Best things to do in Prague

Prague is a wonderful city to visit all year round as during summer it’s warm and lovely and during winter is snowy and magical. We loved Prague and thought it was one of the most photogenic European capitals. We found so many things to do in Prague, and amongst our favourite were the Charles Bridge at night, the epic (and cheap) beer tours and the delightful plant-based restaurants we found throughout the city.
Here are the best things to do in Prague.

Things to do in Prague

Prague has been on our bucket list for so long. We wanted to discover what this incredible city has to offer and we want to share with you all the top things to do in Prague. We found so many interesting sights, restaurants and sculptures. In fact, Prague’s Gothic and Renaissance architecture, alongside its many museums, churches and bridges will make you fall in love with this city. Explore Prague during daytime and grace around its wide squares and admire the rooftops from the Old Town Hall, then immerse into Prague’s eerie side during night time, by meandering through cobblestone narrow alleyways.

Things to do in Prague Views Above

Old Town Square

The Old Town Square was founded in the 12th century and has been witness to many historical events. It is the most significant historic square in Prague. Here you will find the Old Town Hall, the Church of Our Lady before Týn, the Baroque Church of St Nicholas, the Rococo Kinský Palace, the Gothic House at the Stone Bell and the monument to Jan Hus. It’s also a lively square full of incredibly photogenic buildings. You will find several restaurants and cafes in the area and we recommend that you take your time with some coffee and cake, and admire the heart of Prague.

Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge was finished in the 15th century and was initially called the Stone Bridge or Prague Bridge. It has been “Charles Bridge” since 1870. It connects the Old Town with Lesser Town and it’s a popular pedestrian bridge lined with imposing statues and filled with street vendors and painters. We recommend crossing during the daytime to see how vibrant it looks like under the rays of sunshine, then crossing it again during the night, when the lights make it look more eerie and mysterious. With so many stories and legends, Charles Bridge sure is one of the top things to in Prague.

Did you know that Charles Bridge appeared in several international movies including the 2019 Spider Man? Check out all the best film locations in Prague as well.

Charles Bridge

St. Vitus Cathedral

St Vitus Cathedral is the most important church in Prague as it is the burial place of the Czech kings. St Vitus Cathedral is also the largest church in Prague and home of the Czech Crown Jewels. If you love architecture then you should most certainly purchase a ticket and explore the beautiful interior. You can also admire the stained glass windows designed by Mucha, a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist.

Prague Castle

The Prague Castle is a popular tourist attraction so expect some crowds. We visited in February and since it was cold and offseason, we were lucky to find fewer tourists than usual. The Prague Castle is the largest castle in Europe contains more than seven hundred rooms. There is free entrance to the castle grounds but you will have to pay to access the Golden Lane. You can find many photo opportunities in the area.

Prague Castle

Castle District

The Castle District is a very nice place full of restaurants, bars and boutiques. You can enter the castle grounds and visit the St. Vitus Cathedral as mentioned above, or just stroll around at your own pace, taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. It is in this district that you will learn a lot about the history of the city. Just a quick note, since this is a rather touristy place, prices will be a bit higher than usual. You can enjoy the cobbled streets, traditional shops and if you have time, you can experience the changing of the guard.

Mala Strana

The name Malá Strana translated into English literally means “Little Side” but most of the time you will hear the term “Lesser Town” The Old Town and Lesser Town are connected via the Charles Bridge. This is an important historic quarter in Prague where you will find an array of beautiful buildings, restaurants, bars and boutiques.

The town was originally called the New Town beneath the Prague Castle but renamed the Lesser Town of Prague in the 14th century. The unofficial name Little Quarter (Czech: Malá Strana) started being used since the 17th century.

Prague Cory and G You Could Travel

Golden Lane

The Golden Lane is located in Prague Castle. The lane got its name from the goldsmiths who lived there around the 17th century. Back in the days, the lane was actually called the Street of Alchemists or Alchemists’ Alley. You will see small houses, painted in bright colours. A fee must be paid to access the Golden Lane while there is free entry after the Prague Castle interiors close.

Old Town Hall

The Old Town Hall was established in the 14th century as the administrative seat for Prague’s Old Town. To best experience the Old Town Hall, we recommend getting a tour guide to listen to the history of the place. You will learn about the decorated rooms which date from various periods. The historical town hall consists of a set of five medieval houses, the corner of which is adorned with a historical astronomical clock, a gothic oriel window and a massive rectangular tower. You can also get tickets for the Old Town Hall Tower where you can admire Prague from above and photograph its beautiful rooftops.

