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Staré Mesto
This is Prague's signature monument, and quite rightly so. The view from the foot of the bridge on the Staré Mĕsto side, encompassing the towers and domes of Malá Strana and the soaring spires of St. Vitus Cathedral, is nothing short of breathtaking. This heavenly vista subtly changes in perspective as you walk across the bridge, attended by a host of baroque saints that decorate the bridge's peaceful Gothic stones. At night its drama is spellbinding: St. Vitus Cathedral lit in a ghostly green, Prague Castle in monumental yellow, and the Church of St. Nicholas in a voluptuous pink, all viewed through the menacing silhouettes of the bowed statues and the Gothic towers. Night is the best time to visit the bridge, which is choked with visitors, vendors, and beggars by day. The later the hour, the thinner the crowds—though the bridge is never truly empty, even at daybreak. Tourists with flash cameras are there all hours of the night, and as dawn is breaking, revelers from the dance clubs at the east end of the bridge weave their way homeward, singing loudly and debating where to go for breakfast. When the Přemyslid princes set up residence in Prague during the 10th century, there was a ford across the Vltava here—a vital link along one of Europe's major trading routes. After several wooden bridges and the first stone bridge washed away in floods, Charles IV appointed the 27-year-old German Peter Parler, the architect of St. Vitus Cathedral, to build a new structure in 1357. It became one of the wonders of the world in the Middle Ages. After 1620, following the disastrous defeat of Czech Protestants by Catholic Habsburgs at the Battle of White Mountain, the bridge became a symbol of the Counter-Reformation's vigorous re-Catholicization efforts. The many baroque statues that appeared in the late 17th century, commissioned by Catholics, came to symbolize the totality of the Austrian (hence Catholic) triumph. The Czech writer Milan Kundera sees the statues from this perspective: "The thousands of saints looking out from all sides, threatening you, following you, hypnotizing you, are the raging hordes of occupiers who invaded Bohemia 350 years ago to tear the people's faith and language from their hearts." The religious conflict is less obvious nowadays, leaving behind an artistic tension between baroque and Gothic that gives the bridge its allure. Staroměstská mostecká věž (Old Town Bridge Tower), at the bridge entrance on the Staré Mĕsto side, is where Peter Parler, the architect of the Charles Bridge, began his bridge building. The carved façades he designed for the sides of the tower were destroyed by Swedish soldiers in 1648, at the end of the Thirty Years' War. The sculptures facing Staré Mĕsto, however, are still intact (although some are recent copies). They depict an old and gout-ridden Charles IV with his son, who became Wenceslas IV. Above them are two of Bohemia's patron saints, Adalbert of Prague and Sigismund. The top of the tower offers a spectacular view of the city for 100 Kč; it's open daily year-round from 10 am to between 6 and 10 pm. Take a closer look at some of the statues while walking toward Malá Strana. The third one on the right, a bronze crucifix from the mid-17th century, is the oldest of all. It's mounted on the location of a wooden cross destroyed in a battle with the Swedes (the golden Hebrew inscription was reputedly financed by a Jew accused of defiling the cross). The fifth on the left, which shows St. Francis Xavier carrying four pagan princes (an Indian, Moor, Chinese, and Tartar) ready for conversion, represents an outstanding piece of baroque sculpture. Eighth on the right is the statue of St. John of Nepomuk, who according to legend was wrapped in chains and thrown to his death from this bridge. Touching the statue is supposed to bring good luck or, according to some versions of the story, a return visit to Prague. On the left-hand side, sticking out from the bridge between the 9th and 10th statues (the latter has a wonderfully expressive vanquished Satan), stands a Roland (Bruncvík) statue. This knightly figure, bearing the coat of arms of Staré Mĕsto, was once a reminder that this part of the bridge belonged to Staré Mĕsto before Prague became a unified city in 1784. For many art historians the most valuable statue is the 12th on the left, near the Malá Strana end. Mathias Braun's statue of St. Luitgarde depicts the blind saint kissing Christ's wounds. The most compelling grouping, however, is the second from the end on the left, a work of Ferdinand Maxmilian Brokoff (son of Johann) from 1714. Here the saints are incidental; the main attraction is the Turk, his face expressing extreme boredom at guarding the Christians imprisoned in the cage at his side. When the statue was erected, just 31 years after the second Turkish siege of Vienna, it scandalized the Prague public, who smeared it with mud. During communist rule, Prague suffered from bad air pollution, which damaged some of the baroque statues. In more recent years, the increasing number of visitors on the bridge has added a new threat. To preserve the value of the statues, most of the originals were removed from the bridge and replaced with detailed copies. Several of the originals can be viewed in the Lapidárium museum. A few more can be found within the casements at the Vyšehrad citadel.
