7 Top Things to Do in Prague in 2 Days – What to See?
Day 1
1. Charles Bridge
2. Prague Castle
3. Museum visit
4. Lennon Wall
What is the quintessential of Prague – and which things should be covered with just 2 days to see the Czech capital? Below, you will find a suggested itinerary that will take you to important cultural sites and the highlights of Prague.
What to see in Prague? Your first day in Prague will be a visit to Prague Castle and the sights on the castle side of the Charles Bridge and the Vltava River.
The second day will be a walk past the historic landmarks and visitor sights in the Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, and the New Town on the right riverbank.
Photo: Travel In Culture
The 650-year-old Charles Bridge with rustic cobbles is nearly impossible to miss in Prague if you stroll from the city centre towards the elevated castle complex on the left riverbank. Charles Bridge is a popular place to pass the Vltava River and the bridge you are naturally led towards if you follow the crowd of people.
Once at the bridge, you will notice the two bridge towers standing on each side of it – and you will be able to admire rows of baroque statues and talented artists occasionally performing on the pedestrian bridge.
Photo: Duernsteiner / Pixabay
Charles Bridge was constructed by the architect Peter Parler in 1357 and remained for many years (until 1841) the only access point from the city to the castle. Many of the 30 sculptures date from around 1700, each having a fascinating history. You may, for instance, notice people touching the Statue of the Czech saint St John of Nepomuk since there is a saying that this brings good luck!
There is no need to say that the beautiful bridge is a favoured location for photoshoots and amateur pictures, with Prague’s fairy-tale castle forming a stylish backdrop.
Photo: Travel In Culture
On the castle hillside above crooked alleys and surprising vineyards, you will walk up the path to the castle area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The oldest vineyard in Bohemia is up here.
The castle complex consists of numerous buildings, palaces, and churches, and as a real gem, the Golden Lane, in the past the part of the castle where the guards and servants lived and spent their free time. It saw the light of day in the 16th century as part of the city’s fortifications.
Golden Lane | Photo: Travel In Culture
In the tiny street, all the necessary shops and taverns existed, and many of them are still relatively untouched and appear as they were in the past. Now, instead of being goldsmith’s workshops, home of fortune tellers, and herbalist’s houses, the tiny cottages have been converted into art exhibitions and visitor shops. You will also notice no. 22, where the renowned writer Kafka lived for a few years.
The street name Golden Lane refers to the numerous goldsmiths and other businesses up here who either sold golden products or attempted to create pure gold through questionable experiments.
The Cathedral | Photo: Travel In Culture
Beyond the famous lane, Prague Castle consists of the Old Royal Palace with the outstanding Vladislav Hall, Basilica of Saint George, Lobkowicz Palace, and St Vitus Cathedral – besides several other constructions and picturesque gardens. The buildings represent a variety of architectural styles, from Renaissance to Gothic and Baroque.
As a historic coronation location, St Vitus Cathedral is spectacular and features outstanding stained glass windows and tombs of Bohemian kings and former Roman emperors.
Photo: Duernsteiner / Pixabay
There are now several options for an enticing museum visit in this area.
Before the museum visit, you may consider finding a restaurant for lunch in the narrow streets of Malá Strana, also known as Lesser Town, a hillside part of the city with lots of eateries, cosy cafés and pubs.
Back on the castle grounds, you will on Hradcany Square, all flanked by beautiful palaces such as the Schwarzenberský palác, be able to access the National Gallery inside the Sternberg Palace (Šternberský palác). That is one option for a museum / gallery visit, which will allow you to see the Collection of Old Masters, the Collection of 19th-century Art and Classical Modernism, and the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art.
The Strahov Monastery | Photo: Travel In Culture
Another option is to visit the Strahov Monastery (Strahovský klášter), a monastery with a unique library. Continue past the beautiful Loreto church and cloister (a historic pilgrimage destination) to arrive at the impressive monastery founded in 1140.
The magnificent Strahov Library features a rare collection of medieval manuscripts and maps, as well as impressive halls: the Baroque Theological Hall, the frescoed Classical Philosophy Hall, and the Strahov Gallery, stunningly decorated with Gothic, baroque and rococo paintings, also including fine Rudolfian art.
Before reaching the river, you will in Malá Strana be able to visit the Lennon Wall, a wall that, since the 1980s and the communist days in Prague, has been covered in John Lennon–inspired graffiti and lyrics originating from the Beatles’ songs. Moreover, people have used it to leave messages about other relevant topics of both local and international character.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Visitors and locals scribble messages on the famed wall – wherever there seems to be a microscopic spot for it.
After taking in all impressions at the Lennon Wall, you can stroll back to the river and the city on the other side to enjoy the rest of the day and see Prague by night – both the Charles Bridge and other cultural things around the Old Town. However, you may consider taking a different way back, across the Jiráskův Bridge, to catch a glimpse of the famous Dancing House, nicknamed Fred and Ginger, located just off the river. It was designed by the architect Vlado Milunić in cooperation with the Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry in 1992.
The Dancing House | Photo: Pierre Blaché / Pixabay
Turn your second day in Prague into a nice stroll covering the attractions on the right riverbank of the Vltava River.
As one of the first things to do today, head for the Jewish Quarter (Josefov) between the river and the Old Town Square. The Jewish neighbourhood was established in the 13th century when Jews had to gather in one specific area in town. During the following centuries, more Jews arrived, and the neighbourhood thus became quite significant in Prague. Today, this part of town has a Jewish cultural heritage. More historical Jewish buildings have been preserved here than in any other city in Europe – despite massacres from as early as the 14th century until the horrors of the Second World War.
