History · Prague · Czechia
8 historic sites to see in Prague
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Stanislav Jelen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral and Old Town Square. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 12–16 hours across 5 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 12–16 hours
- Areas
- Hradčany, Old Town and Josefov
Historic sites in Prague
Castle · Hradčany
1.Prague Castle
A circuit ticket covers St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace with its vaulted Vladislav Hall, St George's Basilica and Golden Lane, a row of tiny houses where Franz Kafka once wrote.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Architecture
- Kids
Religious site · Hradčany
2.St Vitus Cathedral
The Great South Tower can be climbed for views over the castle and city.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Landmark · Old Town
3.Old Town Square
The Jan Hus Memorial stands in the centre, and in winter the square fills with the city's main Christmas market.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- After dark
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Historic site · Old Town
4.Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock
Each hour during the day the twelve Apostles parade past its windows while a skeleton rings a bell. Inside the hall, a lift and ramp climb the tower for one of the best views over the Old Town's roofs.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Kids
Historic site · Josefov
5.Jewish Quarter (Josefov)
The Pinkas Synagogue's walls list the names of Czech and Moravian Jews murdered in the Holocaust, alongside drawings by children from Terezín, and the Moorish-style Spanish Synagogue is richly decorated. The Old-New Synagogue, from the 13th century, is still in use.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Historic site · Vyšehrad
6.Vyšehrad
Inside its brick ramparts are the neo-Gothic Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, the 11th-century Rotunda of St Martin and Vyšehrad Cemetery, where Dvořák, Smetana, Mucha and Karel Čapek are buried. The ramparts look up the river to the castle.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Street · New Town
7.Wenceslas Square and the National Museum
At its top, below the equestrian statue of St Wenceslas, the neo-Renaissance National Museum building reopened in 2018 after renovation, with natural history and Czech history galleries and a view down the square from its dome.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
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Religious site · Hradčany
8.Strahov Monastery and Library
The monastery brewery serves its own beers.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Views
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Hradčany | Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral and Strahov Monastery and Library | 3–4 hours + 1 hour + 1–1.5 hours |
| Old Town | Old Town Square and Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock | 1 hour + 1 hour |
| Josefov | Jewish Quarter (Josefov) | 2–3 hours |
| Vyšehrad | Vyšehrad | 2 hours |
| New Town | Wenceslas Square and the National Museum | 1–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 3 low cost, 3 mid-priced. Book ahead for Prague Castle. The longest visit is Prague Castle; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Prague Castle: Buying the circuit ticket online saves queuing at the ticket offices; security checks at the gates can still be slow in summer.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Hradčany): Prague Castle → St Vitus Cathedral, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Hradčany and Old Town): Strahov Monastery and Library → Old Town Square → Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Josefov and Vyšehrad): Jewish Quarter (Josefov) → Vyšehrad, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (New Town): Wenceslas Square and the National Museum, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 4°C (39°F), about 6 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Still cold and dark, but crowds are at their thinnest and pubs are cosy.
- January: highs of 2°C (36°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold and often grey, with occasional snow on the castle roofs; quiet streets and the lowest hotel prices once the Christmas markets close.
- March: highs of 9°C (48°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Chilly with the first spring days; Easter markets may appear late in the month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Old Town — Gothic spires, the Astronomical Clock and lanes leading to Charles Bridge
- Hradčany — The castle district, Strahov Monastery and the hidden lanes of Nový Svět
- New Town — Wenceslas Square, 19th-century boulevards and practical hotels
More of Prague
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Prague?
Prague Castle. Founded in the 9th century and listed by Guinness World Records as the largest ancient castle complex, Prague Castle is a walled hilltop city of courtyards, palaces and churches.
+Which of these are free in Prague?
Old Town Square and Vyšehrad.