15 Best Sights in Prague, Czech Republic

With its graceful, soaring towers, this Gothic cathedral—among the most beautiful in Europe—is the spiritual heart of Prague Castle and of the Czech Republic itself. The cathedral has a long and complicated history, beginning in the 10th century and continuing to its completion in 1929. Inside, the six stained-glass windows to your left and right and the large rose window behind are modern masterpieces; see if you can spot the contributions of art nouveau master Alfons Mucha. Other highlights include the Svatováclavská kaple (Chapel of St. Wenceslas); the Kralovské oratorium (Royal Oratory), a perfect example of late Gothic architecture; the ornate silver sarcophagus of St. John of Nepomuk; and the eight chapels around the back of the cathedral. Don’t miss the Last Judgment mosaic on the south side of the cathedral’s exterior, constructed from a million glass and stone tesserae and dating from the 1370s. It's possible to enter the cathedral for free to take in the splendor from the back, but for the full experience, buy a ticket and walk around. Cathedral entry is included in the combined ticket to see the main castle sights; an audio guide is highly recommended.

Sitting outside the castle complex, the sometimes-overlooked Loreta is home to one of Prague's greatest architectural treasures: a replica of the original Santa Casa, said to be the house in Nazareth where the Archangel Gabriel first appeared to the Virgin Mary. Constructed in the early 1620s and a place of pilgrimage for 400 years, the building is covered in spectacular stucco figures of Old Testament prophets and scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The cloisters surrounding the casa are also home to treasures of their own, including beautiful frescoes, sculpted fountains, and soaring bell towers. Look out for the Prague Sun monstrance, an incredibly valuable golden vessel encrusted with thousands of diamonds.

Founded by the Premonstratensian order in 1140, the monastery remained theirs until 1952, when the communists suppressed all religious orders and turned the entire complex into the Památník národního písemnictví (Museum of National Literature). The major building of interest is the Strahov Library, with its collection of early Czech manuscripts, the 10th-century Strahov New Testament, and the collected works of famed Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. Also of note is the late-18th-century Philosophical Hall. Its ceilings are engulfed in a startling sky-blue fresco that depicts an unusual cast of characters, including Socrates' nagging wife Xanthippe; Greek astronomer Thales, with his trusty telescope; and a collection of Greek philosophers mingling with Descartes, Diderot, and Voltaire.

A jumbled collection of tiny, ancient, brightly colored houses crouched under the fortification wall looks remarkably like a set for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Purportedly, these were the lodgings for an international group of alchemists whom Rudolf II brought to the court to produce gold. But the truth is a little less romantic: the houses were built during the 16th century for the castle guards. By the early 20th century, Golden Lane had become the home of poor artists and writers. Franz Kafka, who lived at No. 22 in 1916 and 1917, described the house on first sight as "so small, so dirty, impossible to live in, and lacking everything necessary." But he soon came to love the place. As he wrote to his fiancée, "Life here is something special, to close out the world not just by shutting the door to a room or apartment but to the whole house, to step out into the snow of the silent lane." The lane now houses tiny stores selling books, music, and crafts, as well as including some exhibitions on former residents and their professions (including some tucked away to the left of the entrance). The houses are cute, but crowds can be uncomfortable, and the fact remains that you are paying money for the privilege of walking down a narrow street. Within the walls above Golden Lane, a timber-roof corridor (enter between No. 23 and No. 24) is lined with replica suits of armor and weapons (some of them for sale), mock torture chambers, and a shooting gallery.

As you exit Golden Lane, you will also have an opportunity to visit Daliborka on the same ticket. This round cannon tower dates back to 1496 and gained notoriety through the centuries for its use as a brutal prison. Some of the instruments of torture used on its inmates, including the knight Dalibor of Kozojedy (for whom the tower is named), are now on display.

Inside, this church looks more or less as it did in the 12th century; it's the best-preserved Romanesque relic in the country. The effect is at once barnlike and peaceful, as the warm golden yellow of the stone walls and the small arched windows exude a sense of enduring harmony. Prince Vratislav I originally built it in the 10th century, though only the foundations remain from that time. The father of Prince Wenceslas (of Christmas carol fame) dedicated it to St. George (of dragon fame), a figure supposedly more agreeable to the still largely pagan people. The outside was remodeled during early baroque times, although the striking rusty-red color is in keeping with the look of the Romanesque edifice. The painted, house-shape tomb at the front of the church holds Vratislav's remains. Up the steps, in a chapel to the right, is the tomb Peter Parler designed for St. Ludmila, grandmother of St. Wenceslas.

