Unique things to do in Prague

Prague, Czech Republic is a beautiful and historical city in central Europe that is full of culture. Whether you are looking to be a tourist or to just set out to explore, the city offers a great trip for any traveler. Here are our top unique things to do in Prague.

Click the links below to skip to any of the following sections:

Wander Around Prague
Find a Rooftop
Charles Bridge
Prague’s Communist History and the Žižkov TV Tower
The City of Prague Museum
Prague’s Hockey History
Prague’s Parks
Old Town
Mala Strana
Prague Castle
Take a Road Trip

Wander around Prague

The best thing you can do (in my opinion) in any new city is to get a good pair of walking shoes and to just walk. Wandering around cities, especially historic cities, are the best ways you can learn about the real culture and history of that city.

In Prague, it is no different. There are two distinct areas within Prague (Old Town and Mala Strana), and it would take you years to explore all of it.

Find a Rooftop

While you are out wandering, finding a rooftop is also a great idea. We happened to have an amazing one on our hotel (Hotel Aria in Mala Strana), which gave us some amazing views of Prague. If you are looking for the best hostels in Prague, this article has some amazing ones for you to find your own perfect view.

If you do not have one in your hotel, look for hotel restaurants or just regular restaurants on the roof. You can usually find some kind of building that will allow you on their roof. Find it and enjoy the view of such an amazingly beautiful city.

Charles Bridge

The Charles Bridge is an obvious tourist location, but it is worth walking the bridge — at least once during your trip. The bridge is nearly 700 years old and has numerous replicas of statues that previously adorned the bridge.

Charles Bridge is also one of the many bridges that gets you from Old Town to Mala Strana, or Lesser Town. There are street vendors along the way, as well as many performers. Depending on the time of day, you may also see photo shoots.

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It’s also worth climbing the Old Town bridge tower, where you can oversee the bridge and get a 360 view of the entire city.

One note: Locals understand this is a tourist location that is packed many hours of the day, so make sure to watch your pockets and bag, as the bridge is known for pickpockets.

Book a tour of Prague, including the Charles Bridge, plus a 1-Hour River Cruise.

Prague’s Communist History and the Žižkov TV Tower

Prague was a communist city from 1948 to 1989, and you can find some remnants of that, including numerous statues across the city. They are not incredibly easy to find, but you will find pieces of them all over.

One impressive building is the Žižkov Television Tower, which is exactly what it sounds like: a former TV tower during the communist era. The tower has since been converted into a restaurant and hotel, and is well worth the visit. While we were there, we took a car from our hotel, which cost $35, but on our way back we took an Uber, which cost $4.

You can take an elevator up to the outlook if you don’t want to spend money, or make a night of it and eat at the Oblaca Restaurant. Although it is not widely advertised, the tower is also home to a one-room hotel — which would be an amazing place to stay, even if for only one night.

Take a tour of Prague’s Communist History.

The City of Prague Museum

With so many amazing sites in Prague, this museum might seem less interesting than the rest. However, there are many reasons you should put this museum on your list when you visit Prague.

The first reason is the building itself, — it is a beautiful building built specifically as the Royal City of Prague Museum from 1896 to 1898. The museum is full of beautiful artwork, and the building is a piece of art on its own.

Langweil Model of Prague

However, the most important reason you should visit this museum is because it is home to the Langweil model of Prague. This model was built between 1826 and 1837, and is a real-life model of the entire city of Prague during that time.

The mode was made using cardboard by an employee in Prague’s University Library, Antonín Langweil. To view the model, you will also view a video created by the museum to show you how it was made and give you a 3D flyover of the city. The model gives you important insight into how the city was built and how little it has changed in nearly 200 years.

Prague’s Hockey History

Like many European countries, hockey is an important part of the Czech culture. The country has had many players in the NHL, including Jaromír Jágr, Patrik Eliáš, Milan Hejduk, Václav Prospal, David Krejcí, Jakub Vorácek, Dominik Hašek, and many, many more.

While in Prague, there are many ways you can experience their hockey history. You can visit the O2 Arena, which is home to the HC Sparta, Prague’s hockey team.

You can also visit Czech Hockey Hall of Fame, which is interestingly in the local mall. Although small, the hall of fame is worth a trip, because this sport has been important to the Czech Republic for such a long time and it’s great to learn about.

Prague’s Parks

Prague is known for their history, but the city is also home to many beautiful parks. You won’t always find these parks in tourist magazines, but they are worth making the trip. While you are out wandering, you will likely stumble upon at least one of these beautiful parks. If you are looking for good views of the city, make your way through a park and you will likely end up above all of Prague.

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Petřínské sady not only offers beautiful walking paths but also takes you to the best view of Prague (as well as the university).

Letenské sady is also a great walk and features the 75-foot Prague Metronome, which was built in 1991 on the cite of a former statue of Joseph Stalin.

Book your City Tour of Prague.

Old Town

Old Town is another obvious tourist location – think of it as the Times Square of Prague — but the square is beautiful and worth visiting.

Make sure to check out the Church of Our Lady before Týn Cathedral and the Astronomical Clock. The Prague Astronomical Clock, or Prague Orloj, is a clock that was first installed around 1410. It is the oldest astronomical clock in operation. Find the clock mounted on the Old Town Hall in Old Town Square. When we were there, the clock was under construction, but they had a presentation of the newly-renovated clock in 2018.

Also check to see if there are events going on during your stay, because the city hosts many world-class events, such as the Prague Marathon.

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One note: If you plan to eat in Old Town, make sure to check your bill – as restaurants tend to be more expensive and you can find yourself paying for things you may not have ordered  — like we did. Learn more about how you can avoid getting ripped off while traveling (with all my Prague examples) here.

Book a guided Old Town Tour.

Mala Strana

Although not considered as much of a tourist destination, the other side of the river is equally as stunning. You can get lost in the winding streets and explore the beautiful buildings that make up this side of the city.

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St. Nicholas Church is a must on this side of the river. The church is a must-see, and if you do not plan on spending time on this side of the river for any other reason, this church is completely worth it.

Mala Strana is also home to the Prague Castle, a destination that could take you a full day (if not more) to explore, as it is one of the largest castle complexes in the world.

Learn more and book your tour of Mala Strana (Lesser Town).

Prague Castle

The Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle complex in the world, and is a site to see. Construction on the castle began in the year 870. The Basilica of St. Vitus is one of the most beautiful, and obvious, things to visit while at the castle.

Full of shops, St. Vitus Cathedral, restaurants, gardens, and the castle itself, you can easily spend an entire day exploring the castle area.

Because of the awareness of this castle among tourists, expect long lines to get in and a lot of people throughout your whole visit. It is better knowing this going in, because once you’ve accepted it, it’s really not that bad. It really is a beautiful location and completely worth the visit.

Learn more, and book your ticket and tour of Prague Castle.

Take a trip out of town

Although you can say this about many European cities, one of the great things about the continent is its proximity to everything else. Good day trips from Prague include cities like Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Warsaw, and Regensburg — all within a few hours, and it’s worth renting a car or taking a train to visit these cities.

Because if you are traveling to Europe, you might as well explore all you can.

We used Auto Europe to book our car — they find you deals through numerous different car rental companies. You can learn more and look for prices here.

Although there are some very important things you should make a point of doing while in Prague, it is a city that lends itself to exploring. Take a walk and see where you end up.

And let us know – Did we miss anything? What is your favorite thing about Prague?