The 29 best things to do in Prague

Though Prague has no shortage of viewpoints and photo-worthy panoramas, the tourist crowds can get a bit annoying. If you’re the type of traveller who likes a little breathing room, head over to Vyšehrad. The hillside views are a bonus on top of its parks sprinkled with statues, a peaceful cemetery, an eye-catching cathedral, and one of the city’s best beer gardens. The red line (also called the C line) stops here – making it easy to access the fort’s gothic spires and relaxing grounds just off the banks of the Vltava.

Climb up to Letná Park and get yet another breathtaking perspective over Prague. In the past decade, Prague 7 (first-time visitors, take note: Prague is divided into sections and assigned numbers) has morphed from a sleepy residential neighbourhood into one that’s vibrant and full of cool boutiques and restaurants. Letná Park features a massive kinetic sculpture of a moving metronome; its foundation was once the base of an enormous Stalin monument that was torn down in 1962. Letná beer garden’s park benches and views of the Old Town across the Vltava are an after-work favourite among locals, dog walkers and international travellers. Note that despite the idyllic picnic setting, you’re not allowed to bring any food or drink from outside into the beer garden.

Passage Lucerna is where tourists flock to see one of David Černý’s most controversial sculptures – of a saint riding an upside-down horse – but there’s so much more to explore. The passage boasts a collection of shops, an early 1900s-style café, a well-preserved old cinema, a rooftop bar in summer, and a nostalgic ’80s and ’90s party every weekend at Lucerna Music Bar. The building itself was designed by the father of Vaclav Havel (the first president of independent Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic, after it split from Slovakia). It’s worth getting to know both Černý and Havel, as both men have left major impressions on the city as it is today.

This cathedral is lovely, but what earns it a spot in history is its connection to the Czech resistance efforts against the Nazis in Bohemia (the Czech Republic has three regions, Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia). The basement of this building now houses a free museum complete with video installations, photos and war paraphernalia. Learn how a group of young Czech soldiers and dissidents carried out a plan to regain their sovereignty from one of Hitler’s top deputies, Reinhard Heydrich, known as ‘the Butcher of Prague’. The story is heavy-going, so prepare yourself; then visit the tombs of the brave men who risked their lives to help free Bohemia.

In Malá Strana (the Little Quarter), most tourists gravitate towards Wallenstein Garden, known for its drip wall, owls, bronze statues and free-roaming peacocks. The nearby Vrtba Garden is lesser-known, but equally beautiful and immaculately manicured. Rich with geometric designs and statues of gods, it’s a brilliantly kept secret. The pristine gardens sit below the slope of Petřín Hill – another classic sight topped with a mini-Eiffel Tower. Note that the Vrtba Garden entrance can be easy to miss, tucked as it is down an alleyway off Karmelitská Street.

Frantiskanska Zahrada is tucked behind the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, just around the corner from Václavské Náměstí (Wenceslas Square). Enter through the Passage Světozor, stop for an ice cream and maybe pop to the eye-catchingly decked-out coffee shop downstairs. Then make your way to the end of the hallway of shops and restaurants to a large gate on your left. Inside the gardens, bag a coveted bench and take in the fresh air. Rose trellises, apple trees and sculptures abound. For a moment of stillness in the heart of the city, this is where to head; it’s simply a lovely place to rest your feet after a day’s sightseeing.

Perhaps you want to send a postcard or letter to someone from the heart of Bohemia. Make your way to the Main Post Office just off Wenceslas Square, but don’t just toss your postcard or letter into the mailboxes outside. Go inside first to soak up the frescoed walls in one of the prettiest post offices in all of the Czech Republic (and maybe even the world). The space is open almost 24 hours a day (it’s closed only from midnight to 2am). Just keep your cameras and phones in your pocket because photography is forbidden.

It makes sense that the city of Prague would find a way to cherish their beloved former president, Vaclav Havel. The first President of the Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia) is a household name, and locals of all generations adore him. You’ll see posters, books and photos of him strewn throughout the city. This square, decorated in his honour, sits appropriately between the National Theatre and glass-beehive New Stage beside it. A red glowing heart along the far wall refers to Havel’s habit of adding the symbol of love to his signature.

The Unesco-protected Speculum Alchemiae had remained hidden until recently, when flooding in the Old Town tore through its cobblestone streets. So what exactly was unveiled? Bizarrely, a fully intact alchemical laboratory. Back in the 16th century, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II was obsessed with natural sciences, alchemy and all things occult, and hired several alchemists, including John Dee and Edward Kelley, to unmask the secrets to the Philosopher’s Stone. Tunnels linking this lab to Prague Castle only serve to confirm his occultist reputation.

Plenty of legends swirl around Čertovka (the Devil’s Stream). One story has it that the amicable ghost of Karbourek, the Water Sprite, blesses those who give him beer with pikes or eels. Another tale tells of how the stream is haunted by a vicious old woman who lived off Maltese Square at a house called ‘At the Seven Devils’. She was infamous for hexing people who dared encroach upon her home. You can sneak a peek of Karbourek near the John Lennon Wall (note that rules for the graffiti wall are getting stricter, so read the signage before scrawling your name). 

Often brimming with pop-up bars and coffee carts – and overrun with festival-goers come summer – Střelecký Island is an idyllic picnic site that’s particularly popular among families and couples. It offers plentiful wildlife, with ducks, swans and beavers wandering its shores, plus an alternative perspective of the Charles Bridge, Kampa Park in the distance, and Prague’s sprawling city centre – all from the very middle of the Vltava.