • Take a walk through the interiors of St. Vitus Cathedral that is a mixture of old Gothic and neo-Gothic sculptures, and keep an eye out for the impressive gargoyles outside the cathedral.
  • In Mala Strana, near the French Embassy you’ll see the John Lennon Wall. At first glance this wall may look like any other graffiti-covered wall you see around the world. Safe to say, this is Prague's equivalent of the Berlin Wall. The John Lennon Peace Wall is not only a memorial to John Lennon and his ideas for peace, but also a monument to free speech and the non-violent rebellion of Czech youth against the regime.
  • Climb up the Vítkov Hill, especially in the evening to get an illuminated view of the Prague Castle.
  • Steamship tour from the City Centre to the Prague Zoo
  • From the tranquil interiors of Café Slavia and the Parisian vibes of Café Louvre, the cafes will win your heart. Café Savoy or Café Imperial are most frequented by Praguers.
  • Malá Strana, the German district of Prague
  • The Dancing House, an architectural wonder designed by Frank Gehry in 1996
  • The Astronomical Clock, a medieval, working clock located in the Old Town Square
  • Sedlec Ossuary, a Roman Catholic chapel decorated with human bones
  • The Petrin Watchtower, also known as Prague’s “little Eiffel Tower.”
  • Prosek Bobsleigh track (Bobová dráha Prosek), Get your adrenalin rush in a stainless steel bobsleigh track at speeds up to 62 km/h or on the longest rope slide in the Czech Republic. Thanks to the automatic brake system, the track is safe for children from the age of 8. The complex includes a climbing wall, a rope park and a trampoline.

Something Leisurely

  • The Vltava embankment is one of the lively places in Prague, and holds exhibitions, flea markets and sports events in summers.
  • Visit Letna Park or Riegrovy Sady for a tranquil and debatably more beautiful sunset. These are public parks that allow you to make a picnic out of watching the sunset. Another exciting option for a sunset viewpoint is to climb atop Prague’s Mini Eiffel Tower - the Petřín Tower, or on top of the Žižkov Television Tower.
  • The best beer in Prague is found at Zlý časy in the Nusle district.
  • S.P.L.A.V. Praha Boat Rentals, are a service where a fibreglass pedal boat or rowboat can be hired to head out into the sun and relax while taking in the views of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.
  • Letna Beer Garden is one of the most popular places in Prague to drink beer in the summers. With the gorgeous view over Prague, being located in Letna.
  • Žluté lázně, a natural area along the banks of the Vltava River offers grassy and sand beaches, a number of multifunctional sports courts, a wide range of fun attractions, and refreshments for spending some quality time with friends and family. You can even have a picnic by the river.
  • You'll see a whole lot of Russian Dolls for sale but avoid these because they're not in the least Czech. Instead, opt for locally made, skilful puppets or Marionettes. The locals believe that you don't choose the puppet, and the puppet chooses you.

Quick Tip(s) from the Locals

  • While visiting the Prague Castle, do not be surprised if you have to go through hour-long queues. If you don’t like to wait, go to the Vysehrad fortress complex, which is just as appealing as the Prague Castle.
  • Despite what people might tell you, do not attach a love lock at the Certovka Bridge, it is regularly removed by locals to maintain the integrity of the place.
  • If you want to avoid crowds, rush to Skautsky institute, where you will be greeted by girl and boy scouts and enjoy coffee, beer, homemade food and lemonade with a book.
  • Prague uses Czech Crowns (CZK) or 'Koruna', not Euros in the city. While Euros may be accepted among the bigger shops, most establishments only accept the CZK.