This article presents a list (with photos, descriptions and addresses) of the main and most "bright" sights and museums of Prague, which are worth visiting in the first place or if little time is allocated to the city.
If you need the most complete and detailed list of attractions, museums, significant objects and interesting places in Prague, then you can view here →
You can visit the sights and museums of Prague, including the top ones, as well as enjoy the city from a bird's-eye view and travel outside of Prague both independently and with excursions
All excursions in Prague and outside the city
Main sights and museums of Prague
Prague Castle with St. Vitus Cathedral and gardens
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) is a majestic castle complex in Prague, which dates back to the 9th century and is one of the largest castle complexes in the world.
Prague Castle is a complex consisting of four courtyards, the main street, former palaces, auxiliary and residential buildings, basilicas of St. George, chapels of the Holy Cross, picturesque Golden Lane and dominants of Prague Castle - St. Vitus Cathedral with a high tower, in which there is an observation deck.
The complex is surrounded by former fortifications - walls with towers and gates, which are adjacent to gardens with some buildings. Beautiful views of the historical part of Prague can be seen from the terraces and grounds of the gardens near Prague Castle.
The entrance to the Prague Castle is free.
Visits to individual sites and some gardens, as well as climbing to the observation deck in the tower of St. Vitus Cathedral are paid.
Address of Prague Castle: Hradčany, 119 08 Prague 1, Czech Republic. More about Prague Castle, observation Tower and gardens…
Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge (Karluv most) is the most significant historical and famous of the bridges in Prague.
This is a pedestrian bridge spanning the Vltava River, and decorated with statues of saints.
On both sides of the Charles Bridge there are historical towers, in which observation decks are located. On the side of a Small Country are Malostranskie bridge towers (Malostranska mostecka věž), and from the Old Place - Old Town Bridge Tower (Staroměstská mostecká věž).
From the Charles Bridge there are picturesque views of the banks of the river with historical buildings, as well as the Vltava River itself. More about the Charles Bridge…
Clementinum
The Clementinum (Klementinum) is a large historical complex, formerly the home of the Order of Jesuit Monks and which is currently occupied by the National Library of the Czech Republic.
In the Clementinum complex you can visit: beautiful baroque library hall, Meridian Hall with a collection of astronomical instruments, see a facsimile of the Visegrad Codex and climb to the observation deck of the astronomical tower, which offers panoramic views of Prague. You can visit these objects of the Clementinum with excursions. Also, as part of the tour, you can look into The Mirror Chapel of the Clementinum, but only if no other events are taking place in the chapel at this time.
The complex also includes: St. Clement's Cathedral (Katedrala sv. Klimenta), Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Vlas or Italian Chapel) and church of St. Salvator (Blessed Saviour, kostel Nejsvětějšího Salvatora).
Address of the Clementinum: Mariánské nám. 5, 110 00 Staré Město, Czech Republic. More about Clementinum…
Old Town Square
Old Town Square (Staroměstske naměstí) is a historic and most famous square that is the heart of Prague's old town.
The history of the square dates back to the 12th century.
The square hosts various celebrations and events, including a Christmas market.
The square is surrounded by an ensemble of bright historical buildings, and its center is decorated with:
- monument to national hero Jan Hus (Památník Jana Husa), which is one of the most important symbolist works of Czech monumental sculpture in the Art Nouveau style;
- a copy of the Mariana Column, created by the sculptor Peter Vanya.
the main dominant of the Old Town Square is the Old Town Hall (Staroměstska radnice) with the famous Prague Astronomical Clock (Prazsky Orloj or staromestsky Orloj), showing the performance.
The Town Hall consists of an ensemble of different buildings in which you can visit the chapel with the mechanism of the Prague chimes, halls, dungeons and climb to the observation deck in the Town Hall Tower. More about the Old Town Hall...
Also on the Old Town Square are notable:
- Tynsky Temple (Tynsky chram) is one of the most impressive Gothic sacred buildings in Prague;
- church of St. Nicholas (Kostel sv. Mikulaše) in the Baroque style, the interior of which is notable for a large crystal crown chandelier;
- the Kinsky Palace (Palac Kinskyc) with a facade in the rococo style, which has a rich history and is an exhibition hall National Gallery Prague (Narodní galerie Praha).
- the house "At the stone bell" (Dům U Kamenného zvonu), which is one of the most valuable Gothic monuments of the city and serves as an exhibition space of the Gallery of the capital of Prague (Galerie hlavního města Prahy);
- the house "At the Minute" (Dům U Minuty), which is a typical example of the architecture of the Czech bourgeois Renaissance and stands out with graffiti on the facades. As well as other bright houses around the perimeter of the square. Learn more about the Old Town Square...
