Prague Adventure Guide | 16 Prague Adventures You Need To Do (2024)

Start Planning

Ask a Backpacker

Ask questions and get travel tips from other backpackers in our Facebook group.

Be Inspired

Follow our Facebook page for travel tips, inspirational photos, videos, and stories.

Get The Kit

The Euro Trip Kit is a great way to help you get started with your trip planning.

Petrin Hill

If you are looking for a beautiful view of Prague, Petrin Hill is where to go. What was formerly the land of King Charles Vineyards, Petrin Hill is the perfect place to go for an afternoon walk when you just need to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

The hill is easily recognizable by the Petrin Lookout Tower, which somewhat resembles a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower. While here you can climb the tower for 360 degree views of the city or relax in some of the surrounding rose gardens and apple orchards.

KGB Museum

Located in a small storefront, the KGB Museum is owned by an eccentric Russian collector who will give you a personal tour for only a small fee.

The museum features a variety of KGB memorabilia including old spy cameras, weapons, badges, typewriters, strange Soviet uniforms, interrogation devices, and even a Lenin Death mask.

The KGB Museum also features a variety of rare photographs taken by a KGB officer in 1968 while on assignment in Prague. Even if you aren’t into history, the museum is well worth a visit, providing an extremely unique tour with an eccentric collector, and plenty of photo ops with old guns and Russian army hats.

Prague Castle

Founded in 880 by Prince Borivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty, the Prague Castle has been labelled a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most visited attractions in all of Prague.

Standing like something out of a fairy tale, the Prague Castle is estimated to be one of the largest castles in the entire world. The castle is roughly the size of 7 football fields and has been the home of Czech kings, emperors, and presidents for over a thousand years.

While at the Prague Castle you can say a prayer at the St. Vitus Cathedral, wander through the courtyards, admire the palaces, and stop to smell the fresh roses in the gardens. Also within the walls of the castle are several galleries and museums that are home to a variety of treasures and works of art from some of the most renowned artists in the Czech Republic.

St. Vitus Cathedral

Located within the grounds of the Prague castle, the St. Vitus Cathedral is often seen as the centerpiece of the grounds.

Considered to be the most important temple in all of Prague, the St. Vitus Cathedral has been home to many religious services throughout the years as well as several coronations of Czech Kings and Queens.

The construction of the castle started in 1344 but took well over 600 years to actually complete with the final phase finally being completed in 1929.

Today St. Vitus Cathedral dominates Prague’s skyline and houses a variety of treasures including the tombs of St Wenceslas and Charles IV, and the 14th century mosaic of the Last Judgement.

Golden Lane

Also located within the walls of the Prague Castle, Golden Lane is an ancient street that dates back to the 15th century. Along the lane are a series of tiny, colorful houses that almost look as though they were built for a hobbit sized family.

In reality, these small scale architectural style homes were once inhabited by defenders of Prague Castle along with servants, goldsmiths, and marksmen.

Today the Golden Lane is shrouded in both mystery and charm as several myths and legends have been derived around the Golden Lane including one that it may have once been home to shady experiments driven out by the alchemists of Rudolf II.

John Lennon Wall

Before it became the John Lennon Wall, this wall was actually known as the Crying Wall. It was here that protesters congregated and spray painted the wall with protest text and lyrics.

After his murder in 1980, John Lennon became somewhat of a national hero for many young Czechs and, in his memory, fans protested against his death here at the wall.

Given that the death of John Lennon created so much turmoil and upheaval, the Crying Wall seemed the perfect place to grieve his death and make memory to his name. For years the wall continued to attract artists, tourists, and graffiti artists who wanted to pay tribute to Lennon.

In 2014 a group of art students proclaiming that the “Wall is over!” completely whitewashing the wall. However, if you visit today you’ll see that many new artists continue to make their way over to the only place in all of Prague where graffiti is legal.

Charles Bridge

Considered to be the most famous bridge in Prague, the Charles Bridge measures over 520 meters in length and spans over 16 arches.

The Charles Bridge dates back to 1357 when it was commissioned by King Charles IV. Referred to by locals as Karluv Most, the bridge was constructed from cobblestone and is lined with dozens of Baroque religious figure statues.

While the Charles Bridge is the most well known bridge in all of Prague, it was actually not the first one to connect the Old Town to the Lesser Town as the original Judith Bridge collapsed in a flood in 1342. The Charles Bridge was built in it’s place and has survived many upon many of floods since.

Franz Kafka Museum

Just a hop, skip, and jump away from the Charles Bridge you will find the dark, curious Franz Kafka Museum.

A well known author in the early 20th century, Franz Kafka lived in Prague his entire life, but wrote all of his works in German. Much of Franz’s writing was considered to be dark, paranoid, and paradoxical, and most of the artifacts within the museum reflect exactly that.

Within the Franz Kafka Museum you can learn all about the writer, his life, and what role Prague played in shaping him. Housed within the museum are personal letters and diary entries written by the author, manuscripts, photographs, newspaper collections, and a variety of other personal artifacts that were representational of the author’s life, thoughts, and ideas.

Letna Park

A flat park on top of a hill, Letna Park consists of over 25 hectares and provides beautiful views of the city and the Vltava River. The park draws a variety of locals and tourists alike regardless of season.

It’s a great place to take an afternoon walk, run, cycle, or set up a picnic underneath the towering trees. Of course, Letna Park is also home to a great deal of history as throughout time it has been home to many science and trade fairs.

