25 Wonderful Things to do in Prague
I love a quiet beautiful walk at night in Prague as the architecture is spectacular
AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER
25 Wonderful Things to Do in PraguE
A DEFINITIVE GUIDE
Having lived in Prague for more than five years, I am asked all the time what would be included on my list of things to do when visiting this Gothic beauty! So let’s get right to it. Here is my short but definitive guide for what not to miss.
NEW TOWN-WENCESLAS SQUARE
I like to begin any visit myself with historic Wenceslas Square because of the memorial that was placed in honor of the boy who set himself on fire in protest of communism.
It is always a sobering thought to me that someone could be so brave and unselfish that he would give of himself in that way in hopes of others living the life he would like to have lived. Many leave flowers and candles in his memory every day.
New Town (Nove mesto), is the commercial and administrative center of the city. It is dominated by the National Museum and the statue of St. Wenceslas founded by Charles IV in 1348. Don’t miss the tour of the museum as it has undergone a recent renovation in 2018 and is quite lovely. There is a Metro stop at the top of the Square.
The wide bustling no-cars boulevard slopes gently downward towards Old Town (Stare Mesto) with trams passing back and forth and lots of pedestrian traffic. There are wonderful shops, restaurants and bars to hop in and out of as well as some casinos and large hotels. The old historic Grand Europa Hotel has been undergoing renovation and will be reopened in 2023 as a W property under the luxury Marriott flag.
Two things that are important as you are walking out of New Town to Old Town; there is another metro stop at the bottom of the Square (Mustek) and there is also a good tourism office where you can pick up the latest offerings culturally and buy many different kinds of tickets.
There is also a wonderful open air market that will draw you in for fresh vegetables, flowers, art, clothing, jewelry, wood toys and more. Great for picking up those souvenirs to take home for friends and family.
PRO Tips: New Town offers monuments, museum, exploring, 2 Metro stops and tourism office
OLD TOWN
As you continue walking down the street, you will pass nice little shops and restaurants and come into the big, open, busy square of Old Town (Stare Mesto), founded in the 12th century and witness to many historic events.
The Old Town Hall is the only building that sustained any damage from WWII as Hitler was said to be enthralled with the beauty of Prague and did not want to see it ruined. The building houses the famous Astronomical Clock that has recently gone through significant restoration. Every hour between 9:00 and 23:00, the twelve apostles appear for a show so join the crowd and don’t miss it!
Take tours of the Cathedral of Our Lady Before Tyn and St. Nicholas Church; both are wonderful examples of Gothic and Baroque style architecture. You can take some fabulous architectural detail shots for your Instagram from these two tours.
You won’t believe the restaurant and bar choices you have in this area. They will not be your cheapest options being in the high rent district but they will be very good. Shopping is a mixture of more delightful Czech made items like contemporary glass, puppets, T-shirts and more along with what is considered to be their Rodeo Drive with expensive international chains and stores.
There are many good hotels in this area and will be priced accordingly. There are always outdoor patios and open air markets that are fun to stop for a drink and do a little shopping; even in winter they turn up the heaters and bring you blankets. Here is where you can pick up a nice horse and carriage or vintage car tour; one of the best ways to get to know your way around. There is a metro stop for this area too (Stepanska).
Another Metro or tram stop will take you to Obecni Dum, The Municipal Building, the best example of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe. Have tea at the Municipal Restaurant (formerly Francouzska) or a drink at The American Bar. You can also grab some cool tickets for a concert there. You can read more about that here.
PRO Tips: Astronomical Clock show on the hour, tour Our Lady of Tyn and St. Nicholas Churches, take a carriage or car tour and see The Municipal Building, Obecni Dum
JOSEFOV-PRAGUE JEWISH TOWN
Josefov, or Jewish Town is completely surrounded by Old Town. After extensive reconstruction that managed to save only a few of the most important monuments from the past, it is still the best preserved complex of Jewish monuments in Europe.
Most of the area is administered by the Jewish Museum where you will find the Old-New Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetary and the Jerusalem Synagogue. There are nice gift shops and open stall markets throughout the area.
Walk over to take a look around the Rudolfinum while in the area which is the world famous concert hall of the Czech Philharmonic led in concert the first time in 1896 under the baton of Antonin Dvorak. It is a beautiful example of neo-Renaissance architecture and is the home of the Prague Spring Music Festival. Take in a concert there and you will have a most enjoyable evening.
PRO Tips: Wander Josefov to see the Old Jewish Cemetary, Synagogues and the Rudolfinum
Josefov, Prague Jewish Town, the Old Cemetery and surrounding buildings
CHARLES BRIDGE AND LESSER TOWN
Walk back down and cross the Charles Bridge for a little music, street theater, shopping stalls and artists at work. The photography opportunities are fabulous and there are a lot of good restaurants and bars with breathtaking water views on a pretty day. Lesser Town (Mala Strana) is quite busy and lots of fun.