Jerusalem Synagogue | Photo: Laura Maxim / Pixabay
The Jewish Quarter consists of six synagogues and other Jewish sites, including the Spanish Synagogue, the Maisel Synagogue, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Old-New Synagogue ( the oldest synagogue in Europe still being used), the art nouveau-inspired Jerusalem (Jubilee) Synagogue, the Jewish Ceremonial Hall, as well as the Old Jewish Cemetery. Most of these are now part of the Jewish Museum in Prague.
The Jewish heritage even survived the Nazi occupation and the horrors of the Second World War. Adolf Hitler wanted to keep the Jewish Quarter in the city as a ‘Museum of an Extinct Race’.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that one of Prague’s famous residents, the writer Franz Kafka, was born in the Jewish Quarter!
From the Jewish Quarter, you can continue on foot to the remaining part of Prague’s Old Town. A lot of the historic sights and popular things to see and do in Prague are situated in the Old Town around the Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí).
Photo: Travel In Culture
The unique Astronomical Clock in the Clock Tower at the Old Town Hall, known as The Orloj, dates to 1410. It contains elaborate information, including a calendar, astronomical details, and an intricate mechanism of the twelve Apostles inside the Old Town Hall Tower. Every hour, people line up to watch an automated parade of the Apostle figures. The Astronomical Clock is among the oldest operating astronomical clocks in the world! According to the legend, the city will suffer if it ever falls into disrepair. Luckily, so far, all mechanical issues have been solved!
The historic 12th-century square features buildings designed in various architectural styles, including the baroque St Nicholas Church, the Rococo Kinský Palace (National Gallery), and the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn which has been Prague’s most important church since the 14th century. In the middle of the square, Prague Meridian is among other monuments. On the other side of the square, you will notice the House of the Minute, a historic 15th-century house where Kafka lived from 1889 to 1896.
Havelská street market | Photo: Travel In Culture
In the vicinity, a few streets further away from the Old Town Square, you will arrive at the old Havelská Street market, which dates back to the 13th century. In the beginning, it used to be a town of its own named St Gall’s Town – and there were houses with arcades along the street. Various artisans had their little shops here, and at the end of the street, they could go to the Church of St Gall (Church of St Havel). Later, it became the street of second-hand wares, and in the 18th century, the street consisted of the Coal Market and the Green Market with vegetables, fruits, and flowers. In the late 1800s, the name Havelská appeared.
Today, it is a lively place with market stalls where all kinds of souvenirs, delicious fruits, flowers, arts, toys and a variety of Czech produce in gift boxes, such as sweets or honey, are sold.
You can continue your city walk past another must-see cultural sight, the Powder Tower. The remarkable tower is one of the original 13 city gates in Prague. It is not built as a defence tower but as a glamorous entrance to the city, given to Vladislav II on the occasion of his coronation. Its name, the Powder Tower, is because it was a gunpowder store in the 17th century.
Photo: Travel In Culture
In the Old Town, there are many eateries for a nice lunch!
You will spend the afternoon in the New Town, where you may also want to visit the Mucha Museum or the National Museum.
On the way to the New Town and Franz Kafka’s Rotating Head, you might pass the Mucha Museum, as well as the green Franciscan Gardens, a public garden established in the 14th century, from where you have great views of the soaring Renaissance Church of Our Lady of the Snows.
Franciscan Garden | Photo: Travel In Culture
In case you want to visit the Mucha Museum, you will have the chance to gain insight into the life and masterpieces of the Czech art nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha (1860 – 1939), who represented the art nouveau style of the time in Europe in his characteristic way.
Kafka’s gigantic 11-metre tall Rotating Head is outside the Quadrio shopping centre near the Franciscan Gardens. It is an outdoor metallic sculpture of Franz Kafka, designed in individual layers by the controversial artist David Černý. The giant statue was erected in 2014 and consists of 42 rotating panels in polished stainless steel that periodically move independently of each other. Weighting 45 tons, it has become a significant tourist attraction in the city, honouring Prague’s renowned Bohemian novelist and short-story writer.
Kafka’s Rotating Head | Photo: Travel In Culture
After watching the impressive sculpture, you can continue down to the long rectangular Wenceslas Square, flanked by international stores. As the centre of business in Prague, named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia, it is also often the setting for public events, demonstrations, and celebrations in Prague.
At the upper end of Wenceslas Square, you catch sight of the beautiful neoclassical National Museum, which has been declared a national cultural monument. The historical building contrasts with the more modern New National Museum adjacent to it and is reachable by an underground corridor. If you are interested in natural history, you may consider visiting the museums with permanent exhibitions on animal species & life, minerals, Czech history, and prehistory, from fossilised trilobites to fascinating ammonites and life-size creations of prehistoric animals.
What things to see & do in Prague – The National Museum | Photo: Travel In Culture
If you have a shopping gene, the avenue-looking Wenceslas Square is the perfect place – and you can easily spend the rest of the day here! You will find all kinds of stores along the busy pedestrian street. Today, it is impossible to tell that this site used to be a crowded horse market in the Middle Ages!
Read next: Why Visit Brno Instead of Prague and Visit Bratislava from Vienna
Top Things to Do in Prague in 2 Days – What to See
Featured image of
Top Things to Do in Prague in 2 Days – What to See:
User32212 / Pixabay
What to see in Prague – Things to do
