Top 15 sights to see in Prague – Czech Republic

There are lots of sights and places to visit in Prague so one list is never enough. If you wish to explore Prague it is better to live here for some time.

However I chose 15 places for you and really recommend you to visit all of those places, you should prepare your visit in Prague for at least 4-5 days. However if you are in very good form this can be done within 3 days. At the bottom of the article you can find the map with all the mentioned monuments and attractions.

1.) Old Town square

Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí), the oldest and most important square of the historic centre of Prague, was formed since the 10th Century as a marketplace at the crossroads of European trade routes. There used to be Customs (Ungelt) here, that were checking all the goods imported by foreign merchants.

Here you can find lots of historical monuments including the Prague Astronomical Clock (Orloj), Tyn Church, the monument to Jan Hus, Old Town Hall, House At the Stone Bell, Kinsky Palace, St. Nicholas Church, House At a Minute and so forth.

An area of Old Town Square is over some 9000 m2.

2.) Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge is one of the oldest stone bridges in Europe, built by king Charles IV. It is 516 m long and nearly 10 m wide, stands on 16 pillars and is built of sandstone blocks.

Charles Bridge is decorated with 30 beautiful baroque sculptures and fortified with the towers on both sides. During the day you can meet lots of artists and musicians here.

3.) Prague Castle & St Vitus Cathedral

Prague Castle, the symbol of Czech statehood, is currently mainly a home of president of the Czech Republic, magnificent galleries, treasury, but also illustrations of European architecture.

You can get to the castle from Charles Bridge through either new or old castle stairs or through the severe Neruda Street. However, you will be rewarded with countless cultural monuments, from which the most famous is the main church – St. Vitus Cathedral from 11th century.

Prague Castle is according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest coherent castle complex in the world and is registered on UNESCO World Heritage List. The whole area covers almost 70.000 m².

Zlatá ulička (Golden Lane) is probably the most romantic and most visited tourist part of the Prague Castle. Zlatá ulička is about 230 m long. It lies at the northern wall of the castle and is the last remains of the original small-scale architecture of Prague Castle.

4.) Wenceslas Square

Wenceslas Square has been created by Charles IV. in 1348 during opening the New Town of Prague. It is 750 m long and 63 m wide in the upper and 48 m in the bottom part. Houses and workshops of craftsmen, malt houses and breweries were built here within first few years.

The square’s former name was Horse Market, as it was intended for selling horses and agricultural products. In 1890 a large building of the National Museum was built on top of the square. Later on, in the years 1912-1913, the statue of Saint Wenceslas, who is the patron of Czech lands, was created and placed at the top of the square. You can now see him sitting on the horse.

Wenceslas Square has always been and still is primarily a natural centre of New Town and Prague in general. After the first world war, lots of new building were built here and especially after the formation of Greater Prague in 1922, the most luxurious houses, banks, shops, hotels and restaurants were set up here as well.

5.) Petřín

Petřín is the hill, 327 meters high, which is located in the heart of Prague, between Malá Strana and Strahov. It is the largest green area in Prague. Chronicler Kosmas described it as a very rocky place and due to a large number of rocks it was named Petrin (from Latin where the rock is Petra). Lots of buildings in Prague were built from these rocks.

At the top of the hill you can visit watch tower with a great view of the whole Prague. There is a cabin lift that can take you from Újezd up to the hill.

6.) Great View of Prague from Letna Park

Except Petrin, there is another great hill from which you can see beautiful panorama of Prague, especially of the Vltava river and all the bridges. It is Letna Park and during the summer months you can also taste some of the Czech best beers here in one of some garden pubs. It is also a place of several regular festivals that are energized here throughout the year.

7.) Vysehrad

Vysehrad was the fortress built in the 10th century. At the end of the 20th century Vysehrad kept secret and magical atmosphere. Provides one of the most beautiful panorama of Old Europe, a quiet stop and rest in the parks. To get there you can use subway from Central Station or Museum directly to Vysehrad. Then take about 20 minutes walk.

8.) Jewish Prague – Josefov

Josefov is a Jewish part of Prague, located in the centre. In 1890, city leaders decided that the buildings will be demolished in Josefov, because of the lack of sanitary facilities threaten the health of its inhabitants. Only a town hall, several synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery have been preserved. You can visit Old-New Synagogue which is the oldest preserved synagogue in Europe.

9.) Kampa

Kampa is a large green park with beautiful square in the centre of Prague, just near the Charles bridge. It offers great views of Vltava river and Charles bridge and is also great place for spending some relaxing time after a whole day of sightseeing. It is also a place where you can get on the boat and enjoy other beautiful views from Vltava river. A typical 1 hour river cruise costs 10EUR/person.

10.) Municipal House and Powder Tower

National Historic Landmark Municipal House is one of the most significant Art Nouveau buildings in Prague. The decorations of the Municipal House were made by, in that time, the most important Czech painters and sculptors – Jan Preisler, Mikoláš Aleš, Max Švabinský, František Ženíšek, Ladislav Šaloun, Josef Mařatka, Josef Václav Myslbek, Alfons Mucha.

From the very beginning the Municipal House was a multifunctional building. The halls and rooms have been used for holding congresses, conferences, concerts and fashion shows. The tourists can access it only as a part of guided tours. Between 1994-1997, the Municipal House underwent a technically and financially demanding restoration. Since its reopening, it has again become an important centre of social and cultural life.

Powder Tower is 65 meters high tower with a watching platform at a height of 44 meters, you can get there by following 186 steps on spiral stone staircase. Powder Tower is one of the most important Gothic monuments in Prague. The construction of Powder Tower started in 1475 as one of the 13 gates to the city of Prague.

Municipal House and Powder Tower are located next to each other in the heart of Prague. You can get there from Wenceslas Square or from Old town square.

11.) Wallenstein Garden / Valdstejnska Garden

Wallenstein Garden was created by Albrecht von Wallenstein near his monumental palace in 1624 – 1630. The garden has a pavilion with Sala terrena, 30 feet high loggia with three arcades and a high arch. The walls are decorated with frescoes and stucco from Baccio del Bianco, who was an Italian architect, engineer, scenic designer and painter from Florence.

12.) ZOO Prague – 7th best zoo in the world

ZOO in Prague is according to Forbes the 7th best zoo in the world, so you shouldn’t miss this attraction. You should reserve at least one whole day for the visit. There is a Troja castle just behind the ZOO with nice garden, or Botanical garden few steps away.

There is another article dedicated to ZOO in Prague on our blog which you can find here.

13.) Vltava riverbank

If you want to relax and enjoy the silence right in the centre, watch the ships and feed swans and dugs, then Vltava riverbank is the best choice. If you are here on Saturday you can visit great farmer’s market that takes places here every week from 08:00 – 14:00. Here you can buy great Czech or Slovak specialities that should be made by original Czech and Slovak farmers.

14.) Fata Morgana Tropical Greenhouse

Fata Morgana tropical greenhouse is located next to Botanical Garden. It is a remarkable exposure of the tropical fauna that is spread on an area of ​​approximately 1750 square meters. It is daily open all year round except for Mondays and the basic admission for adults is €2 per person.

15.) Stromovka Park

As the last but not least attraction in Prague we chose Stromovka Park – a lovely park full of trees and lakes. You can stroll, skate, cycle, ride on horse – this park is here for you to relax and breath fresh air, once you get tired from overcrowded Prague centre.

All pictures in this article were taken by Claire (Europe Explored).

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Category: Cities, Cities