Prague Travel Guide: What to See and Do in the Magical Czech Capital

Is Prague the new Paris? Find out about our favorite Prague eateries, experiences and esoterica to help you plan an unforgettable trip of your own to this beautiful, sophisticated city.

By: Lauren Oster

Shop This Look

Photo By: Lauren Oster

Photo By: Speculum Alchemiae

Photo By: Lauren Oster

Photo By: Getty Images/Heritage Images

Photo By: Lauren Oster

Photo By: Phil Clarke Hill

Photo By: Lauren Oster

Photo By: Getty Images / Gabriel Kuchta

Photo By: Lauren Oster

Photo By: ©Czech Tourism/Libor Svacek

Photo By: Lauren Oster

Traveling to Prague? Expect the Unexpected

You never forget the first time you cross the Karluv Most (Charles Bridge) in Prague, the Czech Republic’s capital city. Bejeweled with historic statues and twinkling lampposts, it arches over the Vltava River and offers heart-stopping views of both Old Town to the east and Malá Strana (Lesser Town) to the west; walking it, you’re certain you’re slipping between magical realms.

All of Prague is like that, really. To visit is to feel that you’re finally learning a secret. If you’re planning a visit of your own, chart a course for these 15 destinations and experiences — but know that for every wonder you plan to experience there, three more will take you by surprise.

For Lodging, Go for Baroque

Though Prague’s city center boasts a number of contemporary lodging options, it’s hard to resist the siren call of the city’s more florid offerings — and, we’d argue, you shouldn’t. The capital is far more affordable than many western European destinations, and a luxurious berth in an old-school hotel that draws decorative inspiration from old Bohemia (the kingdom established in the 14th century that became part of the Austrian Empire in the 19th century) can come at a reasonable price.

Our non-sponsored and entirely personal pick: The Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa, housed in an ornate 16th-century building a stone’s throw from the American Embassy in Malá Strana (and a short, scenic walk from Prague Castle). One night in its gilded halls? In early spring, around $180. Access to its chandelier-crowned, heated underground pool in an ancient cellar (above)? Priceless.

Explore a Former Alchemical Laboratory

If the occult medieval “sciences” that give the Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa its name intrigue you, take the short walk uphill to Speculum Alchemiae, a flamboyant museum in the ancient, UNESCO-listed building that once held the 16th-century Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II’s laboratory. Tracing the history of figures like John Dee and Edward Kelley who sought to create elixirs of eternal life and turn lead into gold, the museum’s exhibits occupy rooms rediscovered in 2002 after a flood. Thirty-minute guided tours explore the alchemists’ workshops, recreations of their experiments and the atmospheric catacombs that helped them keep their work secret.

Pay Your Respects at Kafka’s Final Resting Place

Easily accessible from the heart of the city via a short ride on Prague’s sleek midcentury subway system (a trip transit nerds will appreciate), Prague’s New Jewish Cemetery was built in the 19th century and features both intricate Art Nouveau monuments and Cubist constructions like this one, which memorializes writer Franz Kafka (The Trial, The Metamorphosis) and his parents. To visit, enter the cemetery at its main gate and walk east along the main avenue until you reach row 21, then turn right; when you reach the wall, turn left, and you’ll see it on your left at the end of the block.

Take an Art Nouveau Deep Dive at the Mucha Museum

Alphonse Mucha (pronounced Moo-ha in his native Czech) became synonymous with Art Nouveau in both Paris (where he had his earliest artistic success) and Prague, where the Mucha Museum displays his instantly recognizable posters, paintings, drawings and lithographs in the world’s only collection dedicated solely to his work. Managed by the Mucha Foundation, which also organizes traveling exhibits, it’s a jewel box that offers a comprehensive, multifaceted portrait of the artist.

Enjoy Even More Mucha at St. Vitus Cathedral

Visible from nearly everywhere in Prague and widely considered one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe, St. Vitus Cathedral is one of the largest buildings in the Prague Castle complex (a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the largest castle complex in the world). Its construction began in 1344, and its Gothic architecture features a triple-naved basilica with flying buttresses, a five-bayed choir and a 10-sided apse with radiating chapels. It also boasts contributions from more contemporary makers, such as this stained-glass window designed by Alphonse Mucha for St. Wenceslas’ Millennium Jubilee and installed in 1931. The castle complex and the cathedral are open every day of the week; seasonal hours and ticket information are available online.

Devote an Afternoon to National Gallery Prague’s Trade Fair Palace

Don’t let the sleek exterior and dazzling, expansive atria at National Gallery Prague’s Trade Fair Palace fool you into thinking it’s a recent conception. The institution traces its roots back to 1796, when the Society of Patriotic Friends of the Arts set out to elevate public taste through national artistic institutions. What is now the NGP houses both classical and modern art at its largest building, the Trade Fair Palace, a Czech Functionalist building constructed in the '20s. There you can find an expansive collection of works by both Czech artists and international luminaries like Dürer, van Gogh, Munch and Picasso. It’s a compulsory stop for visual art enthusiasts.

Soak in Film History at Kino Lucerna

The oldest cinema in Prague and the oldest continually-operating cinema in all of Europe, Kino Lucerna is the ornate heart of the Lucerna Arcade, a gilded commercial palazzo built at the beginning of the 20th century. Film lovers should attend at least one screening, of course, but art and architecture fans would be well advised to wander the hall and take in oddities like artist David Černý’s enormous sculpture suspended below the Arcade's delicate glass dome of King Wenceslas, the country’s patron saint, riding a dead horse. If the Arcade’s rooftop terrace is open, intrepid visitors can also ride up via its infamous paternoster elevator, a doorless, continuously-operating lift system that’s now illegal to build in the EU and extinct almost everywhere.