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With its high-walled gardens and vaulted Renaissance sala terrena (room opening onto a garden), this palace displays superbly elegant grounds. Walking around the formal paths, you come across numerous fountains and statues depicting figures from classical mythology or warriors dispatching a variety of beasts. However, nothing beats the trippy "Grotto," a huge dripstone wall packed with imaginative rock formations, like little faces and animals hidden in the charcoal-color landscape, and what's billed as "illusory hints of secret corridors." Here, truly, staring at the wall is a form of entertainment. Albrecht von Wallenstein, the one-time owner of the house and gardens, began a meteoric military career in 1622 when the Austrian emperor Ferdinand II retained him to save the empire from the Swedes and Protestants during the Thirty Years' War. Wallenstein, wealthy by marriage, offered to raise an army of 20,000 men at his own cost and lead them personally. Ferdinand II accepted and showered Wallenstein with confiscated land and titles. Wallenstein's first acquisition was this enormous area. After knocking down 23 houses, a brick factory, and three gardens, in 1623 he began to build his magnificent palace. Most of the palace itself now serves the Czech Senate as meeting chamber and offices. The palace's cavernous former Jízdárna, or riding school, now hosts art exhibitions.
Letenská 10, 118 00, Czech Republic
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Rate Includes: Free, Closed Nov.--Mar.
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The great early-20th-century Jewish author Franz Kafka wasn't considered Czech and he wrote in German, but he lived in Prague nearly his entire short, anguished life, so it's fitting that his shrine is here too. Because the museum's designers believed in channeling Kafka's darkly paranoid and paradoxical work, they created exhibits true to this spirit. And even if the results are often goofy, they get an A for effort. Facsimiles of manuscripts, documents, first editions, photographs, and newspaper obits are displayed in glass vitrines, which in turn are situated in "Kafkaesque" settings: huge open filing cabinets, stone gardens, piles of coal. The basement level of the museum gets even freakier, with expressionistic representations of Kafka's work itself, including a model of the horrible torture machine from the "In the Penal Colony" story—not a place for young children, or even lovers on a first date, but fascinating to anyone familiar with Kafka's work. Other Kafka sites in Prague include his home on Zlatá ulička (Golden Lane), his Staré Mĕsto birthplace at Náměstí Franze Kafky 3, and Jaroslav Rona's trippy bronze sculpture of the writer on Dušní street in Staré Mĕsto. (Speaking of sculptures, take a gander at the animatronic Piss statue in the Kafka Museum's courtyard. This rendition of a couple urinating into a fountain shaped like the Czech Republic was made by local enfant terrible sculptor David Černý, who also did the babies crawling up the Žižkovská televizní věž [Žižkov TV Tower].)
Cihelná 2B, Czech Republic
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Rate Includes: 240 Kč
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Malá Strana
Prague's largest island is circled by the narrow Čertovka streamlet and filled with beautiful, historic buildings. The name Čertovka, or "Devil's Stream," reputedly refers to a cranky old lady who once lived on Maltézské náměstí. During the historic 2002 floods, the well-kept lawns of the Kampa Gardens, which occupy much of the island, were underwater, as was much of the lower portion of Malá Strana. Evidence of flood damage occasionally marks the landscape, along with a sign indicating where the waters crested. These days, the green space is a lovely, calm place to avoid crowds, even on the hottest days. Don't miss another of leading Czech public artist David Černý's works in the middle of the island, too: giant crawling babies with what look like barcodes in place of their faces.
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This beautiful church is home to Prague's most famous religious artifact, the Pražské Jezulátko (Infant Jesus of Prague). Originally brought to Prague from Spain in the 16th century, the wax doll holds a reputation for bestowing miracles on many who have prayed for its help. A measure of its widespread attraction is reflected in the prayer books on the kneelers in front of the statue, which have prayers of intercession in 20 different languages. The Bambino, as he's known locally, has an enormous and incredibly ornate wardrobe, some of which is on display in a museum upstairs. Nuns from a nearby convent change the outfit on the statue regularly. Don't miss the souvenir shop (accessible via a doorway to the right of the main altar), where the Bambino's custodians flex their marketing skills.
