15 Things to Do in Prague Updated 2023

Published February 13th, 2023| February 13th, 2023

Things to Do in Prague, one of Europe’s most beloved cities, known for its beautiful medieval architecture and a top European destination.

The summer is a busy time because of its popularity. Prague is home to just 1.3million people !!!!. In 2019, almost seven million tourists visited Prague. The crowds are now back after COVID.

Prague might be struggling with overtourism but the city still has plenty to offer for intrepid and repeat visitors looking to explore the other highlights.

For example, did you know that about a hundred years ago, a group of Czech architects decided to apply Picasso’s Cubist style to architecture and that scattered around Prague is a small handful of Cubist buildings, including a Cubist café?

Are you aware that Prague is home to dozens of doorless elevators?

Here are my top ten Prague things you should do to deepen your experience and see Prague from a different perspective.

Things to Do in Prague : St. Jacob the Greater Church

The Church of St. Jacob the Greater gets overlooked because it sits in the shadow of Týn Cathedral on Old Town Square. If you are interested in exploring this basilica from the 13th century, there is a hidden object that hangs from a link just above the entrance.

This is a dry hand that has become drained from a hook for meat.

According to the legend, the thief attempted to take precious jewels from the statue of Virgin Mary at her altar. He reached for the jewels and the statue grasped his arm. The statue wouldn’t let go.

Some parishioners — many of whom belonged to the Prague Butchers’ Guild — amputated the hand of the thief and Mary immediately dropped it. They hung it up in church as a warning to future thieves.

Take a Prague Ghost Walking Tour You’ll be able to listen in on this fascinating tale.

Malá Štupartská 635. Monday through Sunday, 9:30am-4:30pm Admission is completely free.

Charles Square

One of the largest squares in Europe, Charles Square sits in New Town (Nové Mesto). This square was once a cattle marketplace that also sold wheat and fish. One week per year, Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV held a relics exhibition here. These were important religious objects that had significant spiritual significance. It’s now a lovely square that few people see, but it is great for people-watching.

Bethlehem Chapel

Located on a pleasant and intimate square in Old Town (Staré Mesto), this was where a man named Jan Hus preached to parishioners in the early 15th century — in Czech, not in Latin as was required at the time. It was considered radical. Hus was a charismatic preacher in Prague. He criticized pomp and circumstance in the church, and said that it was intended to exclude all people.

Pay attention to the lack of icons and simplicity. Hus was very pleased with the architecture.

Betlémské nám., bethlehemchapel.eu. Daily, 9:00am to 6:00pm. Admission is completely free.

Vítkov Hill

You’ll find a great view from the top of this hill, east-of Old Town. There’s more to this hill than meets the eye: It’s home to the world’s biggest equestrian statue. The man on the horse is one-eyed General Jan Žižka. After the pope had Jan Hus (mentioned above) burned at the stake in 1415, people like Žižka took up his cause. The Pope formed an army and shortly afterward, warrior-crusaders from Bohemia marched into the western half of what is now Czech Republic to stop his reform-minded rebellion. About a thousand of Žižka’s men defeated an army of Catholic crusaders — some say there were 20,000 of them. The Hussites, as they called themselves, were eventually defeated by the Catholics, but Žižka’s spirit remains on Vítkov Hill.

Prague is second only to New Orleans in having the highest number of pubs per capita, and Žižkov has about 300 of them, the highest density in Prague. Do you want to save your money? Go on a pub crawl here.

Prague, Infant

If you’re a fan of religious history, one religious oddity worth seeking out in Prague is a baby doll on display inside the 16th-century Church of Our Lady Victorious in the Malá Strana neighborhood. Italian for “The Infant of Prague”, often referred to as Il Bambino di PragaKing Ferdinand introduced ) to the city on 1628.

