Prague is not the finances metropolis break it was. Whereas the beer stays refreshingly low cost, big-ticket sights reminiscent of St Vitus Cathedral, Strahov Library and the Prague Jewish Museum now require guests to dig deeper into their pockets.
Fortunately, there’s nonetheless loads to take pleasure in within the Czech capital for vacationers on a finances – or, in truth, for vacationers with no finances in any respect. Right here’s our decide of the perfect issues to do in Prague without cost.
1. Absorb the vibes on the Charles Bridge
It could be one in every of Prague’s most iconic sights, however the 650-year-old Charles Bridge doesn’t value a penny to cross. Stroll alongside its stone cobbles to admire rows of baroque statues, take pleasure in armies of buskers and artists, and take within the spectacular spires and domes on either side of the river.
Planning Tip: For an important view of the complete 500m (1640ft) span of the stone-arch bridge, head to the riverbank behind the Franz Kafka Museum.
2. Gaze on the Astronomical Clock
One other well-known metropolis landmark, the Astronomical Clock, is among the hottest free issues to do in Prague – but its on-the-hour procession of mechanical figures leaves some vacationers a bit of underwhelmed. So as an alternative, come right here between showtimes for a more in-depth take a look at the clock itself.
In addition to being intricately stunning and wealthy in symbolism, the 2 clock faces are additionally fonts of data. They let you know the time (search for the purpose the place the golden hand meets the Roman numerals), the day and month of the 12 months, the zodiac signal, the occasions of sundown and dawn, the present part of the moon and a lot extra. Not unhealthy for a clock first put in in 1410.
3. Tour David Černý’s public artworks
On the subject of provocative fashionable artwork in Prague, one sculptor reigns supreme: David Černý. The artist is maybe greatest identified for his work Entropa, an enormous sculpture depicting EU states as crude stereotypes (like France on strike and Romania as a Dracula theme park), which, after inflicting simply the smallest quantity of controversy, is not on show. Nevertheless, lots of the artist’s different works dot the streets of Prague, and – to make issues even sweeter – are utterly free to take pleasure in.
Planning Tip: Highlights embrace Kůň, in the midst of the Lucerna Palace buying arcade, which depicts a dull, upside-down horse ridden by an inattentive King Wenceslas; Ok, a big rotating steel bust of Prague author Franz Kafka, situated above Národní třída metro station; and Miminka, a sequence of faceless infants crawling up Žižkov’s TV Tower. You may as well discover some ground-level miminka (infants) on the small river island of Kampa.
4. Climb Petřín hill for incredible metropolis views
Topped by what appears to be like like a pint-sized Eiffel Tower, Petřín hill is one in every of Prague’s hottest playgrounds. Come for the woodland walkways, blooming rose gardens and beautiful views of town beneath – and don’t miss the Starvation Wall, a construction in-built 1362 that takes its title from the declare the wall was, purportedly, constructed not for strategic worth, however as a way to supply earnings to Prague’s ravenous inhabitants following a famine.
Planning Tip: You may hike up and down Petřín or just hop on the Nineteenth-century funicular; it’s a part of the general public transport community so a free add-on to any tram or metro journey for these with a sound one- or three-day journey move.
5. Wander the grounds of Prague Fort without cost
Whereas it prices to go to most of Prague Fort’s lavish interiors, together with St Vitus Cathedral, you’re free to roam the grounds and gardens for, effectively, free – simply bear in mind to carry your ID to get by means of safety. You’re additionally free to find the quaint Golden Lane, the place author Franz Kafka lived for a spell, after the stalls have closed and an alluring quietness falls over the historic thoroughfare.
Planning Tip: Exploring the fortress’s courtyards is greatest at evening, because the crowds sometimes skinny out within the early night whereas the gates stay open till late.
6. Stroll the cobbles of Nový Svět Quarter
Mix your journey to Prague Fort with a wander across the “New World”. Though only a brief stroll northwest of the fortress complicated, this picturesque quarter seems like a world away, with its strollable cobblestone streets, pastel-shaded Sixteenth-century homes and remnants of the outdated metropolis partitions.