Karmelitská 9A, 118 00, Czech Republic
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Rate Includes: Free
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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With its dynamic curves, this church is arguably the purest and most ambitious example of high baroque in Prague. The celebrated architect Christoph Dientzenhofer began the Jesuit church in 1704 on the site of one of the more active Hussite churches of 15th-century Prague. Work on the building was taken over by his son Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, who built the dome and presbytery. Anselmo Lurago completed the whole thing in 1755 by adding the bell tower. The juxtaposition of the broad, full-bodied dome with the slender bell tower is one of the many striking architectural contrasts that mark the Prague skyline. Inside, the vast pink-and-green space is impossible to take in with a single glance. Every corner bristles with life, guiding the eye first to the dramatic statues, then to the hectic frescoes, and on to the shining faux-marble pillars. Many of the statues are the work of Ignaz Platzer and constitute his last blaze of success. Platzer's workshop was forced to declare bankruptcy when the centralizing and secularizing reforms of Joseph II toward the end of the 18th century brought an end to the flamboyant baroque era. The tower, with an entrance on the side of the church, is open in summer. The church also hosts chamber music concerts in summer, which complement this eye-popping setting but do not reflect the true caliber of classical music in Prague. For that, check the schedule posted across the street at Líchtenštejnský palác (Liechtenstein Palace), where the faculty of HAMU, the city's premier music academy, sometimes also gives performances.
Malostranské nám., 118 00, Czech Republic
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Rate Includes: 100 Kč, concerts 490 Kč
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Malá Strana
This charming square is flanked on the east and south sides by arcaded houses dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Czech government resides partly in the gaudy yellow-and-green palace on the square's north side, partly in several buildings behind the square and towards the river. The huge bulk of the Church of St. Nicholas divides the lower, busier section—buzzing with restaurants, street vendors, clubs, and shops, including an unfortunately prominent Starbucks—from the quieter upper part. There are weekend markets, too.
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Kampa Island's gem is a remodeled flour mill that displays the private collection of Jan and Meda Mládek, leading Czech exiles during the communist period who supported the then Czechoslovak nonconformist artists. There's a large collection of paintings by Czech artist František Kupka, considered one of the founders of modern abstract painting, and first-rate temporary exhibitions by both Czech and other Central European visual wizards. The aim of the museum is to showcase the work and the difficult circumstances under which it was created. The museum itself has had some tough times: it was hit hard by flooding in 2002 and 2013 but rebounded relatively quickly on both occasions. The outdoor terrace offers a splendid view of the river and historic buildings on the opposite bank.
U Sovových mlýnů 2, 118 00, Czech Republic
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Rate Includes: 350 Kč
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Mala Strana (Lesser Quarter)
Take the stairs on the left of the Charles Bridge as you approach Malá Strana (making sure to peek at the lucky soul who has a balcony overlooking the bridge), and you will come upon one of the most picturesque little squares in Prague. This understated square has a few spots for a beer, a couple of hotels, a regular market, and a wonderfully chill, almost local feel considering how central it is. If you double back on yourself and go under the bridge, that vibe continues with a kid's playground with a stunning view directly onto the Charles Bridge.
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This steep street used to be the last leg of the "Royal Way," the king's procession before his coronation (naturally, he rode a horse rather than climbing). It was named for 19th-century Czech journalist and poet Jan Neruda and has a historical quirk: until 18th-century reforms, house numbering was unknown in Prague. Before this, each house bore a name, depicted pictorially on the façade. Check out No. 6 here, U červeného orla (At the Red Eagle), and No. 12, U tří housliček (At the Three Fiddles), where the Edlinger violin-making family once lived. Two palaces designed by baroque architect Giovanni Santini (who lived at No. 14), are worth pausing at: the Morzin Palace, on the left at No. 5, has an allegorical "night and day" façade created in 1713 by Ferdinand Brokoff, of Charles Bridge statue fame. Across the street at No. 20 is the Thun-Hohenstein Palace, with its eagle gateway designed by the other great bridge statue sculptor, Mathias Braun. Keep an eye out for the winding passageway under the arch of No. 13, a typical feature of this quarter; note No. 33, the Bretfeld Palace, where Mozart and Casanova stayed when Don Giovanni had its world premiere in 1787.