Letna Park was also the location where Hungary’s Velvet Revolution first took place. At the time, over 750,000 people stood to protest in the park to change Hungary’s communist ways.

Today, events and gatherings of over 10,000 people are common within the park and are held throughout the year.

Trip planning made easy

The Euro Trip Kit is a great way to start planning your trip.

Inside you'll find a travel journal, adventure passport, language cards and a bunch of other great things to get you excited for your euro trip.

Inside The Kit

Vltava River Cruise

Flowing through the center of Prague, the Vltava River divides the city in two separating the Old Town from Hradcany. The river is also a great way to see the city from a different vantage point by hopping on a Vltava River Cruise.

There are several different cruise options that you can take down the Vltava River, but the highlight of the trip remains the same on all – the Charles Bridge. Travel directly under this beautiful piece of history as you admire some of Prague’s main attractions and learn about the city’s 1000 year history.

Jewish Quarter

Officially referred to as Josefov, the Jewish Quarter is located between Prague’s Old Town Square and the Vltava River.

While the square is now considered to be one of the most impressive places to visit in Prague, it was actually once home to the largest Jewish Ghetto in Europe. During the 13th century when Jews were ordered to vacate their homes, the Jewish Ghetto is where they landed.

In 1389, a large portion of the Jewish within the ghetto were killed, and more similar tragedy would hit the Jewish community in the 15th and 16th centuries. During WWII, the Jews were evacuated from the Quarter and deported to concentration camps, leaving the Jewish Quarter as a deserted area.

Thankfully the carnage is over today, but the Jewish Quarter remains as one of the most significant landmarks in Prague’s history.

Old Town Square

While the Jewish Quarter is considered to be one of the most relevant squares in Prague’s history, the Old Town Square is considered to be the most beautiful.

The square began as a marketplace in the 11th century and eventually grew to become one of the most significant marketplaces in the country.

Aside from the market, the Old Town Square has also been home to many historically significant events. The uprising of 1422 that took place after the execution of Jan Zelivsky, the mass execution of 27 Czech noblemen in the Old Town Square Execution, and the 1902 demonstration for universal suffrage all took place in this famous square.

Today the Old Town Square is one of the most visited places in the Czech Republic and is home to a variety of annual events including Christmas fairs and broadcasts of sports matches.

Astronomical Clock

Located on the southern side of the Old Town Hall Tower, the Astronomical clock is considered a medieval world wonder and attracts hundreds of tourists from around the world every hour.

According to legend, the clock was built in the 15th century by an experienced clock master named Hanus and was designed not only to measure time but have other functions as well. Once the clock was built, the town councilors started to worry that he may build another clock with a similar look and function in another town so to prevent this from happening a group of people broke into the clock masters house and blinded him with a piece of iron.

Today, the clock is still standing and a show of 12 apostles appearing happens at the top of each hour between 9am and 11pm.

Dancing House

More officially referred to as the Nationale Nederlanden Building, the Dancing House is a unique modern building that "danced" into existence between 1992 and 1996.

The architects who designed the building, Vlado Milunic and Frank Own Gehry, were so inspired by famous dance couple Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers that the original name for the building was actually the Fred and Ginger Building.

Unfortunately, much of the building today is used for office space and is not open to the general public. With that being said, those would who like to explore the interior can visit the lobby or the Perle de Prague restaurant located on the 7th floor where you can have a panoramic view of the Vltava River and Prague Castle.

Wenceslas Square

Known as the commercial and administrative center of Prague, Wenceslas Square is home to a variety of theaters, banks, restaurants, cafes, shops, hotels, and cinemas.

Originally established as the horse market by Charles IV in 1348, the square has seen many historical gatherings and events throughout the centuries.

In 1918, the square saw the declaration of the First Czech Republic, in 1968 it saw the protests against the Soviet invasion, and in 1989 it witnessed the fall of communism.

Today the square is home to the National Museum, the St. Wenceslas Monument and a variety of Art Nouveau architecture.

Zizkov TV Tower

Standing over 216 meters in height, the Zizkov TV tower is the tallest building in all of Prague. Though it was once voted one of the most ugly buildings in the world, it does provide visitors with one of the most beautiful views in the city.

The tower got its strange appearance when David Cerny, a Czech sculpture, attached a series of crawling babies to the side in 2000. Each baby stands over 6 feet in height, and are designed with bar codes instead of faces.

Within the tower you will find a restaurant, a luxury hotel, and a cafe and at night it is illuminated with brilliant colors that light the sky.

Day trips from Prague

Don't forget to save some time to explore outside of Prague. There's several day trip adventures waiting for you outside the big city.

Among those adventures are reflecting at the Terezin Concentration Camp, checking out Prague's other major city Brno and exploring the majestic Karlštejn Castle.

•

10 Amazing Day Trips From Prague

Free walking tours

Prague, along with almost every major city in the world, has companies that offer free walking tours. These tours are usually run by young students who are passionate about telling the story of their city and country.

The tours are probably the best way to explore and learn about the city as the guides will take you to unique places in the city while telling you all sorts of interesting stories.

As a note, while these are "free" walking tours, tips are encouraged at the end of the tour and a €5 tip is the standard.

Ask a backpacker

Questions about backpacking? Our Facebook group is filled with backpackers just like you.

Ask questions, get advice, share some stories, and maybe even meet a travel buddy. Come hang out with us.

Join Our Group