The 10 Best Kept Secrets in Prague: An Off-The-Beaten-Path Guide to The Czech Capital
Looking for something truly unique to do in Prague? This guide includes secret art, local bars, and historical hidden gems you won’t want to miss on your trip to Prague.
Prague is a city visited by millions of tourists every year. Famed for its bar crawls and hoarded by Brits on their stag dos, Prague is no stranger to crowds of people looking for a good time. However, there are many hidden gems in Prague that are off the beaten path and often overlooked by tourists. These lesser-known destinations throughout the city offer a unique and alternative Prague experience that you won't find in the guidebooks.
This article goes beyond the classic Prague bucket list items, like trying trdelnik, watching the Astronomical clock, and catching views at the top of the Hotel U Prince. In this guide, we'll take a closer look at some of the hidden gems in Prague, including lesser-known artwork, hidden statues, and architectural gems. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveller, these off-the-beaten-path spots in Prague will show you a different side of the city.
when to visit Prague ↴
Prague is a city with all four seasons. For the best weather and fewer tourists, I recommend visiting in late spring or early autumn. I visited Prague for the first time in the dead of winter, which allowed me to enjoy its beautiful Christmas markets. It was freezing cold, as Prague tends to be in the winter but, honestly, I found the holiday atmosphere more than made up for the low temperatures.
Spring | From March through May, Prague begins to warm up slightly and the average temperatures range from a chilly 9°C (48°F) to an enjoyable 14°C (57°F) by May.
Summer | Summer (June, July, and August) is the peak tourist season in Europe, and Prague sees hordes of tourists showing up to enjoy the city’s warm temperatures. During the summer, Prague temperatures can reach as high as 40°C (104°F).
Autumn | Autumn temperatures in Prague are quite unpredictable. As the city moves from summer to winter you can see days as warm as 21°C (67°F) and quickly experience days as cold as -1°C (30°F). The foliage around Prague in the autumn, however, is truly a sight to see and most of the summer group tours have left the city, making it less crowded.
Winter | Extreme cold sets in! From November until the end of February, the temperatures in Prague can get as low as -15°C. Typically January is the coldest month, with daytime temperatures rarely getting over 0°C.
how to get to Prague ↴
Getting to Prague is relatively easy and there are multiple transportation options available. International visitors can fly directly to Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport, which is located approximately 20 kilometers from the city center. The airport offers connections to major cities throughout Europe and around the world.
Alternatively, visitors can take a train to Prague! There are daily connections from most major European cities including Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest. The city is also well-connected by bus, with frequent services from other Czech cities and neighbouring countries like Germany and Poland. I recommend Flixbus to get between cities in Europe. The buses are always clean and timely, and they’re very affordable. Whether arriving by plane, train, or bus, getting to Prague is a breeze, making it the perfect destination for your next European adventure.
where to stay in Prague ↴
As one of the most visited cities in Europe, Prague offers a variety of neighbourhoods and accommodation for travellers to choose from.
If you’re looking for specific neighbourhoods, consider these:
Old Town | the ancient heart of Prague, popular with first-time visitors as it is home to many of the city's top attractions
Mala Strana/The Lesser Town | charming cobblestone streets and picturesque architecture
Vinohrady | a bohemian area known for its trendy cafes, bars, and restaurants
Josefov | home to some of Prague's most upscale hotels
Nove Mesto/New Town | great mix of mid-range hotels
Accommodation varies widely throughout the city. You’ll find both spendy luxury hotel stays and well-located, budget-friendly hostels throughout the city. I’ve found that private hostel rooms in Prague can be nice, comparable alternatives to more expensive accommodation, but I would make note that Prague is a popular stag do/bachelor party destination. Because of this, if you’re staying in a hostel dorm you may have to deal with intoxicated or noisy roommates.
Old Royal Post Hotel | Clean dorms and private rooms are available and inclusive of a basic breakfast buffet
Boho Hotel | A modern boutique hotel near Old Town Square
987 Design Prague Hotel | A sleek design hotel right next to the Main Train Station
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10 hidden gems in Prague ↴
find the upside down horse
The Prague Post Office famously commissioned a statue during the Communist era to represent Czech patriotism. Unbeknownst to them, they had hired David Černý, a rebel and advocate for a freer Czech Republic who wasn’t at all happy with his country’s leadership. So, Černý created the statue of King Wenceslas riding an upside-down, dead horse. Obviously, the Post Office wasn’t pleased and refused to showcase the artwork. The artist, instead, went to the owner of Art Nouveau Lucerna Palace near a vintage cinema to ask if they’d house the sculpture. The owner agreed to display the statue as long as their was corruption and shameful behavior being displayed by Czech Republic leadership. Spoiler alert: politics are as rotten as ever and the statue remains hanging.
TRIVIA: You might be wondering how the statue is hanging from a glass roof when it’s so large. It must be heavy, right? It’s made of styrofoam, guys. Is your mind blown? Mine was.
drink + play at Prague’s hidden arcade bar
Down a basement in the back end of a shopping complex, is Joystick Bar, an arcade bar you never knew you needed in your life. Pilsner pints {you are in Prague after all} start at 35 CZK {USD $1.54} and will get you buzzing for all the old-school arcade games you can get your hands on. Every game other than Super Smash Brothers on Wii U costs 10 CZK {USD $0.44}. If you don’t have change, the bar staff can break your notes for you. There is a limited snack menu available if you game so hard you work up an appetite. Those who follow my Insta-stories know I set the high score for Ms. Pac-Man at Joystick, so go try and beat my record and let me know if you succeed!
see the “ugliest building ever built” in Prague
This one might only be appealing to those who are big into history or architecture. The hexagon building, which sits amongst the more classically European buildings in Old Town Prague is something most people pass without a second thought. Locals tend to consider the building a real eye-sore, going as far as calling it “the ugliest building ever built in the city.” What’s fascinating about the Kotva Department Store is what it reveals about the Communist past of Prague.
