UltimateCity Guide Prague
Our favourites
Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral above the Vltava, with Charles Bridge and a river boat in spring sun Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral above the Vltava, with Charles Bridge and a river boat in spring sun The bridges of Prague over the Vltava in autumn, seen from the Letná slopes, with the Old Town beyond The Church of Our Lady before Týn and the Kinský Palace across a quiet Old Town Square in morning light Prague from Petřín: St Vitus Cathedral, the roofs of Malá Strana and the city to the horizon

The city guide to Prague, Czechia

Best of Prague

Prague Castle above the river, Charles Bridge at dawn, the astronomical clock and the spires of Týn, Mozart at the Estates Theatre and Dvořák at the Rudolfinum, svíčková and a glass of Pilsner, and the 2026 MICHELIN stars: Prague, checked place by place.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

Where to eatWhat to see
The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resortThe Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyPrime neighbourhoods, agents, new developments and how buying works

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Prague

Prague is the city of a hundred spires: a Castle on its hill, a Gothic bridge, a medieval Old Town and a Baroque Lesser Town, on UNESCO’s list since 1992, and one of Europe’s great music cities. Here are the grand hotels and the 2026 MICHELIN stars, the sights, the opera houses and concert halls, the districts from Staré Město and Malá Strana to Vinohrady, Žižkov and Holešovice, the Christmas markets, and day trips to Kutná Hora, Karlštejn, Český Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, Dresden and the Terezín Memorial. We’ve checked every listing against the venue’s own website or an official source, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Prague, the city of a hundred spires: the back story

In depth

The city of a hundred spires

Prague·In depth

The Castle and St Vitus, Charles Bridge, the Old Town Hall and its clock, Josefov, Strahov and Vyšehrad: how to read the historic centre.

Read the story

Arts + Culture

All of Arts & Culture

Mozart at the Estates Theatre, the Czech Philharmonic at the Rudolfinum, the National Theatre, the Prague Spring and the National Gallery.

The painted curtain, gilded boxes and red velvet of the State Opera auditoriumArts + CultureArts & Culture in PragueOpera, concerts, galleries and film

Prague by area

From the Old Town to Holešovice, each district has its own guide: the medieval square and the bridge, the Lesser Town and the Castle, the Jewish Quarter, Charles IV’s New Town, elegant Vinohrady, Žižkov and Karlín, and the art district in the river bend.

The Church of Our Lady before Týn and the Kinský Palace across a quiet Old Town Square in morning lightArea guideStaré MěstoThe Old TownThe red-tiled roofs and dormers of Malá Strana below PetřínArea guideMalá StranaThe Lesser TownPrague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral above Malá Strana and Charles BridgeArea guideHradčany & the CastlePrague CastleThe gilded, Moorish-style dome of the Spanish Synagogue in JosefovArea guideJosefovThe Jewish QuarterThe dome and columned front of the National Museum at the top of Wenceslas SquareArea guideNové MěstoThe New Town

On foot

Prague’s historic centre is best on foot: stay in the Old Town or Malá Strana and walk everywhere, with a 24-hour PID ticket for the trams up to the Castle.

  1. Area guideVinohradyElegant Prague
  2. Area guideŽižkov & KarlínThe tower and the river
  3. Area guideHolešovice & LetnáThe art district

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go: tickets for the metro and trams, the Airport Express, the Czech crown, and itineraries for a first visit and a luxury weekend.

The Church of Our Lady before Týn and the Kinský Palace across a quiet Old Town Square in morning lightBefore you goPrague essentialsTickets, the airport, money and 112A modern Prague tram at Karlovo náměstíGetting aroundBy metro, tram and trainPID tickets and the Airport ExpressPrague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral above the Vltava, with Charles Bridge and a river boat in spring sunItineraryThree days in PragueThe classic first visitThe courtyard garden of the Mandarin Oriental, Prague, in the former Dominican monastery in Malá StranaLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesThe Tower Suite of the Hotel Paris, its round window framing the spires of the Týn church at nightItineraryThe Gold weekendThe Hotel Paris, Field and Mozart
  1. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendMandarin Oriental, Papilio and Karlštejn

Our advice

Cross the bridge at dawn

Charles Bridge, begun in 1357, is at its best early in the morning, before the day’s visitors arrive; then climb through Malá Strana to the Castle, which opens its summer and winter seasons on 1 April and 1 November. Charles Bridge

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Beyond the city

Kutná Hora, Karlštejn, Český Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, Dresden and the Terezín Memorial: a silver town, a Gothic castle, a castle town on the Vltava, a spa town, a Baroque city on the Elbe and a place of remembrance.

The flying buttresses and tracery windows of the Church of St Barbara in Kutná HoraBeyond the cityKutná HoraThe silver townKarlštejn Castle and its Great Tower above the wooded hillBeyond the cityKarlštejnThe Gothic castleČeský Krumlov: the castle tower, the bend of the Vltava and the old town roofsBeyond the cityČeský KrumlovThe castle townThe Grandhotel Pupp and the spa houses of Karlovy Vary at dusk in DecemberBeyond the cityKarlovy VaryThe spa townDresden’s Hofkirche, palace towers and the Elbe at nightBeyond the cityDresdenBaroque on the Elbe
  1. Beyond the cityTerezín MemorialA place of remembrance

Our advice

Book the opera before you fly

The National Theatre sells tickets for its three stages, the National Theatre, the Estates Theatre and the State Opera, months in advance on its own site; an evening of Mozart at the Estates Theatre, where Don Giovanni had its premiere, is the most Prague of nights. Arts & Culture in Prague

In depth: Prague’s back stories

Czech cuisine, the city of spires, music and art, eating, the grand hotels, film, the trams and where to buy: the stories behind the city.