Jewish Quarter
Josefov - The Jewish Quarter or the Jewish City (Židovská čtvrť) is a small quarter in Prague, which was the former Jewish ghetto of the city.
Currently, Josefov is built up mainly with buildings from the early 20th century, but also in the quarter you can see the "old witnesses of history" - the remains of the former Jewish ghetto of Prague: several synagogues, an old Jewish cemetery and the old Jewish town hall, which are now part of the Jewish Museum in Prague (Židovské muzeum v Praze). Learn more about the Jewish Quarter, its objects and the museum…
Wenceslas Square and the National Museum of Prague
Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske namesti) is the largest and one of the most attractive squares in Prague.
The square was created during the foundation of the New City by Charles IV in 1348.
The length of the square is 750 meters, and the width reaches 63 meters.
Monumental buildings of various architectural styles rise along the square, some of which are historically significant. In the buildings of the square there are cafes and restaurants, shops and banks, offices and hotels
The dominants of Wenceslas Square are:
- monumental equestrian monument to the Czech Prince St. Vaclav (Pomník svateho Vaclava), made in the style of monumental realism;
- The National Museum of Prague (Narodni muzeum Praha) is the largest state museum in Prague, consisting of several museum buildings in the city of Prague and beyond, containing extensive collections with exhibits from the fields of natural history, history, art, music and library science. More about Wenceslas Square...
Visegrad
Visegrad (Vyšehrad) is an ancient fortress (castle), which was the first residence of the Czech princes.
Visegrad is located on a rocky promontory above the Vltava River.
On the territory of Visegrad there are: the remains of former defensive structures (gates, walls), the Romanesque rotunda of St. Martin, the Neo-Gothic church of Saints Peter and Paul, the Slavin National Cemetery, casemates, a Gothic cellar, a gallery in the remains of the tower, the Old House of the Burgrave, an open-air theater, statues and monuments, a plague column etc.
From the Visegrad observation decks at the former fortress wall and in the gardens, stunning views of different parts of Prague can be seen.
Visegrad site visits are paid. Entrance to the territory is free.
Visegrad website: praha-vysehrad.cz.
Address of Visegrad: V Pevnosti 159/5b, 128 00 Praha 2 - Vyšehrad.
Petřín Hill
Petřín Hill (Petřín) is a green hill located in the center of Prague on the left bank of the Vltava River and is one of the highest hills of the Czech capital.
On the hill there are gardens, paths and alleys for walking, places to relax, fountains, monuments and sculptures, observation decks, as well as some important sights of the city.
The most visited object of the Petřín Hill is the Petrshinsky Tower (Petřínská rozhledna) - a steel tower, which is a free reduced copy parisian Eiffel Tower.
In the upper part of the Petrshin tower there is a public observation deck, and on the underground level there is a small exposition about Petrshin.
The observation deck of the tower offers some of the best panoramic views of Prague in the city.
The ascent to the observation deck is paid. More about the Petrshinskaya Observation Tower…
On the Petřín Hill are also notable: memorial to the victims of communism (Pomník obětem komunismu), Mirror Maze (Zrcadlove bludiště), st. Lawrence Church and the Way of the Cross (Katedralní chram sv. Vavřince), the Stefanik Observatory (Štefánikova hvězdárna) with a permanent astronomical exhibition and the possibility of observing the sky, the Hungry Wall (Hladová zeď), the Ethnographic Museum of the National Museum of Prague (Národopisné muzeum Národního muzea) with an ethnographic exposition, as well as panoramic cafes and restaurants.
On Petřín is 4-star apart-hotel Nebozizek Hotel a Restaurant, from the rooms of which offer panoramic views of Prague Castle and the Old Town. Breakfast is included in the room rate. Link to the hotel
You can take a walk on the Petřín Hill for free. Visits to the objects (museums) of the hill are paid.
You can climb the hill on foot or by funicular. More about Petřín Hill…
The best embankments with a Dancing House and the National Theater
In the center of Prague, along the Vltava River, there are embankments, the most attractive of which are the embankments of Masaryk or Masarikov (Masarykovo nabrezi) and Rasinov (Rasinovo nabrezi).
Bright tall Art Nouveau houses stretch along the embankments, and the embankments themselves are among the most photographed places in Prague. More about Masaryk and Rashinov embankments…
A walk along the Masaryk embankment begins with the beautiful main historical building of the National Theater (Národní divadlo) with architectural and sculptural decorations.
