95 Best Sights in Prague, Czech Republic

Set inside a grand, turn-of-the-20th-century building, this excellent yet often overlooked museum tells the story of Prague through the ages, from the earliest prehistoric settlers, through the city's golden medieval and baroque periods, to the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The big-ticket exhibit is the extraordinary Langweil model of Prague, an intricate, handmade model of the city circa 1826–37. There are more than 2,000 buildings at a scale of 1:480, some of which are still standing today, and some of which are long gone (including swathes of the Jewish Town). In fact, this model provides the only proof of how some of these buildings looked. As well as the permanent collection, there are also ever-changing temporary exhibitions, often focused on aspects of modern-day Prague. The museum is closed for renovation until autumn 2023.

This museum is dedicated to the history of the city, and though it's technically in Nové Město, it's relatively easy to reach from Old Town because it's near the Florenc metro and bus stations. The highlight here is a cardboard model of the historic quarter of Prague; it shows what the city looked like before the Jewish ghetto was destroyed in a massive fire in 1689 and includes many buildings that are no longer standing.

Formerly and perhaps ironically located in the Savarin Palace next to the twin capitalist symbols of the yellow arches of a McDonald's and a casino, the Museum of Communism has relocated into a brightly lit and larger new space in V Celnici, albeit still next to a supermarket. The expanded museum offers a vivid look at life in Prague and then-Czechoslovakia under the totalitarian regime that held power from the coup in February 1948 through the Velvet Revolution in November 1989. Find works of social realist art, original texts and photos from the archives of the Security Services, film, and dozens of exhibits that explore the days of the ČSSR through sport, education, art, propaganda, and censorship. Exhibits tread the line between menacing and enlightening, showing aspects of daily life as well as the terrifying repercussions of noncompliance.

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.

Statues representing Drama and Opera rise above the riverfront side entrances to this theater, and two gigantic chariots flank figures of Apollo and the nine Muses above the main façade. The performance space lacks restraint as well: it's filled with gilding, voluptuous plaster figures, and plush upholstery. The idea for a Czech national theater began during the revolutionary decade of the 1840s. In a telling display of national pride, donations to fund the plan poured in from all over the country, from people of every socioeconomic stratum. The cornerstone was laid in 1868, and the "National Theater generation" who built the neo-Renaissance structure became the architectural and artistic establishment for decades to come. Its designer, Josef Zítek, was the leading neo-Renaissance architect in Bohemia. The nearly finished interior was gutted by a fire in 1881, and Zítek's onetime student Josef Schulz saw the reconstruction through to completion two years later. Today, it's still the country's leading dramatic stage. Guided tours in English (for groups only) can be arranged by phone or email in advance.

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).

This thoroughly renovated and kid-friendly museum is dedicated to the fun aspects of science, technology, and industry. There are full-sized steam locomotives, historic automobiles, and old aircraft on display. There are also engrossing exhibits on photography and astronomy and an active program of rotating temporary shows.

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.

At the northern edge of Charles Square, the New Town Hall has a late-Gothic tower similar to that of Staroměstská radnice (Old Town Hall), plus three tall Renaissance gables. The first defenestration in Prague occurred here on July 30, 1419, when a mob of townspeople, followers of the martyred religious reformer Jan Hus, hurled Catholic town councilors out the windows. Historical exhibitions and contemporary art shows are held regularly in the gallery, and you can climb the tower for a view of Nové Mĕsto. As in Staré Mĕsto, this town hall is a popular venue for weddings.

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."

The city's art nouveau showpiece still fills the role it had when it was completed in 1911 as a center for concerts, rotating art exhibits, and café society. The mature art nouveau style echoes the lengths the Czech middle class went to at the turn of the 20th century to imitate Paris. Much of the interior bears the work of Alfons Mucha, Max Švabinský, and other leading Czech artists. Mucha decorated the Hall of the Lord Mayor upstairs with impressive, magical frescoes depicting Czech history; unfortunately, these are visible only as part of a guided tour. The beautiful Smetanova síň (Smetana Hall), which hosts concerts by the Prague Symphony Orchestra as well as international players, is on the second floor. The ground-floor restaurants are overcrowded with tourists but still impressive, with glimmering chandeliers and exquisite woodwork. There's also a beer hall in the cellar, with decent food and ceramic murals on the walls. Tours are normally held at two-hour intervals in the afternoons; check the website for details.

This exuberant building, built in 1765 from Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer's design, is considered one of Prague's finest rococo, late baroque structures. With its exaggerated pink overlay and numerous statues, it looks extravagant when contrasted with the marginally more somber baroque elements of other nearby buildings. (The interior, alas, was "modernized" under communism.) The palace once contained a German school—where Franz Kafka studied for nine misery-laden years—and now houses revolving temporary exhibitions and a shop. Communist leader Klement Gottwald, alongside comrade Vladimír Clementis, first addressed the crowds from this building after seizing power in February 1948—an event recounted in the first chapter of Milan Kundera's novel The Book of Laughter and Forgetting.

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).

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.

Here you'll find two moving testimonies to the appalling crimes perpetrated against the Jews during World War II. One astounds by sheer numbers: the walls are covered with nearly 80,000 names of Bohemian and Moravian Jews murdered by the Nazis. Among them are the names of the paternal grandparents of former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright. The second is an exhibition of drawings made by children at the Nazi concentration camp Terezín, north of Prague. The Nazis used the camp for propaganda purposes to demonstrate their "humanity" toward Jews, and for a time the prisoners were given relative freedom to lead "normal" lives. However, transports to death camps in Poland began in earnest in 1944, and many thousands of Terezín prisoners, including most of these children, eventually perished. The entrance to the Old Jewish Cemetery is through this synagogue.