Rampaging Swedish soldiers — who went on a wild frenzy in Prague in the 1630s — threw the doll in a pile of trash and it was lost. This was until seven years after, when the doll was found by a priest who had been wandering around in the pile of garbage and heard someone say, “Psst. Psst. Take pity upon me and I’ll take pity. You will be blessed more if you do my honor. The Infant is now a regular visitor to Our Lady Victorious’s chapel.

There is an international cult of devotion to the Infant of Prague that exists in Catholic churches all around the globe. A miniature version of this doll is given to a bride in Ireland as an example.

Karmelitská 9, pragjesu.cz. We are open Monday through Saturday 9:30am-5.30am and Sunday from 1pm-6pm. Admission is FREE

Paternoster Elevator

Nicknamed “the Elevator of Death,” the Paternoster is a type of lift that doesn’t have a door — and it doesn’t stop at floors. You can find a few of them in Prague, but they are most readily accessible in Prague City Hall.

Follow the hallway that leads to the rear of the building from the entrance. The slow-moving lift is located here. Enjoy the ride, but be careful. Don’t worry if you can’t reach the top floors. The elevator will simply turn in a loop and you’ll soon be back at the bottom.

Prague New City Hall, Mariánské nám. 2, praha.eu/jnp. We are open Monday to Friday from 8am-5pm. Admission is completely free.

Petrín Tower

A group of Czech Tourists traveled to Paris in 1889 to view the World Exposition. They were awestruck by the new Eiffel Tower so the inspired Czechs went back home and raised enough money to erect a similar tower on Petrín Hill, near the center of Prague.

Petrín Tower isn’t exactly a replica of the Eiffel Tower, but you can easily recognize that the tower was heavily inspired by the Eiffel Tower. To get an amazing view of Prague, you can walk up 299 stairs.

Petrínské sady 633. Every day, 10am-8pm. The admission fee is 150 CZK

Alternative Prague Walking Tour

Walking tours appeal to me. You can cover quite a bit of ground with the guidance of an experienced local guide. You can find this information here Other Prague Walking Tours It will take you on a tour of some the most iconic street art in New York and show you what took place during the Velvet Revolution. Visit a underground steampunk club and explore secret cafes. Also see hidden community theaters. Learn about the underground crypto-anarchist hackers institute.

You should not miss this opportunity to see the unique art and community that live in Prague.

A tour lasts 3 hours and costs 623 CZK per head. Book your tour online.

Things to Do in Prague : Cubist Architecture

Between 1911 and 1914, a small group of Czech architects decided to see what it would be like if they applied Cubism — usually found in paintings, such as in the early-20th-century work of Picasso — to architecture. A few beautiful buildings were born. You can stroll around the Vyšehrad neighborhood, about two miles south of Old Town, and find some of these structures.

One other centrally located Cubist site you should seek out is on Jungmannovo námestí (Jungmann Square), just off the bottom of Václavské námestí (Wenceslas Square). It’s not Only the most beautiful Cubist lamppost in the world — it’s the only Cubist lamppost throughout the globe

Take the quiz to learn more about Cubism. Walking tour through Art Nouveau, Cubist Architecture. The video is 3 hours long and includes all of the highlights.

Ovocný trh 19, grandcafeorient.cz. Every day, 8 am-10 pm The admission is completely free.

St. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral

Two Czech parachutists, living as exiles in Great Britain for the past year, secretly parachuted from Prague at night on October 28, 1941. They were attempting to kill a top Nazi official, head of Nazi Protectorate in Bohemia and Moravia Reinhard Heydrich. Operation Anthropoid was the secret operation.

On May 27, 1942, Jozef Gabcik and Jan Kubiš ambushed Heydrich’s car, spraying Heydrich with a shower of bullets. Heydrich was assassinated a few days later. He was the highest ranking Nazi official.

Following that incident, the Nazis sought revenge and set out to hunt Prague. For three weeks, the paratroopers hid in the Cathedral of St. Cyril and Methodius from the Nazis. Someone spied on them and the Germans soon had the church surrounded. But once they finally broke into the crypt, they found Gabcik and Kubiš dead from self-inflicted bullet wounds.