Visit One of the World’s Most Beautiful Libraries

Originally built in the 17th century and now lined with terrestrial and astronomical globes and housing more than 18,000 volumes, the Theological Hall at Strahov Monastery is what a bibliophile might expect heaven to look like. Strahov Monastery offers ticketed glimpses (and allows photography of) both its libraries and galleries every day (except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Easter).

Then Visit Another One Next Door

Strahov’s spectacular Philosophical Hall — a 15-second commute from the Theological Hall — was installed in this space between 1794 and 1797, and the Viennese painter Anton Maulbertsch painted its ceiling over the course of six months with only one assistant. In some places, its walnut façades conceal hidden spiral staircases masked with false book spines; it houses more than 42,000 volumes. If you dream of a closer look at this gorgeous space, know that because of preservation standards for the books, general admission tour guests aren’t permitted to enter the rooms themselves; to do that, you’ll need to plan ahead and inquire well in advance for an interior tour.

Try Traditional Fare at Strahov Monastery Brewery

Prague’s well-deserved reputation for spectacular beer rests on its production of pilsner-style lagers, which are available just about everywhere (the Czech Republic has the highest per capita beer consumption in the world). That said, allotting time for a meal and a mug at Strahov Monastery Brewery (founded for monks in 1142 and reopened for beer lovers in 2000) will earn you access to unfiltered, unpasteurized St. Norbert beers, 95% of which are consumed onsite and never reach tipplers in other parts of the city. The brewery offers a hearty food menu of Czech favorites to counterbalance the suds — and there are even a few options for those who don’t eat meat.

Zigzag Into a Michelin-Acclaimed Pan-Asian Eatery

When you’re ready to take a break from Prague’s celebrated meat, potatoes and patisserie — and, trust us, that time will come — book a contemporary meal at QQ Asian Kitchen, a casual, family-style restaurant in Nové Město (New Town) that’s earned the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand status for its eclectic, affordable (entrees max out at around $25), vegetarian-friendly and utterly delicious offerings.

Have a Leisurely Grand Cafe Brunch

With an Art Deco ceiling, an accomplished in-house bakery you can observe (for confection-selection research purposes) en route to the basement-level WCs and gracious architecture that makes you feel like intellectual royalty as you sip your coffee, Café Savoy is one of the grandest of Prague’s grand cafes. From the late 19th century to the 1930s, cafe culture was all the rage in Prague, and everyone from Albert Einstein to Franz Kafka gathered in spectacular spaces like this one to share ideas over drinks. Built in 1893 and renovated in 2004, Savoy is tucked just beyond the Charles Bridge’s west-bank terminus. It doesn’t take reservations, but a table is well worth a potential wait.

Marvel (and Nosh) at the World’s Only Cubist Cafe

Perched on the second floor of Old Town’s House at the Black Madonna, the city’s first Cubist building (designed by Josef Gočár and completed in 1912), the Grand Café Orient features a Cubist buffet-bar, mirrors, chandeliers, chairs, textiles, coat hooks and door handles, and it is unlike any place you’ve visited before or will ever visit again. The building’s upper floors are devoted to the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague’s permanent Czech Cubism exhibit, accessible to ticketed guests on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The ground floor, in turn, features a small gift shop selling reproductions of some of the fantastic accessories displayed upstairs

Take a Sightseeing Cruise Along the Vltava River

Admiring Prague’s spectacular architecture from the river is such a lovely experience that you needn’t book a lengthy tour, a romantic meal or even a sunset glass of Prosecco to have a fulfilling outing on the water. We advise booking an hour-long excursion with an operator that offers seats in the open air and letting the scenery take center stage.

Stroll the City After Dark

Recently recognized as one of the safest cities in the world, Prague is a wonderful destination when you have no destination at all. With whimsical public art, dazzling architecture, walkable neighborhoods and nightlife to suit casual foodies and clubgoers, it offers an open invitation to step outside and see what happens.

Prague Travel Guide: What to See and Do in the Magical Czech Capital

Shop This Look

Traveling to Prague? Expect the Unexpected

For Lodging, Go for Baroque

Explore a Former Alchemical Laboratory

Pay Your Respects at Kafka’s Final Resting Place

Take an Art Nouveau Deep Dive at the Mucha Museum

Enjoy Even More Mucha at St. Vitus Cathedral

Devote an Afternoon to National Gallery Prague’s Trade Fair Palace

Soak in Film History at Kino Lucerna

Visit One of the World’s Most Beautiful Libraries

Then Visit Another One Next Door

Try Traditional Fare at Strahov Monastery Brewery

Zigzag Into a Michelin-Acclaimed Pan-Asian Eatery

Have a Leisurely Grand Cafe Brunch

Marvel (and Nosh) at the World’s Only Cubist Cafe

Take a Sightseeing Cruise Along the Vltava River

Stroll the City After Dark

How to Build Regulation Cornhole Boards

50 DIY Home Improvement Projects to Tackle This Weekend 50 Photos

How to Pick Kitchen Cabinet Frames

How to Clean a Humidifier

How to Build a Banquette Seat With Built-in Storage

18 Valuable Vines to Plant in Your Garden 19 Photos