The slogan for this brewery on the riverside in Smíchov could be "For beer, go directly to the source." Staropramen literally means "old source," and it's definitely one of the most ubiquitous beers in the city—and beyond. This visitor center offers 50-minute "guided" tours every day, where a video projection of early brewmaster Josef Paspa (well, a suitably ruddy-cheeked actor) takes you through the history of the site, the beer brewing method, and how far and wide the beer is exported. It all culminates in a tasting of four different Staropramen brews, from the excellent unfiltered lager to the dark beer. If you're feeling peckish afterward, one of the brewery's chain of Potrefená Husa restaurants, serving classic Czech food and beer, is just around the corner.

Once used as storage space for gunpowder, this dark, imposing tower, covered in a web of carvings, offers a striking view of Staré Mĕsto and Prague Castle from the top. King Vladislav II of Jagiello began construction—it replaced one of the city's 13 original gates—in 1475. At the time, the kings of Bohemia maintained their royal residence next door, on the site now occupied by the Obecní dům (Municipal House). The tower was intended to be the grandest gate of all. Vladislav, however, was Polish and somewhat disliked by the rebellious Czech citizens of Prague. Nine years after he assumed power, fearing for his life, he moved the royal court across the river to Prague Castle. Work on the tower was abandoned, and the half-finished structure remained a depository for gunpowder until the end of the 17th century. The golden spires were not added until the end of the 19th century. The ticket office is on the first floor after you go up the dizzyingly narrow stairwell.

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.

This 19th-century neo-Renaissance monument has some of the cleanest, brightest stonework in the city. Designed by Josef Zítek and Josef Schulz and completed in 1884—it was named for then Hapsburg Crown Prince Rudolf—the low-slung sandstone building was meant to be a combination concert hall and exhibition gallery. After 1918 it was converted into the parliament of the newly independent Czechoslovakia until German invaders reinstated the concert hall in 1939. Now the Czech Philharmonic has its home base here. The 1,200-seat Dvořákova síň (Dvořák Hall) has superb acoustics (the box office faces 17 Listopadu Street). To see the hall, you must attend a concert.

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.

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.

This domed, Moorish-style synagogue was built in 1868 on the site of an older synagogue, the Altschul. Here the historical exposition that begins in the Maisel Synagogue continues through to the post–World War II period. The attached Robert Guttmann Gallery has historic and well-curated art exhibitions. The building's painstakingly restored interior is also worth experiencing.

Dating to the mid-13th century, this is the oldest functioning synagogue in Europe and one of the most important works of early Gothic architecture in Prague. The name refers to the legend that the synagogue was built on the site of an ancient Jewish temple, and the temple's stones were used to build the present structure. Amazingly, the synagogue has survived fires, the razing of the ghetto, and the Nazi occupation intact; it's still in use. The entrance, with its vault supported by two pillars, is the oldest part of the synagogue. Note that men are required to cover their heads inside, and during services men and women sit apart.

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.

"Let's meet at the horse" is the local expression referring to the traditional meeting place that is Josef Václav Myslbek's impressive equestrian representation of St. Wenceslas surrounded by other Czech patron saints. In 1939, Czechs gathered here to oppose Hitler's annexation of Bohemia and Moravia. In 1969, student Jan Palach set himself on fire near here to protest the Soviet-led invasion of the country a year earlier (there's a moving monument to him in the cobbles). And in 1989, many thousands successfully gathered here and all along the square to demand the end of the communist government.

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.

Built in the late 17th century for the Czech nobleman Count Šternberg, this sprawling summer residence, modeled on a classical Italian villa, had the first French-style gardens in Bohemia. Inside, rich frescoes that took more than 20 years to complete depict the stories of emperors. Outside, there's plenty of pomp and ceremony, with a red-and-white baroque façade and a sweeping staircase adorned with statues of the sons of Mother Earth.

The château is closed from November through March.

In a custom-built art nouveau building dating to 1897, this wonderfully laid-out museum of exquisite local prints, books, ceramics, textiles, clocks, and furniture will please anyone from the biggest decorative arts expert to those who just appreciate a little Antiques Roadshow on the weekend. There are superb rotating exhibits, too, and a fantastic design-led gift shop.

This "square"—more of a very long, very thin rectangle—was first laid out by Charles IV in 1348, and began its existence as a horse market at the center of Nové Mĕsto. Today, it functions as the commercial heart of the city center and is far brasher and more modern than Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square). Throughout much of Czech history, Wenceslas Square has served as the focal point for public demonstrations and celebrations. It was here in the heady days of November 1989 that some 500,000 people gathered to protest the policies of the then-communist regime. After a week of demonstrations, the government capitulated without a shot fired or the loss of a single life. After that, the first democratic government in 40 years (under playwright-president Václav Havel) was swept into office. This peaceful transfer of power is referred to as the Velvet Revolution. (The subsequent "Velvet Divorce," when Czechoslovakia was peacefully divided into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, took effect in 1993.)

Look up when you glimpse the Marks & Spencer shop sign—during the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Václav Havel addressed the crowds from this building's balcony.

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.