Top Ten Things To Do in Prague
Where Is Prague‘s Top Ten Things to Do in Prague combines as many interesting sights and activities as possible, and put them in order of arrival by foot and/or train.
1) The God Complex – Self-Guided Tour – When visiting Prague, travelers should pack a copy of the free self-guided tour that accompanies this thriller novel set in Prague. The tour comes with a handy map that includes thumbnail images and references to chapters and transportation options. To turn your trip into an adventure, pack The God Complex in your carry-on and give your trip an exciting lens through which to see Prague. Many of our options below are found on The God Complex Tour. We have arranged them in the best order for seeing as many things as possible in a weekend.
To take a quick virtual tour of The God Complex self-guided tour, check out Map of Prague.
2) Prague Castle – Our tour starts with the largest castle in Europe, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here you will see palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, including Roman and Gothic. The castle is open daily from 5am til midnight in peak season, and 6am til 11pm in low season.
3) Franz Kafka Museum – As you exit Malá Strana and make your way to the Charles Bridge, turn left onto Saská and follow it for roughly half a kilometer and you’ll find the Franz Kafka museum on your right. As you approach the museum, you will see one of David Černý’s statues, Hergetova Cihelna (aka ‘piss’). The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. The entrance fee is 180 CzK (adults), 120 CzK (students, seniors, disabled), or 490 CzK for a family of four (2 adults and 2 children).
4) Charles Bridge – After enjoying a leisurely stroll across the Charles Bridge and admiring the thirty patron saints, stop into the Charles Bridge Museum for a quick history of the bridge, how it was constructed, and the truth about the recent repairs to the bridge. The museum is located at Křížovnické náměstí 3 on the left side of the bridge as you walk toward Old Town. The standard entry fee is 150 CzK. Discounts are available for families, school groups, students, and seniors. The museum is open from 10am til 8pm in high season, and 10am til 6pm in low season.
5) Shooter’s Island – After a few hours at the museum, it’s time to relax outdoors with a stroll along Prague’s sleepy island in the middle of the Vltava. Have a quick bite to eat and take in the warm summer breeze on ‘Střelecký ostrov’, also known as Shooter’s Island. If you want a more upscale fare, check out the restaurant with the same name as the island.
6) Petrin Hill Observation Tower – Once you’ve regained your strength and are ready for more adventure, let’s head off the island. At the top of the stairs to the bridge turn in the direction of the castle. At the end of the street, you’ll be at the base of Petrin Hill. At the top of the hill, you’ll find an observatory tower with a breathtaking view of the entire city. There is a funicular that will take you to the top of the hill. Ask someone passing by for the path leading to the funicular. Keep an eye out for Prague’s Old Town because that’s where we are heading next.
7) U Medvidku Beer Hall and Restaurant – it’s time to make our way to the only hotel with a brewery in Prague. This former 15th century medieval brewery with its preserved Gothic trusses and painted timber ceilings was converted into a three-star hotel. The Hotel U Medvídků Brewery is a traditional Prague pub with typical Czech cuisine, offering a wide selection of Czech beer. Be sure to visit the souvenir shop on your way out. To get there, walk back down Petrin Hill, cross the bridge where Shooter’s Island is, and continue straight along Narodni until you reach Na Perštýně. U Medvidku Beer Hall and Restaurant is located at Na Perštýně 345/7.
8) Old Town / Sex Machine Museum / Museum of Communism – When you leave U Medvidku Beer Hall and Restaurant, you are only a stone’s throw from Prague’s Old Town Center. Turn left and continue along Na Perštýně until you run into Jilská. Walk along Jilská until you reach Vejvodova (turn right). At the end of Vejvodova, turn left onto Michalská. Walk two blocks and turn right on Hlavsova. After one block, turn left onto Melantrichova. Walk one block to arrive at the world famous Sex Machine Museum. Here you will see every kind of contraptions, some which look like they should be in Prague’s Torture Museum (located near the Charles Bridge Museum). From here, check out the Museum of Communism. Exit the Sex Machine Museum and turn right. Walk along Melantrichova until the end. Continue along Na Mustku, a pedestrian way (at the end of Melantrichova, look diagonally to the left for the street). At the end, turn left onto Na Příkopě and look for #852/10, The Museum of Communism.
9) Powder Tower / Municipal House / Palladium Mall – Continue in the same direction along Na Příkopě (turn right when exiting the Museum of Communism). This will lead you to two more landmark tourist attractions—the Powder Tower (originally called the Mountain Tower). It was one of the gates leading into the city during medieval times. It got the name, Powder Tower, for its use as a storage facility of gun powder. Attached to the enormous Gothic structure is the Municipal House, home to many concerts. There is a wonderful old-world cafe there for relaxing. If you want a modern taste of Czech life, continue along the street until you reach Namesti Republiky. In this square, you’ll see a bright, flamingo-pink building. This is the Palladium mall, a modern shopping center with cleverly designed cafes that hang out over the sleek interior. The top floor sports a nice food court.
10) Wenceslas Square / National Museum – From the Palladium Mall, hop onto the Yellow metro line at Namesti Repuliky and ride it one stop in the direction of Zličín. Disembark at the stop Můstek. Go to street level and you will be at the bottom of Wenceslas Square. Meander your way to the top, stopping off at various stores until you work your way to the National Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square. Unfortunately, the museum has been closed since July 2011 for reconstruction.
11) Dancing House / Pig’s Knee – Okay, we know … we have eleven stops along our Must See list. There are just that many great things to see in Prague. Our last two must-see places are the same as those on The God Complex Self-Guided Tour. After you’ve seen Wenceslas Square, return to the bottom and board the Yellow line in the direction of Zličín again. Ride it two more stops to Karlovo náměstí. Go to the street level and board one of three above-ground trams (#4, 10, or 14) heading south, or in the same direction as the Yellow line metro. Take the tram to the Palackého náměstí stop to see the Dancing House, designed by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry. This architectural wonder gives the impression of a building that is moving. Standing near the building and gazing up into its windows produces some incredible reflections of the sky. Atop the building is a wonderful French restaurant, Céleste. However, for our tour, we are going to take you somewhere a little more earthy, a little more into the heart of Czech culture. In case you missed out on traditional Czech cuisine at the other restaurants we suggested above, you’ll certainly want to cross the river by foot or tram and check out Smíchovský Radniční Sklípek. Remember to order the pig’s knee with beer, or vepzove koleno and pivo.
Enjoy your trip!