During Communist rule, nothing that promoted Western ideals was allowed. Children weren’t allowed to watch Mickey Mouse for fear of the propaganda the little cartoon character might be filled with. However, the Communist party also didn’t want to lag behind the rest of the world in modernizing itself, ya dig? It was a real conundrum. So, they decided to commission professionals to create Czech spins on things perceived to be like they would be in the West. Many people say the building should be knocked down, while others believe that the Kotva Department building stands as a physical representation of the not-so-distant past when times were tougher and the future looked as bleak as the black hexagonal structure.
spot Sigmund Freud hanging
People always say, “Don’t forget to look up!”, and, in this case, people aren’t wrong. “Man Hanging Out” is a statue that depicts the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud hanging onto a plank for his life. The concept behind the often missed piece is that Freud is supposed to be having an inner dilemma between whether he should hold on or not. For those who don’t know, Freud was born in a city that is now part of Czech Republic, thus he gets to be the subject of Czech satirical art. The statue’s sculptor, David Černý {yeah, the same guy who did the upside-down horse on this list}, has a seriously dark sense of humour, but Prague has a seriously dark past, so can you blame the man? The coolest part is that it’s located in the heart of Old Town Prague and so many people still neglect to see it.
stroll down Prague’s narrowest street
Those who are out to see the quirkier side of Prague will love a {incredibly brief} stroll down the narrowest street in the city. The street is so narrow, it actually has its own stop light to let pedestrians on either side of the alley know when it’s their turn to walk! Perhaps not for the claustrophobic, it’s truly an off-the-beaten-path-type attraction since most people walk right by it without noticing.
find the Metalmorphisis statues
If you’re a literature buff, you’ve likely heard of Franz Kafka. BUT! It’s still unlikely you know about the spinning head sculpture that exists in his honour outside a shopping complex in the New Town part of Prague. The Jewish, German-speaking, Bohemian novelist is much loved by his Czech countrymen. Kafka fans will know his work is sort of…strange. Many lit-buffs will tell you, Kafka’s novels are often dark and confusing with major political or social statements being made throughout. The moving head spinning is meant to represent the confusion and complexity of Kafka’s writing— a metaphor for how his words make you feel after reading them.
ride Prague’s secret paternoster lift
Is it weird that this was the thing I was most looking forward to on our hunt for hidden treasures in Prague?! Thanks to Honest Guide, I heard about an open door elevator in New City Hall that you can ride round and round in circles. No need to push a button and wait for it to come to you, just jump onto the platform and jump off when you’ve arrived at your intended floor. Apparently, there are 12 of these bad boys lurking around Prague, but this one is the most accessible to the public, since others are in municipal police stations where there is more security to enter the building.
Go through the main entrance {good luck with the heavy ass door} to the back and turn the corner. Boom, you’re there! I went at around 9 AM and was the only one there and everyone we talked to hadn’t heard of it, so I feel safe saying you’ll definitely be able to avoid crowds at this stop.
visit the Bone Church
Okay, this one feels like a bit of a cheat since it’s not directly in Prague and has been recorded as the second most visited site in Czech Republic. However, many of the people I talked to on my way to the Roman Catholic Chapel hadn’t actually heard of it, so I suppose it’s all about your demographic, right?
Sedlec Ossuray, the proper name for the Bone Church, is actually about an hour train ride outside of the city to a town called Kutna Hora, which is a UNESCO Heritage Site thanks to Sedlec Ossuary and its historical significance. The Bone Church is the final resting place of an estimated 60,000 people from the Hussite Wars {also called the Bohemian Wars}. It’s definitely an eery place to visit that’s worth a photo or two, but please be respectful of the cultural importance of the place and treat it with the kind of dignity it deserves. I saw so many people snapping photos with selfie sticks in front of the same altar people were praying at.
Dark tourism is such a strange part of modern travel, but I think it’s incredibly necessary to know about what humans are capable of doing to one another so that we can {hopefully} learn from the past and move forward towards a kinder future.
cocktails at the Dancing House
Everyone stops for a picture in front of the eye-catching Dancing House, however, few tourists know about the bar and viewing deck at the very top! If you walk into the Dancing House building, go up to the 7th floor on the lift, and walk up a flight of stairs, you’ll find the narrow entrance to Glass Bar. The bar serves up coffee, sodas, and cocktails to all those thirsty {get it?} for views of city.
INSIDER TIP: You’ll need to spend 100 CZK {USD $4.41} in order to use the out door viewing deck, but you can enjoy the heated indoor bar for the price of any drink. The indoor bar is glass, so you’ll still have 360° views, but it’s more fun to go outside where there isn’t anything between you and the sights!
sport the thief’s hanging arm
I left the creepiest, strangest one for last. I learned on my hosted food tour with Eating Europe Prague that Czech people are famously superstitious and love their folklore. An example of this is the story of the hanging arm in the Basilica of St. James.
One night, a thief was hiding in the Basilica until dark so that he could steal a gold necklace adorning a statue of the Virgin Mary. As he reached up to grab the necklace, the Virgin Mary came to life and grabbed the thief’s arm. The thief screamed until morning when the priest came and found him there in the grasp of the Virgin Mary. To punish the boy for stealing, the priest cut off the thief’s arm and hung it above a painting of the Madonna to warn others who might try stealing from a holy place.
The arm is there to this day, still hanging as a grotesque reminder not to take what’s not yours…and to never cross the Virgin Mary. Photos inside are strictly prohibited, but I can say I’ve seen it with my own two eyes and it’ll give you goosebumps.
map ↴
Find all the best kept secrets in Prague on the map below.