Old Town Hall Views Prague

Astronomical Clock

The Astronomical clock, known as the Orloj is mounted on the Old Town Hall. The clock mechanism itself has three main components: the astronomical dial, “The Walk of the Apostles” and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

The astronomical dial represents the position of the Sun and The Moons with several interesting astronomical details.
The Walk of the Apostles has an hourly show of figures such as various Catholic saints and the figure of Death (a skeleton).
The Calendar dial simply represents the months.

Legend has it that Prague will suffer should the clock ever be neglected. A ghost which is mounted on the clock was meant to nod its head in confirmation. According to the legend, the only hope was represented by a boy born on New Year’s night. Are you superstitious?

Lennon Wall

The Lennon Wall was a normal wall like any other. But in the 1980s it started being filled with John Lennon inspired graffiti and several bits of lyrics from the Beatles. Around 1988 the wall was a source of annoyance for the communist regime as youngsters would write their grievances on the wall. This led to several clashes between hundreds of students and security police on the nearby Charles Bridge. The movement was described ironically as “Lennonism” and Czech authorities described these people variously as alcoholics, mentally deranged, sociopathic, and agents of Western capitalism.

Lennon Wall Prague

Statue of Franz Kafka

The Franz Kafka statue is a cool technical marvel in Prague. You will see forty-two moving panels which form the face of Franz Kafka. The statue was created by David Cerny and you can find it at the Quadrio shopping centre. The panels move so you can watch how they align to showcase Kafka’s face.

Letna Park

Letná Park is large green park located on Letná hill. You should journey up to the park so you can enjoy incredible views of the city from above. It’s a great green space for those who need to take a break from the city and enjoy a more quiet stroll in the afternoon.

Prague Lovers Chains

Cruise

We love a short cruise on the river. We enjoyed a cruise in Budapest and we didn’t want to miss the chance of cruising on the Vltava. There are lots of river cruise options from budget quick rides, through romantic lunches to luxurious dinners and experiences with live music. We recommend this river cruise option. We used them before and really enjoyed our experience.

Farmer’s Market

We love going to the Farmer’s Markets and Prague was no exception. It’s a place where you can get fresh fruit and veg, as well as handmade souvenirs. If you like supporting the local businesses then this place is for you. There are several markets scattered all around the city and you will even find one just off the main square. Make sure you have cash on you as they won’t accept cards.

Farmers Market Prague

Beer tour

What is Prague well known for? Cheap and tasty beer! And the best way to get to know some locals and sample some beer is to go on a beer tour. Beer tours are well priced in Prague and worth every penny. Of course, you could do this on your own and probably pay less, but then you won’t be learning about the history of the beer you are drinking and you won’t get to socialise with awesome and friendly people. Check out this beer tour with a local.

Eat in Prague

Prague was the first city we visited since we changed our diet to plant-based. And we had no idea what to expect. Luckily, we found plenty of vegan options and had an array of restaurants to pick from. We learned that we can definitely travel vegan without an issue and enjoy our food as before. We recommend trying as much food as you can, as Prague has so many cool restaurants and dishes tailored to any dietary requirements. Oh, and don’t forget to eat cake!

Vegan Cake Prague

Petrin Lookout

The Petřín Lookout Tower is a 63.5-metre-tall steel-framework tower in Prague. It is said to look like the Eiffel Tower. It was built in1891 and was used as an observation tower as well as a transmission tower. For a small fee, you can go to the top and admire the city in all its splendour.

Museums

With over 50 different museums to choose from, Prague is a great city for culture and art lovers. We recommend the National Museum of Prague and the Museum of Communism. We also very much loved the Prague National Art Gallery. You should probably allocate a whole day to explore Prague’s epic museums.

Prague Museums

Drink Spirits

Becherovka is a herbal bitter drunk as a digestive aid, that is produced in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. We really like drinking bitter shots, especially before and after a nice dinner. Besides, it’s always fun to play with alcoholic shots. I’m not very fond of sweet or strong tasting spirits, so having a shot of earthy herbal bitters is more suitable for me. I mean, surely, there is no night out in Prague without a few shots of Becherovka.

See Prague at night

Prague is gorgeous during the daytime, but it’s even more spectacular during night time. At night, it’s also fun to try and photograph the castle district as well as the wonderful Charles Bridge. Just grab a tripod and go artsy. We didn’t feel unsafe in Prague and to be perfectly honest, we preferred the vibe of the city at night. It was a little more mysterious and more as Prague supposed to be. Or at least, that was our preference.

