Explore Essentials: The Definitive Guide to Prague’s Top Attractions

“For a city of its petite size, Prague has more than its share of sights. In high season central Prague can get busy, so it pays to do your research and plan to visit some of Prague’s top attractions at off periods to avoid the crowds. Fortunately, it’s easy to get around and we’re here to help you plan with the definitive guide to Prague’s top attractions.

Prague Castle
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Prague’s most popular attraction, Prague Castle is always full of visitors. To really beat the crowds, you want to arrive early in the morning, before the historical buildings open for tours – 6am-8:30am in the summer.

The castle is vast and includes the Old Royal Palace, St Vitus Cathedral, St George’s Basilica and Golden Lane, as well as a handful of different gardens and courtyards. The ticketing system for Prague Castle is slightly complicated – there are a variety of circuits that allow access to different areas of the grounds, all for different prices.Fortunately tickets are valid for two days, and you might need them to see everything. The information centres in the various courtyards have ticket offices; you can’t buy tickets online.

Admission: 250-350 CZK

Opening hours: Historical buildings 9am-5pm (4pm in winter); castle grounds 6am-10pm

St Vitus Cathedral
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St Vitus Cathedral is the crown jewel of Prague Castle and you can only visit it with a ticket for the castle complex. The cathedral is hands-down the most popular attraction within the complex, and there is generally a queuing system in place to stop the inside of the cathedral getting overwhelmed. The visitor entrance to St Vitus Cathedral is at the portal in the western facade, opposite the passage between the Second and Third Courtyards.

Charles Bridge
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A stroll across the Charles Bridge is on every Prague visitor’s bucket list, but when is the best time to see it? Early morning is your best chance of seeing the Charles Bridge with few or no people on it, but the bridge is at its most atmospheric around sunset and into the evening, when the lights of Prague Castle twinkle in the waters of the Vltava River and the bridge’s Gothic statues take on an eerie, mystical hue.

Astronomical Clock & Old Town Square
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It’s free to wander around Prague’s beautiful Old Town Square, and while you’re here, you’ll want to watch the Astronomical Clock chime. The clock chimes on the hour, every hour, and you’ll be alerted to this by the crowd that gathers below the clock about 10 minutes before the hour. You can avoid the crowds by visiting early in the morning, but the procession of the apostles only happens 9am-11pm) – it’s far less crowded later in the evening. For an up-close experience, buy a ticket to the Old Town Hall (250 CZK), which the clock is mounted on.

Church of Our Lady Before Týn
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More commonly known as just the Týn Church, this Gothic cathedral is in Old Town and its iconic dual spires are visible from all over the old parts of the city. You can visit the church when services aren’t in session, or attend a mass (held at different times each day; times vary seasonally). The entrance is through the passage from Staroměstské náměstí 14.

Admission: Free (recommended donation of 25 CZK)

Opening hours: 10am-1pm and 3pm-5pm, Tuesday­-Saturday; 10am-12pm, Sunday

National Museum
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The National Museum presents its collections in several venues around Prague, but the main building is located at the ‘top’ (southeast side) of Wenceslas Square – here you’ll find the Historical Building (recently renovated and housing temporary exhibitions) and the New Building just next to it (where the main permanent collections are located). You can buy tickets online or in-person at the box office.

Admission: 460 CZK (full ticket to Old Building and New Building)

Opening hours: 10am-6pm daily

Prague Jewish Museum
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A guided tour of the Prague Jewish Museum includes exhibitions staged in four historical synagogues, as well as access to the Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov, the former Jewish ghetto of Prague. Note that the museum is closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays. There’s a ticket office onsite, but you can buy them online in advance.

Admission: 350 CZK

Opening hours: 9am-6pm, Sunday-Friday

Strahov Library
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Prague’s most beautiful library is within Strahov Monastery, itself a popular and worthwhile tourist attraction. You can buy tickets for the library only, or a combined ticket

that includes the picture gallery costs 200 CZK. You need to pay 50 CZK to take photos. Tram 22 is the best way to reach Strahov Library – alight at Pohořelec. The library is closed for lunch from midday to 1pm.

Admission: 120 CZK

Opening hours: 9am-5pm daily (closed 12pm-1pm)

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