Address of the National Theatre building: Narodní 2, 110 00 Nové Město, Czech Republic. More about the National Theatre…
Next to Masarikova, the Rashinov Embankment is decorated with the famous Dancing House (Tančící dúm), which is part of modern Prague architecture.
The house was built in 1992-1996 by the world-famous architects Vlad Milunich and Frank O. Gehry.
In the Dancing House you can visit a gallery, a restaurant and a bar with an observation deck on the 7th floor.
In addition, on two floors of the Dancing House there is 4-star Dancing House hotel - Tančící dúm hotel with rooms with an unforgettable view of Prague. Breakfast is included in the room rate. Link to the hotel
Address of the Dancing House: Rašínovo nábřeží 80 / Jiráskovo náměstí 6, 120 00 Praha 2 - Nové Město. More about Dancing House…
Troy Palace and Prague Zoo
The Troy Palace and the Prague Zoo are located at a distance from the main tourist routes in Prague, but close to each other, so it is convenient to combine their visits.
The Troy Palace or the Troja Castle (Troský zámek) is one of the most beautiful Baroque monuments in Prague. The castle is surrounded by a beautiful French garden.
The palace, as a summer residence, was built in 1679 by Vaclav Wojteh, Count of Sternberk. The author of the castle project was the architect of French origin Jean Baptiste Matey.
In the interior of the castle, you can admire the unique fresco decor and exhibitions prepared by the Gallery of the capital City of Prague (Galerie hlavního města Prahy). Concerts are also held on the territory of the castle.
Adjacent to the castle is an extensive French Baroque garden, which is one of the most beautiful gardens in Prague and is decorated with terracotta vases, pergolas, labyrinths, fountains and busts of emperors.
Entrance to the palace premises is paid.
Website of the Gallery of the Capital Prague: ghmp.cz.
Address of the palace-castle of Troy: U Trojského zámku 4/1, 170 00 Prague 7.
Prague Zoo (Zoo Praha, Zoologicka zahrada hl. m. Prahy) is one of the largest and most famous zoos in Europe.
On 58 hectares there are pavilions and more than 5,000 individuals belonging to more than 650 species: from beetles, fish, turtles and snakes to penguins, giraffes, antelopes, tigers and lions.
The pride of the Prague Zoo is the Elephant Valley - a vast territory inhabited by a herd of Indian elephants.
Also in the zoo attract attention: the pavilion of rare parrots, an aquarium, the pavilion of the Indonesian jungle with tropical plants with Komodo lizards, an African house with giraffes and other herbivores from the savannah, the pavilion of gorillas and the crater of Darwin with Tasmanian and Australian animals.
Entrance to the zoo is paid.
Prague Zoo website: zoopraha.cz.
Address of the Prague Zoo: U Trojského zámku 3/120, 171 00 Praha 7 - Troja.
Zizkov TV Tower
The Zizkov TV Tower (Žižkovská televizní věž) has a height of 216 meters and is the tallest building in Prague.
From the observation deck, located at a height of 93 meters of the tower, amazing 360-degree panoramas of Prague open. The ascent to the observation deck is carried out by elevator.
The tower also has a panoramic restaurant, bar and bistro located at an altitude of 66 meters.
Among other things, in the tower, at an altitude of 70 meters, there is a one-room hotel with panoramic views. All hotels in Prague
On the tower itself there are 10 giant statues of babies - "Babies" by sculptor David Cherny.
The ascent to the observation deck is paid.
TV Tower Website: towerpark.cz.
Address of the TV tower: Mahlerovy sady 1, 130 00 Praha 3 - Žižkov.
P.S.
In the center of Prague, with an inspection and (or) a visit to the main dominants of the city, you can walk along the Royal Way (Královská cesta) - the name of the historical route in Prague, along which future Czech kings passed to the coronation, and today this path is a popular tourist route in Prague.
The tradition of the Royal Way was established by Emperor Charles IV.
The route passes through the central historical part of Prague and leads from Republic Square (Namesti Republiky) in Prague Castle. Learn more about the Royal Way...
You can see and (or) visit the main sights and museums of Prague by taking a trip on sightseeing trams and buses that run through the historical center of Prague and operate on the principle of hop-on hop-off.
All accommodation facilities in Prague (hotels, apartments, guest houses, etc.), including in the historical center of the city and more remotely from it, can be view and book here
