Prague: One of the Few European Capitals That Survived Both World Wars Intact

Prague was bombed accidentally by the Americans in February 1945, targeting Pilsen but hitting Prague instead. That error killed several hundred people and destroyed some buildings near the river. It barely registers against the context: the city emerged from the 20th century’s two most destructive conflicts with its medieval core essentially unscathed, which is unusual enough that it partly explains the city you see today – a compressed architectural history running from Romanesque foundations through Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau, and the uniquely Czech Cubist apartment houses that existed almost nowhere else on earth.

Each of the histories layered into the stones – the Holy Roman Empire, the Hussite Reformation, the largest Jewish community in central Europe before the Holocaust, Communist control after 1948, the Velvet Revolution in 1989 – has left evidence you can still read in the buildings. Few European cities put that much history into one walkable zone.

The Prague Quadrennial in June 2026 (running June 6 to 16) brings international performance design and scenography to venues across the city, with many exhibitions free. If your dates overlap, it is worth building into the itinerary.

What to See

Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle complex in the world by measured area. St Vitus Cathedral inside has an Alphonse Mucha stained glass window in the north transept that most visitors walk past quickly; it deserves more attention than the Gothic architecture gets. Golden Lane, the row of tiny cottages built into the castle walls, is where Franz Kafka rented No. 22 in the evenings from November 1916 to spring 1917 to write in relative quiet. Allow at least half a day for the castle complex. Book timed entry online during peak season.

Charles Bridge: arrive before 7am. At any other time in summer the Gothic stone bridge, completed in 1402 with its 30 Baroque statues, is dense with tour groups and trinket vendors. In the early morning it is nearly empty and genuinely beautiful. King Charles IV ordered construction to begin at exactly 5:31am on 9 July 1357 – a date and time chosen by his astrologers for its numerological properties (1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1 in sequence). Whether you believe in such things, the precision of the choice demonstrates a level of royal investment in the project that few modern infrastructure decisions can match.

Old Town Square: The Astronomical Clock (1410, the oldest working example in the world) simultaneously shows solar time, lunar phase, zodiac position, and Babylonian time. The hourly apostles’ procession runs 45 seconds and draws a crowd; the actual mechanism rewards careful reading far more than the performance does. Climb the Old Town Hall Tower for the aerial view over surrounding rooflines.

Jewish Quarter (Josefov): The Old Jewish Cemetery has over 12,000 visible graves stacked in layers, the ground having been raised repeatedly over centuries as new burials were added on top of earlier ones. The Pinkas Synagogue has its interior walls inscribed with the names of 80,000 Czech Holocaust victims, each in painted lettering by hand. A combination ticket covers the main synagogues and cemetery; book in advance during summer months.

Eating and Drinking

Lokál Dlouhá is the correct address for Czech food: tank-fresh Pilsner Urquell, svíčková (beef sirloin in cream sauce with bread dumplings and cranberry), goulash. The tankové pivo here is unpasteurised, unfiltered Pilsner from a tanker delivery, and it is substantially better than the bottled version served almost everywhere else. Mains run CZK 200 to 350. Go for lunch when it is less crowded.

U Fleků has operated as a brewery and restaurant since 1499, making it one of the oldest continuously operating beer halls in the world. The dark lager is the only thing on offer and it has been made on the same premises for over five centuries. The tourist reputation is unavoidable but the beer is genuine.

Eska in the Karlín district offers Michelin-recognised modern Czech cuisine in a renovated factory building. The better evening option if you want something beyond classics.

The Vinohrady and Karlín neighbourhoods, one metro stop from the Old Town, have the best cafes and a more functional sense of daily Praguecký life. The coffee shops on Blanická and Mánesova streets are good alternatives to tourist-zone overpricing.

Practical Notes

The Czech Republic uses Czech koruna (CZK), not the euro, despite EU membership. Use bank ATMs: the exchange kiosks near Old Town Square routinely apply rates 15 to 25 percent worse than the bank rate. Metro fares run around CZK 30 per journey and the system is efficient.

Watch for pickpockets on Charles Bridge and crowded trams; this is a genuinely common petty crime environment. Valuables in front pockets or a money belt are the practical solution.

Crowds peak from May through August; early mornings before 9am and evenings after 7pm are substantially less dense. May, June, September, and October are the best months for weather and manageable visitor numbers.