Cross the tree-lined ravine known as Jelení příkop (Stag Moat) and you'll enter the castle through the northern entrance, emerging into the Second Courtyard. It was built in the late 16th and early 17th centuries under Rudolf II, who amassed an impressive collection of fine and decorative art, scientific instruments, and other treasures. The bulk of this was either looted by the Swedes during the Thirty Years' War, removed to Vienna after Rudolf's death, or auctioned off during the 18th century, but artworks that survived are displayed here. The Obrazárna (Picture Gallery) is currently closed for renovation, so a selection of highlights can be found in the nearby Císařská konírna (Imperial Stable).

Except for the view of the spires of St. Vitus Cathedral, the courtyard offers little for the eye to feast on. Empress Maria Theresa's court architect, Nicolò Pacassi, remade the Second Courtyard in the 1760s, and his attempts to impart classical grandeur meant a loss of earlier Gothic and Renaissance styles. This main sight here today is the Kohlova kašna (Kohl's Fountain), which was created in 1686 and restored in 2020. Look for the Eagle of the Holy Roman Empire at the top.

With its fabulous mixture of baroque and Renaissance houses, topped by Prague Castle itself, this square had a prominent role in the film Amadeus (as a substitute for Vienna). Czech director Miloš Forman used the house at No. 7 for Mozart's residence, where the composer was haunted by the masked figure he thought was his father. The flamboyant rococo Arcibiskupský palác, on the left as you face the castle, was the Viennese archbishop's palace. For a brief time after World War II, No. 11 was home to a little girl named Marie Jana Korbelová, better known as former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright.

This is the place to come for entrance tickets, guided tours, audio guides with headphones, and tickets to cultural events held at the castle. You can wander around the castle grounds, including many of the gardens, for free, but to enter any of the historic buildings, including St. Vitus Cathedral, requires a combined-entry ticket (valid for two days). There are three ticket options, but the best value is "Circuit B", which, allows entry to St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, and the Golden Lane with Daliborka Tower. This will provide enough quality time in the castle for most, but if you want to add on Rosenberg Palace as well as a permanent exhibition on the history of the castle called The Story of Prague Castle., opt for "Circuit B" instead. The historical buildings are open until 5pm from April to October, and until 4pm otherwise. If you just want to walk through the castle grounds, note that the gates close at 10pm every night.er and at 11 pm the rest of the year, and the gardens are open from April through October only.

This peaceful swath of greenery affords lovely views of St. Vitus Cathedral and the castle's walls and bastions. Originally laid out in the 16th century, it endured devastation in war, neglect in times of peace, and many redesigns, reaching its present parklike form in the early 20th century. Luckily, its Renaissance treasures survived. One of these is the long, narrow Míčovna (Ball Game Hall), built by Bonifaz Wohlmut in 1568, its garden front completely covered by a dense tangle of allegorical sgraffiti.

The Královský letohrádek (Royal Summer Palace, aka Queen Anne's Summer Palace or Belvedere) at the garden's eastern end deserves its reputation as one of the most beautiful Renaissance structures north of the Alps. Designed by Italian architects in the mid-1500s, it has a copper roof that looks like an upturned boat's keel riding above the graceful arcades of the ground floor. During the 18th and 19th centuries, military engineers tested artillery in the interior, which had already lost its rich furnishings to Swedish soldiers during their 1648 siege of Prague. The Renaissance-style giardinetto (little garden) adjoining the summer palace centers on another masterwork: the Italian-designed, Czech-produced Singing Fountain, which resonates from the sound of falling water.

Greatly benefiting from a recent renovation, this palace is a showcase for baroque and rococo styling. Exhibits here trace the ancestry of the Lobkowicz family, who were great patrons of the arts in their heyday (Beethoven was just one of the artists who received their funding). The audio tour adds a personal touch: it's narrated by William Lobkowicz, the family scion who spearheaded the property's restitution and rehabilitation, and includes quite a few anecdotes about the family through the years. Art highlights here include Pieter Bruegel's Haymaking, a stunning oil painting of a hay harvest, and Canaletto's two enormous London city landscapes. Although inside the Prague Castle complex, this museum has a separate admission fee.