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A break in the houses along Valdštejnská ulice opens to a gate that leads to five beautifully manicured and terraced baroque gardens, which in season are open to the public. A combined-entry ticket allows you to wander at will, climbing up and down the steps and trying to find the little entryways that lead from one garden to the next. Each of the gardens bears the name of a noble family and includes the Kolovratská zahrada (Kolowrat Garden), Ledeburská zahrada (Ledeburg Garden), Malá a Velká Pálffyovská zahrada (Small and Large Palffy Gardens), and Furstenberská zahrada (Furstenberg Garden).
Valdštejnská 12–14, 118 00, Czech Republic
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Rate Includes: 130 Kč
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Malá Strana
For a superb view of the city—from a slightly more solitary perch than by the castle—the park on top of Petřín Hill includes a charming playground for children and adults alike, with a miniature (but still pretty big) Eiffel Tower. You'll also find a bludiště (mirror maze), as well as a working observatory and the seemingly abandoned Sv. Vavřinec (St. Lawrence) church, which does still hold Sunday Mass. To get here from Malá Strana, simply hike up Petřín Hill (from Karmelitská ulice or Újezd) or ride the funicular railway (which departs near the Újezd tram stop). Regular public-transportation tickets are valid on the funicular.
From Hradčany, you can also stroll over from Strahov klášter (Strahov Monastery), following a wide path that crosses above some fruit orchards and offers breathtaking views over the city below.
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Rate Includes: Observatory 90 Kč, tower 150 Kč, maze 100 Kč
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Franz Kafka had an apartment in this massive baroque building at the top of Tržiště ulice in mid-1917, after moving from Golden Lane. The U.S. Embassy and consular office now occupy this prime location. Although security has been stepped down compared with a few years ago, the many police, guards, and Jersey barriers don't offer much of an invitation to linger.
Tržiště 15, 118 00, Czech Republic
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Malá Strana
Located south and slightly west of the Charles Bridge, this square is fronted by the Grand Prior's Palace—considered one of the finest baroque buildings in the area. Though now part of the Embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta—the contemporary (and very real) descendants of the Knights of Malta. Alas, it's closed to the public. Opposite you'll find the flamboyant orange-and-white stucco façade of the Buquoy Palace, built in 1719 by Giovanni Santini and now the French Embassy. The nearby John Lennon Peace Wall was once a monument to youthful rebellion, emblazoned with political slogans and the large painted head of the former Beatle during the communist era in Prague. Back then, it was regularly painted over by the authorities; nowadays, Lennon's visage is seldom seen because it is usually covered instead with political and music-related graffiti. For now, you can still take a pen and add your own, but there's talk of regulations to prevent obscene daubings by inebriated tourists.
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Once the gardens of the Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites, later taken over by the Order of the English Virgins, this walled garden now provides a peaceful haven in summer, with weeping willows, fruit trees, and benches. Exhibitions of modern sculpture are occasionally held here, contrasting sharply with the two baroque chapels and the graceful Ignaz Platzer statue of John of Nepomuk standing on a fish at the entrance. At the other end of the park you can find a terrace with a formal rose garden and a pair of peacocks that like to aggressively preen for visitors under the trellises. The park is surrounded by the high walls of the old monastery and new Ministry of Finance buildings, with only an occasional glimpse of a tower or spire to remind you of the world beyond.
U lužického semináře 17, 118 00, Czech Republic
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An unobtrusive door on noisy Karmelitská hides the entranceway to a fascinating sanctuary with one of the best views of Malá Strana. The street door opens onto the intimate courtyard of the Vrtbovský palác (Vrtba Palace). Two Renaissance wings flank the courtyard; the left one was built in 1575, the right one in 1591. The original owner of the latter house was one of the 27 Bohemian nobles executed by the Habsburgs in 1621. The house was given as confiscated property to Count Sezima of Vrtba, who bought the neighboring property and turned the buildings into a late-Renaissance palace. The Vrtba Garden was created a century later. Built in five levels rising behind the courtyard in a wave of statuary-bedecked staircases and formal terraces reaching toward a seashell-decorated pavilion at the top, it's a popular spot for weddings, receptions, and occasional concerts. (The fenced-off garden immediately behind and above belongs to the U.S. Embassy—hence the U.S. flag that often flies there.) The powerful stone figure of Atlas that caps the entranceway in the courtyard and most of the other statues of mythological figures are from the workshop of Mathias Braun, perhaps the best of the Czech baroque sculptors.
Karmelitská 25, 118 00, Czech Republic
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Rate Includes: 120 Kč, Closed Nov.--Mar.