You can book river tours here and grab drinks or a nice lunch/dinner in season. Take a stroll to see the lovers locks on view with hundreds of padlocks. Lovers declare their eternal affection with initials written or engraved on locks attached to a small bridge; this around the corner from the John Lennon graffiti mural. An appropriate homage to lovers from the man who said “all we need is love”.
Along with some lovely churches, you can also tour the Wallenstein Palace that was built between 1624 and 1630 for a wealthy Czech noblemen and now houses the Senate of the Czech Republic.
PRO Tips: See the Charles Bridge, lovers locks, John Lennon mural and Wallenstein Palace
CASTLE DISTRICT-HRADCANY
Visitors are drawn to Prague by its unique combination of preserved monuments and buildings from all periods and styles including Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance and Art Nouveau. The skyline is dominated by Prague Castle, which is one of the largest complexes in the world.
The Castle has been an important symbol of the Czech State and the seat of Czech rulers and Presidents. It is good to get there at noon to see the changing of the guards much like England with its ceremonies of pomp and circumstance. Don’t forget to tour the gardens. They are expansive, well kept and a nice place to sit, read and take in the views.
Next up, you’ll want to continue round for a good tour of St. Vitus Cathedral. It took 600 years to complete and is where the Czech Kings are buried and the Crown Jewels are stored. The interior is awe inspiring, quiet and simply beautiful.
Continuing your walk about, you will pass the Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica and Chapel of the Holy Cross where concerts are given quite often. You will come to the entry of the Golden Lane. These tiny houses were built for servants, marksmen and artisans during the 16th century. They house cute little shops now with all kinds of wonderful gifts for you and yours.
Take the long walk down the stairs, hopefully at sunset, to get the most breathtaking panoramic views of Prague. There are also a few stops along the way to grab a beer or pick up a souvenir or two.
PRO Tips: See the Castle & Gardens, St. Vitus Cathedral, Golden Lane and take the stairs down
VYSEHRAD
On a Metro stop with a crazy good Thai restaurant called Yam Yam (read more about that here) lies the grounds of Vysehrad; one of my favorite hang outs. According to ancient legends, it was the oldest seat of Bohemian Princes.
Situated high on a rocky promontory above the Vltava River, you really can’t get better views. The park is the home to some hidden treasures like the rare rotunda of St. Martin and the neo-Gothic church of Saints Peter and Paul.
The beautiful National Cemetery is where Antonin Dvorak and other notable personalities were laid to rest. There is a nice restaurant across from the cemetery where you can sit in the garden and enjoy a small plate and a glass of wine.
PRO Tips: Walk the grounds of Vysehrad, tour the church and cemetery and share some wine
A WORD ABOUT CULTURE IN PRAGUE
There is so much to do culturally in Prague that they literally used to put a book out every month that you could flip through by category for art, theatre, dance and musical offerings. Now with the google machines so much in use they don’t do it that way.
If you go to the tourism centers there will be all kinds of things in print to pick up-just not in one book like before. You can pretty much get tickets to most things there or on-line. There is a card you can buy that will get you into most of the historical tours and buildings for free.
Having said that, here are a few things that I think are a must do. See an opera at the State Opera House; the interior is just fabulous. We saw a wonderful production of Rigoletto on our last trip. We had private box seats for $25 a ticket. We enjoyed drinks and open face sandwiches for a light snack before for around $10 and enjoyed champagne during intermission for $5.
Go to the National Theatre for a ballet performance; we saw Romeo & Juliet and it was awesome. The Black LIght shows are also a good source of entertainment. You don’t need to speak the language and it involves audience participation, jokes and clever dance routines.
You can hear concerts in almost every type of music from five piece brass ensembles doing Gershwin to church organs playing Bach. I also hit Reduta, the famous jazz club, where Bill Clinton played after receiving a saxophone as a gift from Vaclav Havel. Good jazz and a bottle of wine-what’s not to like?
PRO Tips: Go to the State Opera House, National Theatre, Black Light, and Reduta Jazz Club
Our box seats at Rigoletto at the State Opera House in Prague
CONCLUSION
This is no where near a complete list of things you could do on your trip. I would say it isn’t even half. Prague is not a city to be seen just once. I continue to discover ever more wonderful things every time we visit ourselves.
This list of 25 things to do just happens to be my top picks for would be visitors no matter how long they are staying. If you want more info on Prague check out this post and this post.
If you liked what you read you might also want to read other posts under Explore the World that will give you some really useful information and tips on the many cities and countries I have visited and a few that are still on my bucket list. 😉
Hey, don’t be a stranger! Give me some feedback on whether you thought this info was helpful and if you are planning a trip to the Czech Republic. If you got questions, fire away! Czech out the next blog in this series about some of the best day (or weekend) trips to take from Prague and enjoy the video below. Until next time…
Cheers,
ArtsyChowRoamer
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To my readers: This blog was updated with corrections and additional information on 3/23/2023
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