The main entrance to Prague Castle from Hradčanské náměstí is certain to impress any first-time visitor. Going through the wrought-iron gate, guarded at ground level by uniformed Czech soldiers and from above by the ferocious Battling Titans (a copy of Ignaz Platzer's original 18th-century work), you enter this courtyard, built on the site of old moats and gates that once separated the castle from the surrounding buildings and thus protected the vulnerable western flank. The courtyard is one of the more recent additions to the castle, designed by Maria Theresa's court architect, Nicolò Pacassi, in the 1760s. Today it forms part of the presidential office complex. Pacassi's reconstruction was intended to unify the eclectic collection of buildings that made up the castle, but the effect of his work is somewhat flat.

At its eastern end of the courtyard is Matyášova brána (Matthias Gate). Built in 1614, this stone gate once stood alone in front of the moats and bridges that surrounded the castle. Under the Habsburgs, the gate survived by being grafted as a relief onto the palace building. As you go through it, notice the ceremonial white-marble entrance halls on either side that lead up to the Czech president's reception rooms (which are only rarely open to the public).

Try to arrive on the hour to witness the changing of the guard; the fanfare peaks at noon with a special flag ceremony in the First Courtyard.

These two beautiful historical buildings, which stand on opposite sides of Hradčanské náměstí, are home to the National Gallery's collection of antiquities and paintings by European masters from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Holdings include impressive works by El Greco, Hans Holbein, Rubens, Rembrandt, and van Dyck. The exterior of the Schwarzenberg Palace is particularly striking, with its black-and-white sgraffito, though the interior is less impressive. Pick up a combined ticket for 500 Kč—free if you're 26 or under—and you'll get entry not only to these two exhibitions but to all of the National Gallery's buildings throughout Prague for 10 days.

A jumble of styles and add-ons from different eras are gathered in this palace. The best way to grasp its size is from within the Vladislavský sál (Vladislav Hall), the largest secular Gothic interior space in Central Europe. Completed in 1493 by Benedikt Ried, the room imparts a sense of space and light, softened by the sensuous lines of the vaulted ceilings and brought to a dignified close by the simple oblong form of the early Renaissance windows. In its heyday, the hall held jousting tournaments, festive markets, banquets, and coronations. In more recent times, it has been used to inaugurate presidents, from the communist leader Klement Gottwald (in 1948) to modern-day leaders like Václav Havel.

From the front of the hall, turn right into the rooms of the Česká kancelář (Bohemian Chancellery). This wing was built by Benedikt Ried only 10 years after the hall was completed, but it shows a much stronger Renaissance influence. Pass through the portal into the last chamber of the chancellery. In 1618 this room was the site of the second defenestration of Prague, an event that marked the beginning of the Bohemian rebellion and, ultimately, the Thirty Years' War throughout Europe. The square window used in this protest is on the left as you enter the room.

At the back of Vladislav Hall a staircase leads up to a gallery of the Kaple všech svatých (All Saints' Chapel). Little remains of Peter Parler's original work, but the church contains some fine works of art. The large room to the left of the staircase is the Stará sněmovna (Council Chamber), where the Bohemian nobles met with the king in a prototype parliament of sorts. The descent from Vladislav Hall toward what remains of the Romanský palác (Romanesque Palace) is by way of a wide, shallow set of steps. This Jezdecké schody (Riders' Staircase) was the entranceway for knights who came for the jousting tournaments.

The contrast between the cool, dark interior of St. Vitus Cathedral and the pastel-shaded Pacassi façades of the Third Courtyard is startling. Noted Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik created the courtyard's clean lines in the 1930s, but the modern look is a deception. Plečnik's paving was intended to cover an underground world of house foundations, streets, and walls from the 9th through 12th centuries and was rediscovered when the cathedral was completed; you can see a few archways through a grating in a wall of the cathedral. Plečnik added a few features to catch the eye, including a granite obelisk to commemorate the fallen of World War I, a black-marble pedestal for the Gothic statue of St. George (a copy of the National Gallery's original statue), and a tucked-away entrance to his Bull Staircase leading down to the south garden. This courtyard also provides the best view of St. Vitus Cathedral's Last Judgment mosaic, as well as access to its South Tower viewpoint.