Planning Tip: It’s additionally house to a small backyard, a youngsters’s play park and a captivating little cafe.
7. Take a tour spherical Vyšehrad Citadel
Like Prague Fort, the Vyšehrad Citadel is perched on a hilltop, served as a former royal residence and can also be dominated by an vital church that overlooks the Vltava river. In contrast to Prague Fort, nevertheless, it’s free to go to.
In addition to exploring the beautiful Church of Sts Peter and Paul, you’ll be able to stroll the Citadel’s partitions for incredible views over town, and go to the Gothic Vyšehrad Cemetery, burial place of notable Czechs like Dvořák, one of many first Czech composers to attain international fame, and Mucha, a famend artist who painted The Slav Epic, a sequence of 20 large canvases depicting the historical past and mythology of the Slavic peoples (a devoted Prague gallery is supposedly within the works to deal with it).
Planning Tip: In the summertime, Vyšehrad has one in every of Prague’s greatest beer gardens.
8. Be dazzled by the doorway corridor at Municipal Home
Related to the tall, Gothic Powder Gate that marks the doorway to the Previous City, Prague’s Municipal Home is a masterpiece of artwork nouveau structure. Whereas the upstairs halls are solely out there by (paid) guided tour, budget-conscious vacationers can nonetheless benefit from the dazzling facade, full with grand entrance mosaic, in addition to the ornate lobby without cost.
Planning Tip: There’s additionally a chandelier-stuffed cafe right here.
9. See what outfit the Toddler Jesus is sporting
First introduced over from Spain in 1628 and believed to own miraculous therapeutic powers, the Toddler Jesus stays a web site of pilgrimage for Christians – and an important factor to see on a Sunday.
The 47cm-tall (19 inch) waxwork of child Jesus is adorned in an enormous and ever-changing array of colourful costumes to rival Brussels’ Manneken Pis. You can see the statue, plus a free museum showcasing a lot of its most elaborate frocks, in Malá Strana’s Church of Our Woman Victorious.
10. Comply with the paths in Letná Gardens for panoramic views
Prague has a excessive variety of inexperienced areas for a giant metropolis, from the lake-filled Stromovka Park to the statue-lined Wallenstein Backyard. However for a mixture of winding paths, beer gardens and vast open areas, it’s laborious to beat Letná Gardens.
Climb the steep staircase from the Čechův Most tram cease for a slow-reveal of a exceptional Prague panorama, taking within the Vltava River, its bridges and town’s rooftops. On the high, you’ll come throughout an enormous plinth that after supported a colossal statue of Stalin (which was destroyed by dynamite). As we speak, a hanging 75ft (23m) metronome (a machine that makes an audible click on each second or so) stands as a substitute; an ode to that age-old adage: in time, all issues move.
11. Admire the interiors of Týn Church
The Czech Republic is among the many most secular international locations on earth, but its capital is jam-packed with majestic church buildings from centuries previous – and lots of are free to enter (although donations shall be gratefully obtained). Probably the most photographed is the Church of Our Woman Earlier than Týn, a twin-spired Gothic masterpiece looming over the Previous City Sq..
Step inside to discover a daring baroque inside, together with a Seventeenth-century altar and the tomb of pioneering Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who can also be notable for sporting a man-made nostril all through most of his life (his unique sniffer being partially decapitated in a sword duel with a recent over who was the higher mathematician).
12. Stroll up Vítkov Hill
Whereas a visit up the futuristic masterpiece/looming eyesore (delete as applicable) TV Tower will set you again a reasonably penny, equally sweeping vistas over Žižkov and Karlín might be loved from the close by Vítkov Hill. The Nationwide Monument could have an entrance charge, however it prices you nothing to gaze up on the mammoth Jan Žižka statue or to walk the tree-shaded hilltop paths.