It is possible to visit the church even today without seeing the bullet holes from the Nazis in the walls. A tour is also available. Walking tour of World War II that covers this story — and much more around Prague.

Resslova 9a. katedrala.info Monday through Saturday, 8am-5pm; Sunday, 8am-2pm. Admission is FREE

Prague Metronome

If you’re crossing the Charles Bridge and look to the north up the Vltava River toward Letná Park, you can see a giant metronome. It’s odd, but it’s still not so bizarre as other strange things found in the same spot. In 1955, the largest ever statue of Josef Stalin was erected by communist authorities.

Stalin lost favor in a few years and, in 1962, the monument was destroyed. Prague installed the functioning metronome measuring 75 feet at the same location in 1991. Its designer, Czech sculptor Vratislav Karel Novák, envisioned the monument as representing “the relentless passing of time.” The plaque that is located at the foundation of the monument reads: “In time all things pass.”

You can visit the metronome during the warmer months to find a bar outside selling beers and cocktails. Sometimes a DJ spins tunes and sometimes there are a few skaters around.

Day Trip to Bohemian Paradise Geopark

Bohemian Paradise Geopark It is UNESCO listed and contains stunning geological formations, many of which are thousands of years old. Artists and painters have enjoyed the rich pine forests and rugged landscape for many centuries. A few historic buildings and lodges can be found here, including some dating back to the Middle Ages.

Day trippers are only one hour from Prague via car to visit this park. They can take in the stunning landscapes, walk, view local villages and just enjoy the beauty of nature away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Prague tours generally take 8 hours. They include stops at local craft shops, as well as lunch at a park-side restaurant.

Day trips from Prague start at 4,000 CZK Book your tour online.

Žižkov TV Tower

The tower, measuring 700 feet tall was built in the second half of 1980s. There were rumors that it was constructed by the Communists to block radio transmissions from West. Since its conception, the structure has been opposed by locals.

Prague permitted David Cerny (a Czech artist well-known) to put ten huge crawling, black babies onto the shaft. It was only then that the public’s opinion started to shift a little. The structure is worth taking a closer look. The elevator can take you up to the viewing platform for a spectacular view of Prague.

Mahlerovy sady 1, Towerpark.cz. Hours of operation: 8am to midnight every day. You can pay 300 CZK for admission. get your ticket here.

Sapa Praha

Prague is home to a significant Vietnamese population. This is because during the 41 year Communist period the Czechs welcomed many Vietnamese students to their country. Vietnam was also considered a Communist nation. Prague is home to many Vietnamese-themed restaurants.

Sapa is the ideal place to go diving. Anthony Bourdain even made it a point of visiting this market when he was filming a Prague TV show. Although there are many cheap products for sale here, the main reason you should visit is to enjoy a meal at one of the outstanding northern Vietnamese restaurants.

Libušská 319/126, sapa-praha.cz. Hours of operation: 8am-6pm daily The admission is completely free.

Franz Kafka statue

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Prague-based Kafka Society invited entries for a contest to design a Franz Kafka statue that could be placed in central Prague. Kafka was an important contributor to literature of the 20th century. Many of these entries had the German-speaking Jewish writer standing tall on a platform. Jaroslava Rozana (Czech artist) did something different with Jaroslava’s entry. Kafka was seen sitting on top of a headless male wearing a suit. It is an allusion from his short story, “Description of a Struggle.”

Rona’s surrealist sculptural won the competition. However, the Kafka society’s annual writer prize is also an example of Rona. You can see the original on display in the Jewish Quarter, where Dušni and Vezenská Streets meet.

***Prague is an amazing destination that’s worth your time. Although the major highlights of Prague are worth seeing, I find that Prague really comes alive when you explore the lesser-known, less touristic sights.

Prague’s unique attractions are less crowded than the summer rush, so you can enjoy a much more relaxed (and authentic) experience.