For good reason, Prague is well known as one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals. Standing out, literally, among Prague’s many sights is Prague Castle, high above the city.  The castle complex includes St Vitus Cathedral and several other sights, such as Golden Lane (former houses of castle workers). Prague Castle is not in the better-known Old Town but on the other side of the Vltava River, traversed by the much Instagrammed Charles Bridge and several other bridges.  The Castle side of the city, Mala Strana, is home to some of Prague’s most beautiful buildings and gardens.  One place that combines both is Wallenstein Palace, whose landscaped gardens with resident peacocks are a favourite of locals and visitors alike.

One of many superb views from Old Town Square.

Ornate Baroque libraries are among the many impressive sights in a city’s history.  Two of the most opulent are the library of the Strahovian Monastery and its companion room, the Philosophical Hall.  Located above Prague’s Mala Strana district, the monastery’s garden affords expansive views across the city.  Across Charles Bridge is the Klementinum, a former centre of Jesuit learning that allows visitors to peer into a formidable Baroque library today.

Josefov, Prague’s Jewish quarter, has several worthwhile sights to see.  The Spanish Synagogue is the most colourful of the group and serves as an evocative locale for evening concerts in its architecturally dramatic space.  Josefov’s top sights can all be visited on a single ticket purchased from the Jewish Museum information centre, which administers a collection of sights that includes synagogues as well as the Jewish cemetery, still a site of reverence for the city’s Jewish community.  Not to be missed but often overlooked by visitors is the Robert Guttmann Gallery, a small art gallery displaying the works of the Jewish artist as famed for his outlandish appearance as his unusual lifestyle.

See Prague from the water with Prague Boats.

Alphonse Mucha is more famous than his Czech compatriot, whose posters of French opera singer Sarah Bernhardt propelled him to rock-star status rare for a graphic artist.  Mucha’s flowing imagery personifies the essence of the Art Nouveau style that remains highly appreciated more than a hundred years after the height of its popularity.  Original Mucha posters are among the world’s most sought-after works of art.  Some are on display at the Mucha Museum, a small but exciting space where an informative film about Mucha’s professional development gives deep insight into the man and his work.

Though a very walkable city, Prague’s highly efficient and inexpensive public transport system makes sights outside the city centre easy to visit.  In the Holesovice district is the National Gallery of Prague‘s expansive art collection in the Trade Fair Palace, a massive building in the Functionalist style that is as appreciated by Czechs as the Baroque style is by visitors.

In addition to ubiquitous beer gardens and cafés, another unique way to appreciate Prague outside is on a sightseeing cruise with Prague Boats.  Running several vessels on the river, including silent, electrically powered boats, Prague Boats provides multiple options for seeing Prague from the water.  From lunch cruises and dinner cruises on large boats to private cruises on smaller, more luxurious vessels, Prague Boats offers numerous options for individuals or groups.

Written by: Robert La Bua – Global Traveller Deluxe

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