5 Best Sights in Prague, Czech Republic

If you've had your fill of Romanesque, Gothic, and baroque, this church offers a startlingly modernist alternative. Designed in 1927 by Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik—the same architect who updated Prague Castle and who almost single-handedly designed the modern city of Ljubljana—the art deco edifice of this church resembles a luxury ocean liner more than a place of worship, topped by a tower with an enormous glazed clock. The effect was purposeful, as during the 1920s and 1930s the avant-garde imitated mammoth objects of modern technology. The interior decor is equally striking, particularly the altar, overlooked by a 10-foot-high gilded figure of Christ, flanked by six Czech patron saints. It's hard to miss the structure, which looms as you exit the Metro.

While the front door (with a view of the interior) is open 9 to 5 every day, entrance is allowed only 45 minutes before and after mass.

Looking like a freakish, futuristic rocket ready to blast off, the Žižkov TV Tower is easily visible from around the city and commonly makes it onto Top 10 World's Ugliest Buildings lists. The upper-floor observatory platform, reached by a high-speed elevator and open until midnight, gives a bird's-eye view of the numerous courtyards and apartment blocks that make up the city and has a selection of exhibits on the history and architecture of the building. There's also a bar, restaurant, and luxury one-room hotel up there. Once back down on the ground, look up its 709-foot gray steel legs at the bronze statues of babies crawling on the structure, which were created by local provocateur artist David Černý.

Arguably Prague's prettiest park, Havlíček Gardens is best known for its Italian-style grotto and its rows of verdant vineyards. But it also manages to pack in plenty of other attractions, from placid lakes to cascading fountains, and expansive green lawns to narrow woodland trails. It also has two excellent drinking and dining options: the charming garden café Pavilon Grébovka, which serves sweet and savory breakfasts, tasty lunches, and all-day snacks (there's also a grill in summer); and the hilltop gazebo wine bar Viniční Altán, which offers stunning views of the surrounding area. Getting to the park involves a short walk, either from tram stop Krymská (five minutes) or Metro stop Náměstí Míru (10 minutes).

Vítkov Hill is among the highest points in the city, and is topped by one of the world's largest equestrian statues—a 16½-ton metal sculpture of one-eyed Hussite leader Jan Žižka on horseback. The 20th-century memorial was originally built to honor the war heroes of World War I but was used for a time during the communist period (1953–62) to display the mummified body of the country's first communist leader, Klement Gottwald. Now, the building is part of the Národní muzeum (National Museum), home to a permanent exhibition of 20th-century Czech history. There are moving displays on the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918, the Nazi occupation in 1939, the communist coup d'etat in 1948, the Warsaw Pact invasion in 1968, and finally the fall of communism in 1989. There's a great view over the city from the top of the building, or enjoy the view with a drink or snack in the first-floor Café Vítkov.

To get to the monument, walk from Metro stop Florenc (15 minutes) or from bus stop Tachovské náměstí (10 minutes). Both require a climb. For a longer but gentler approach, walk from tram stop Ohrada (20 minutes).

In this, the newest of the city's half-dozen Jewish burial grounds, you can find the modest tombstone of Franz Kafka, which seems grossly inadequate to Kafka's fame but oddly in proportion to his own modest sense of self. The cemetery is usually open, although guards sometimes inexplicably seal off the grounds. Men may be required to wear a yarmulke (you can buy one here if you need to). Turn right at the main cemetery gate and follow the wall for about 100 yards. Kafka's thin white tombstone lies at the front of section 21. City maps may label the cemetery "Židovské hřbitovy."