Prague at night

Beer museum

There are two beer museums so this may get a bit confusing. You have the beer museum bar where they serve 30 different types of beer on tap. And you have the actual beer museum (Address: Husova 241/7 110 00 Praha 1-Staré Město, Czechia) where you can go on a tour and bottle your own beer. Ultimately, whichever you pick, you will drink beer, so it’s a win-win situation.

Have a romantic moment

Prague is a romantic city. Visiting Prague can be similar to having a romantic weekend in Paris. Have a walk hand in hand by the river bank and enjoy the beautiful architecture in the city. There are benches along the path as well, where you can have a quiet moment with your travelling partner. And hey, have a cheeky kiss during your cool romantic getaway.

Romantic Moment in Prague

Klementium

The Clementinum (Klementinum in Czech) is a historic complex of buildings in Prague which includes the Czech National Library which received a UNESCO prize. We recommend visiting The Baroque library hall inside Clementinum which is famed for its beautiful interior, including ceiling artwork by Jan Hiebl.

Prague Botanical Garden

You know we love botanic gardens (such as The Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh or the Kew Gardens) so naturally (no pun intended) we are going to rave about the Prague gardens as well. Get the ticket which gives you access to the Fata Morgana greenhouse as well. It’s much nicer to visit during summer, I’m sure, but it was well cared for and truly beautiful to spend a quiet morning strolling through plants.

Beautiful Prague

Memorial to the Victims of Communism

Although many refer to this memorial as the Hunger Wall, this is not it. The Hunger Wall is not far away from these statues but should not be mixed up. The Memorial to the victims of Communism is a series of bronze statues. There is a strip that runs along the centre showing estimated numbers of those impacted by communism. We got our accommodation not far away from these statues and we saw them every single day. I’m not a huge fan of statues, but these were very powerful. The best I’ve seen thus far. They conveyed a strong message.

Sigmund Freud

There is something really strange about this statue: Sigmund Freud is hanging out. The interesting part about this statue is that several people called the emergency numbers thinking someone is trying to commit suicide. From afar, the statue looks incredibly lifelike, hence people thinking someone is in real danger. Fear not, it’s just a fake Sigmund Freud.

The Shapes of Prague

Vysehrad National Cultural Monument

Vyšehrad is a historic fort located in Prague, built around the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River. Within the castle, you will find the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, as well as the Vyšehrad Cemetery. The cemetery contains the remains of many famous people from Czech history as well as one of Prague’s oldest surviving buildings, the Rotunda of St Martin.

Lobkowicz Palace

The Lobkowicz Palace is the only privately owned building in the Prague Castle complex and houses the Lobkowicz Collections and Museum. For a small fee, you can attend a small classical music concert which takes place in the palace.
You can purchase your tickets in advance and attend a midday romantic concert. The concert lasts for one hour. Click to check prices and buy your tickets.

Prague Old Square

Municipal House Hall

The Municipal House is a building which houses the Smetana Hall, a famed concert venue. It is located on Náměstí Republiky and the building’s architecture is of the Art Nouveau architecture style. The Municipal House was the location of the Czechoslovak declaration of independence.

The Piss Sculpture

The Piss Sculpture is located in front of the Franz Kafka museum. Ir represents two men urinating on a map of the Czech Republic. Text a personal message to the number next to the exhibit and these chaps will happily waggle their bronze penises around to spell it out for you. The sculpture was created by David Černý, a Czech sculptor who knows how to bring quirky to life.

These were our favourite things to do in Prague. What are you going to check in Prague? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Cory from You Could Travel entering Senso-ji in Tokyo, Japan

Cory Varga – Cory is a published travel writer and award-winning photographer. She travels full time with her husband and is passionate about creating in-depth travel guides. Cory published her first book on Japanese customs and manners because she’s obsessed with everything Japan. She has visited hundreds of destinations and has lived in 7 different countries. Cory is multilingual and an alumna from The University of Manchester.

Comments

2 responses to “Best things to do in Prague”

  1. Prague is my dream destination and I am trying to go there soon! Your post will be very useful 😉 The photos are absolutely stunning and dreamy!

  2. Rowan Sims Travel Photography Avatar
    Rowan Sims Travel Photography

    Where was this post when I visited Prague last year? Could definitely have used some of your tips!

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