Prague’s cobbled lanes, fairytale towers and cavernous beer halls are an absolute joy, drawing camera-toting Insta addicts and thirsty tourists to the Golden City year-round. It’s a medieval masterpiece of a place, chock-full of weird and wonderful architecture, fine museums and magnificent monuments. But what are the main draws, the bucket-list highlights that first-timers simply should not miss? Read on for our pick of the top 10 attractions in Prague, including:
- The Old Town Square
- Prague Castle
- Petřín Tower
- Charles Bridge
- The Jewish Museum
- St Vitus Cathedral
- Prague Zoo
- … and more!
Old Town Square
Stepping onto Prague’s magnificent Old Town Square (or Staroměstské náměstí, if you want to get technical) feels like walking into the pages of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, all baroque churches, gothic spires and a quite extraordinary 15th-century town hall clock. The eye-popping astronomical clock is as good a place as any to kick off your Prague adventure. Join the crowds to catch the hourly show as figures (including several apostles and a skeleton representing Death) emerge to strike the hour. Snap a selfie in front of picture-perfect pastel-colored baroque buildings, admire Kinský Palace’s ornate stucco facade, and don’t miss the stunning Church of Our Lady before Týn, a gothic confection par excellence, complete with elaborate 80-meter-tall spires
Prague Castle
One of Prague’s most popular nicknames is the ‘city of one hundred spires’, based on an account by Bohemian mathematician Bernard Bolzano in the early 19th Century. It was a bad day at the office for Bernard though, as the actual number of turrets, towers and spires in the city is estimated at anywhere between 500-1,000. Regardless of the true number though, it’s Prague Castle, high on a hill overlooking the Vltava river and old town, that dominates the skyline. This vast ancient complex takes in palaces, cathedrals, banquet halls, towers, gardens and more, and is the largest of its kind anywhere on the planet, well worth an hour or six of your time.
St Vitus Cathedral
St Vitus Cathedral is a key attraction – perhaps the key attraction – at Prague Castle and as such merits a top 10 slot all of its own. This towering gothic masterpiece, boasting over a thousand years of history, is a sight to behold. Goggle at its flying buttresses, eye-popping mosaics, and striking Art Nouveau stained glass windows by 19th-century Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. Step inside its vast, hushed interior for more Insta-perfect eye candy, including a quite enormous baroque and neoclassical organ, and the extraordinary Chapel of St Wenceslaus, which houses relics of the saint as well as several medieval religious murals and frescoes.
Top tip: Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, and several other Prague tours and attractions, including river cruises, walking tours, and the Spanish Synagogue are included with a Prague pass from Go City, which can save you up to 50% on regular prices. Find out more and bag your pass here.
Wenceslas Square
More a boulevard than a square, Wenceslas Square is one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, thanks to its excellent shopping, café culture and people-watching opportunities. Give your credit card a workout, then field the panicky calls from your bank manager as you watch the world go by over cappuccino and sweet Czech pastries. Or hit up the nearby Pilsner Urquell Experience for a taste of the good stuff, a refreshing pilsner lager brewed here in Czechia since 1842. Wenceslas Square is also home to one of Prague’s biggest and best festive markets, ideal for unusual gifts should you find yourself here in November or December.
Charles Bridge
Surely one of the city’s most photographed attractions, Charles Bridge is a swoonsome medieval stone arch bridge that links Prague Castle to the Old Town. Its 516-meter length is manna for hopeless romantics and selfie-seekers alike, all fine baroque statues, time-worn cobbles, street artists, and sweeping Vltava vistas. Take a stroll in the early morning as fog rolls in from the river, or at sunset when old-school lanterns light the way across. Or see it from a different perspective: gliding beneath its atmospheric arches on a Vltava river cruise.
The Jewish Museum
In a city crammed with beautiful places of worship – mostly medieval, gothic and baroque churches – the Spanish Synagogue offers a spectacularly eye-catching alternative. Completed in 1868, this Moorish Revival-style masterpiece is a joy to behold. Don’t let the spectacular dome, stained-glass windows and monumental Torah distract you from what’s beneath your feet: an intricate arabesque parquet floor that’s among the synagogue’s finest works of art. Come back for atmospheric classical concerts by candlelight in the evenings and make time to drop by the Jewish Museum’s neighboring sites, including the moving Second World War memorials in the Pinkas Synagogue, and the adjacent Old Jewish Cemetery.
Petřín Tower
No, you’re not in Paris, but here’s a chance to ascend a former transmission tower that shares a pretty strong resemblance to the Eiffel Tower. Petřín Hill is particularly picturesque in spring thanks to clouds of candy-colored cherry blossoms. Conserve energy by hopping on the fun funicular to the top of the hill – you’ll need it for the 299-stair ascent to the Petřín Tower’s lookout platform, where 360-degree vistas of the entire city tell you everything you need to know about why this is one of Prague’s most popular attractions.
Prague National Museum
Delve deep into Czechia’s rich heritage here at the country’s oldest museum. Established in the early 19th Century, this large complex of buildings houses brings millions of years of history to life via a vast collection of treasures that run the gamut from prehistoric meteorites and dino fossils to medieval tiaras and chalices and the world’s largest collection of artifacts relating to legendary Czech composer Antonín Dvořák, including portraits, letters and even his piano.
National Theatre
Nights at the opera don’t come much more spectacular than at Prague’s grand National Theatre, an imposing neo-Renaissance edifice set on the banks of the Vltava overlooking Prague Castle. Here’s where you can catch some of the finest opera, ballet and drama in Eastern Europe, from children’s theater to Mozart masterpiece Don Giovanni. Love history but hate high art? Fear not: tours of this vast venue’s four stages are also available, retaining all the drama of the building’s storied history, but without the men leaping around in tights.
Prague Zoo
Almost a century old, Prague Zoo is a stalwart of the city’s sightseeing scene, a reliable and constant presence in any list of the city’s top 10 attractions. Highlights of this 140-acre parkland in the Troja district north of the city center include a chairlift that takes you high over the animal enclosures, pony rides and a petting zoo for kids, a steamy tropical jungle, and more. Don’t miss the chance to say ‘ahoj’ (hey) to the stately Indian elephants, ferociously cute red pandas and rare and endangered Przewalski's horse.
Save on Prague’s Most Popular Attractions
Save money on Prague attractions, tours and activities with a pass from Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.