The lit Christmas tree and market on Old Town Square at nightChristmas & New YearChristmas in PragueThe markets and the Czech Christmas tableSvíčková na smetaně: beef in cream sauce with bread dumplings, cranberries and whipped creamEatCzech CuisineSvíčková, koláče, the Christmas carp and PilsnerThe bridges of Prague over the Vltava in autumn, seen from the Letná slopes, with the Old Town beyondFeaturePrague, the classic and the newCastle, music, the table and the new Prague

In season

The Christmas markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square run from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027: book hotels early for Advent and New Year.

  1. FeaturePrague on filmAmadeus, Mission: Impossible and Casino Royale
  2. The back storyMusic and artMozart, Dvořák and the opera houses

Across Central Europe with the ULTIMATE guides

Vienna, Berlin and Budapest by train, the Alps in winter and the great train journeys of the world.

The Art Nouveau Fanta building of Praha hlavní nádražíULTIMATE ViennaViennaSouth by trainThe Dresden skyline and paddle steamers on the Elbe below the Brühl’s TerraceULTIMATE BerlinBerlinNorth by train, via DresdenThe lit bridges of Prague across the Vltava at dusk, seen from LetnáULTIMATE BudapestBudapestEast by train

The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world

See all Europe

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdamthe NetherlandsULTIMATE AmsterdamThe canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, canal-house hotels, twenty MICHELIN-starred tables, brown cafés, and day trips to Haarlem and Keukenhof.The Alhambra in Granada in the evening lightSpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open seaSpainULTIMATE Balearic IslandsMallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera side by side, and how to hop between them by ferry.The Sagrada Família lit up at nightSpainULTIMATE BarcelonaGaudí and the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter, four Three-Star MICHELIN kitchens, the beaches and day trips to Montserrat and Girona.Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunsetSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.

See all 81 guides

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Prague, its restaurants, theatres, museums and neighbourhoods.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    Strahov Monastery and Library

    This week's pick

    Strahov Monastery and Library

    Hradčany·Monastery

    Strahov Monastery, founded in 1140, keeps two of the most beautiful library halls in Europe, the Baroque Theological Hall and the frescoed Philosophical Hall. Go in the late afternoon, then walk down through the Castle as the lights come on.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    The organ and stage of the Dvořák Hall at the Rudolfinum before a concertItineraryA musical day in PragueOne dayThe lit Christmas tree and market on Old Town Square at nightItineraryA Christmas day in PragueOne day in AdventThe red-tiled roofs and dormers of Malá Strana below PetřínItineraryA property viewing day: Malá Strana, Vinohrady and KarlínOne day
    1. ItineraryBeyond the city: a day in Karlovy VaryOne day

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Eating in Prague: the back storyPrague · In depth
    2. 2Czech CuisinePrague · In depth: food
    3. 3Restaurant PapilioVysoký Újezd · Restaurant
    See all 42

    Cafés

    1. 1Café LouvreNové Město · Grand café
    2. 2Café SlaviaStaré Město · Grand café
    3. 3Grand Café OrientStaré Město · Cubist café
    See all 7

    Bars

    1. 1Bugsy’s BarJosefov · Cocktail bar
    2. 2AnonymouS BarStaré Město · Cocktail bar
    3. 3U Zlatého tygraStaré Město · Pub
    See all 9

    Hotels

    1. 1The grand hotels of Prague: the back storyPrague · In depth
    2. 2Four Seasons Hotel PragueStaré Město · Grand hotel
    3. 3Mandarin Oriental, PragueMalá Strana · Grand hotel
    See all 27

    Sights

    1. 1Prague, the city of a hundred spires: the back storyPrague · In depth
    2. 2Prague CastleHradčany · Castle
    3. 3St Vitus CathedralHradčany · Cathedral
    See all 22

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Prague, city of music and art: the back storyPrague · In depth
    2. 2National TheatreNové Město · Theatre
    3. 3Estates TheatreStaré Město · Opera house
    See all 34

    Gardens

    1. 1Wallenstein GardenMalá Strana · Baroque garden
    2. 2Vrtba GardenMalá Strana · Baroque garden
    3. 3PetřínMalá Strana · Hill park
    See all 8

    Walks

    1. 1The Royal RouteStaré Město · Walk
    2. 2Malá Strana, Kampa and PetřínMalá Strana · Walk
    3. 3Vyšehrad and the embankmentsNové Město · Walk
    See all 5

    Shopping

    1. 1MoserPrague · Glass
    2. 2ArtělPrague · Glass
    3. 3Granát TurnovPrague · Jewellery
    See all 9

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: call 112Prague · Emergency
    2. 2General University Hospital in PragueNové Město · Hospital
    3. 3Na Homolce HospitalMotol · Hospital
    See all 9

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Prague: the back storyPrague · In depth
    2. 2Svoboda & WilliamsPrague · Agency
    3. 3Czech Republic Sotheby’s International RealtyPrague · Agency
    See all 6

    Developments

    1. 1Dvorecký mostPodolí · Project
    2. 2Vltavská filharmonieHolešovice · Project
    3. 3Petřín funicularMalá Strana · Project
    See all 5

    Cars & Trams

    1. 1Škoda MuseumMladá Boleslav · Car museum
    2. 2National Technical MuseumHolešovice · Museum
    3. 3Historic tram line 42Prague · Vintage tram
    See all 5

    Getting Around

    1. 1Prague by metro, tram and train: the back storyPrague · In depth
    2. 2PID: Prague Integrated TransportPrague · Public transport
    3. 3Prague metroPrague · Metro
    See all 7