Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Prague survived the twentieth century with its historic center largely intact, and walking through it feels like moving through a thousand years of architecture at once: Romanesque cellars, Gothic towers, Baroque domes, Art Nouveau facades and a few bold modern buildings.
The city is compact enough to explore on foot, yet deep enough to fill a week.
Prague has been a royal seat, an imperial capital under Charles IV and a crossroads of Czech, German and Jewish culture. Its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and few European cities let you see so many centuries of building side by side without modern intrusions.
Beyond the postcard views, Prague is a place of music, beer and literature. Mozart premiered Don Giovanni here, Dvořák and Smetana are buried on the Vyšehrad rock, and Franz Kafka was born in the Old Town.
The heart of Prague since the Middle Ages, this square is ringed by pastel facades, the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn with its twin spires, the Baroque Church of St. Nicholas and a memorial to the reformer Jan Hus.
The twin spires of the Church of Our Lady before Týn dominate the east side of Old Town Square. Photo: Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Mounted on the Old Town Hall, the Orloj dates from 1410 and is one of the oldest astronomical clocks still working.
The Prague astronomical clock was first installed in 1410 and still runs on the Old Town Hall. Photo: Godot13, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Construction began in 1357 under Charles IV, and the stone bridge, about 516 meters long, was completed in the early fifteenth century. Thirty mostly Baroque statues line its parapets, all now replicas, with gothic towers guarding each end.
Charles Bridge is lined with thirty statues, all now replicas of originals erected around 1700. Photo: mendhak , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
The former Jewish ghetto between Old Town Square and the river holds a remarkable cluster of sites run by the Jewish Museum in Prague, including the Pinkas Synagogue, whose walls carry the names of Czech and Moravian Jewish victims of the Holocaust, the ornate Spanish Synagogue and the Old Jewish Cemetery, where gravestones lean in tight layers.
The Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov holds thousands of tightly packed gravestones. Photo: Uoaei1, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Listed by Guinness as the largest ancient castle complex in the world, Prague Castle is a walled precinct of palaces, churches and courtyards, the seat of Czech rulers for over a thousand years and the office of the president today.
St. Vitus Cathedral, begun in 1344 and completed in 1929, stands at the heart of Prague Castle. Photo: Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Inside the castle walls, this short lane of tiny painted houses once housed castle guards and craftsmen. Franz Kafka wrote in number 22, which his sister rented in 1916.
Golden Lane is a row of small houses built into the castle walls, one of which Franz Kafka used as a writing studio. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Below the castle, the Lesser Town is a maze of Baroque palaces, gardens and quiet squares. Visit the domed Church of St. Nicholas, the colorful Lennon Wall near Kampa Island and the Wallenstein Garden.
This wooded hill south of the castle offers orchards, rose gardens and the Petřín Lookout Tower, built in 1891 and inspired by the Eiffel Tower. The funicular from Újezd reopened in September 2026 after a long refurbishment.
The Petřín Lookout Tower was built in 1891 and resembles a smaller Eiffel Tower. Photo: Suisant7, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Really a long boulevard, Wenceslas Square was the stage for the 1989 Velvet Revolution and is anchored by the statue of St. Wenceslas and the National Museum. Allow one hour, more to visit the museum.
On the riverbank, this building of curving glass and concrete, completed in 1996 and designed by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry, is nicknamed Fred and Ginger. Allow 20 minutes, more to visit the rooftop bar and gallery.
The Dancing House, completed in 1996, was designed by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry. Photo: Alvesgaspar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This fortress on a rock above the Vltava is wrapped in legends about the city's founding. Inside its walls are the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, ramparts with long river views and Vyšehrad Cemetery, where Dvořák, Smetana and Mucha are buried.
The Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul stands beside the Vyšehrad Cemetery, where Dvořák and Smetana are buried. Photo: coroner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
On the plateau north of the Old Town, across the river, Letná Park offers one of the finest views of the Vltava bridges lined up one after another.
Czech cooking is rich and comforting. Look for svíčková, beef sirloin in a creamy root vegetable sauce with bread dumplings and cranberries, and vepřo knedlo zelo, roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut.
Beer is central to local life, and pilsner-style lager was first brewed in nearby Plzeň in 1842.
Popular dishes to try in Prague
Old Town: the most central location, steps from the main sights, but also the busiest and noisiest.
Malá Strana: romantic and quiet in the evenings, close to the castle and Charles Bridge.
New Town: practical and well connected, around Wenceslas Square and Charles Square, with a wide range of lodging and good transport links.
Karlín and Holešovice: former industrial areas reinvented with restaurants, galleries and riverside spaces, suited to repeat visitors.
Where to stay in Prague
Late spring and early autumn are ideal, with mild temperatures, blooming or golden gardens and comfortable walking weather.
Winter is cold and gray, sometimes snowy, yet Prague is atmospheric in December, when Christmas markets fill Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square.
Václav Havel Airport Prague lies west of the city. City bus 59 connects the terminals with Nádraží Veleslavín station on metro line A, and the Airport Express bus runs to the main railway station.
The center is best explored on foot, but the public transport network is excellent, with three metro lines and an extensive tram system.
Start early on Old Town Square, watch the astronomical clock and climb the Old Town Hall tower.
Take tram 22 up to Prague Castle and spend the morning on St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace and Golden Lane.
Explore the New Town and Wenceslas Square, then walk along the river past the Dancing House to Vyšehrad.
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