17 hidden gems in Lesser Town Prague – A local’s guide for 2026

Having lived in Prague for some time now, I’ve realised that many tourists stick to the same few streets between Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle, often missing the most interesting parts of the Lesser Town. While the top attractions in Lesser Town are famous for a reason and should be definitely visited, there are other places, hidden gardens and smaller museums are equally brilliant and shouldn’t be missed.

In this guide, I’ve put together a list of the seventeen places I personally enjoy visiting, that perhaps feel a bit more authentic and definitely less crowded.

Whether you are looking for a quiet place for a coffee, a peaceful garden to escape the afternoon heat or a bit of unusual history that isn’t in the standard guidebooks, these are the 17 places in the Lesser Town I recommend checking out.

1. Fürstenberg Garden

If you think you’ve seen all the terraced gardens in the Lesser Town, I challenge you to find the entrance to the Fürstenberg Garden. It’s the largest garden under the Prague Castle originally belonging to the Furstenberg Palace, which is now a Polish Embassy.

The garden was beautifully restored a few years ago and I think it’s one of the most peaceful places in the Lesser Town, because it’s often overlooked. People rush to Vrtba Garden or Gardens under the Castle and simply run of time and energy and never make it this far!

I love the way this garden feels a bit more wild then the other two. There are about ten terraces in total, and as you climb the narrow staircases, you’ll find little hidden balconies and benches to sit on. Last time I visited, I had the entire top terrace to myself, just me and amazing views of the red tiled roofs below.

My Local Tip: The entrance is behind the Polish Embassy – look for the small entry door, it’s easy to miss! There are no refreshments inside, but when you buy your ticket, you can also buy soft drinks or coffee and take it with you. There is also a tiny cafe when you climb all the way to the top (toilets are also there) and you can either leave by the door to the Old Castle Stairs (and continue to the castle) or come back down again the same way.

• Location: Hrad, 119 08 Praha 1-Malá Strana
• Opening Times: Daily 10:00 – 19:00 (closes earlier in the winter)
• Ticket Cost: 50 CZK

2. Kunsthalle Praha (art Gallery)

Kunsthalle Praha opened in 2022 inside one of the most extraordinary buildings in the city, a beautiful neo-renaissance transformer station built in 1902 for the Prague tramway network. The building had been standing empty for decades, but I love that they’ve kept a lot of the original industrial feel when the building got finally restored.

I think it’s a brilliant example of how Prague can mix its industrial history with cutting edge art. They don’t have a permanent collection, which means every time I visit, there is something completely different and exciting to see.

The gift shop has amazing art pieces, but also more affordable art related souvenirs, which make a great gifts.

My Local Tip: There’s a fantastic cafe at the top floor with outdoor terrace, where you can see the most amazing view of Prague Castle that most tourists never see.

• Location: Klárov 1/5, 118 00 Praha 1-Malá Strana
• Opening Times: Mon, Thu-Sun 11:00 – 19:00; Wed 11:00 – 21:00; Closed Tuesdays
• Ticket Cost: Adults 290 CZK; Students/Seniors 190 CZK (entrance to the cafe & shop is free)

3. Park Cihelna

I think this is one of the most underrated little green spaces in Lesser Town. If you walk past the Kafka Museum towards the river, you’ll find a little sandy embankment. Originally, this was just a functional part of the riverbank, but today it’s the best place to get a great view of the Charles Bridge.

The park is named after a former brickworks (cihelna means brickyard) that once stood on this stretch of the riverbank. Today it’s a wonderful, peaceful place to sit and watch the world go by. The riverbank is home to a resident population of nutrias (large semi-aquatic rodents, also known as coypu) who are completely unbothered by people, as well as swans that come right up to the bank. Children absolutely love it.

My Local Tip: If you want that iconic Prague swan photo you see on Instagram or amazing photo with Charles Bridge at the background, this is the place to get it.

• Location: Park Cihelna, Cihelná, Malá Strana, Prague 1
• Opening times: Open at all times — free entry
• Tickets: Free

4. Museum Slivovice R. Jelínek & Restaurant

Now, this is a bit of a fun one! Muzeum Slivovice R. Jelínek is an interactive museum dedicated to the history of Czech fruit brandy, specifically plum brandy (slivovitz). The museum tells a story of the Jelínek family who have been distilling this stuff since the 19th century. I think it’s a great way to experience a very “spirited” part of Czech culture.

I was honestly surprised by how high-tech the tour is, you get a virtual reality experience where you “become” a plum being processed into brandy! It sounds a bit silly, but it’s actually great fun and very well done. At the end of the tour, you get to do a tasting of three different types of brandy paired with traditional Czech snacks. Last time I visited, I tried the gold slivovitz which is aged in oak barrels, and it was surprisingly smooth!

My Local Tip: The restaurant behind the museum is free to enter any time and there is also outdoor seating. So, if you don’t have the time to see the whole museum, you can just do the tasting part separately! And if you are not a fan of strong spirits, don’t worry, they have non-alcoholic plum juices that are actually delicious. Also, the shop is the best place in Prague to buy a bottle to take home and they have flavours you can’t find in the regular supermarkets.

• Location: U Lužického semináře 116/48, Malá Strana
• Opening Times: Daily 10:00 – 20:00 (Open until 21:00 on Fri/Sat)
• Ticket Cost: Tour & Tasting approx. 450 CZK (Virtual reality tour is part of the price), free to enter shop & restaurant and select your own tasting menu

5. Straka’s Academy & Garden

Straka’s Academy was built between 1891 and 1896 as a residential college for gifted students from noble families. It was funded by Count Jan Petr Straka of Nedabylic, who also left his entire fortune to the academy in his will.

The building is a stunning example of neo-baroque architecture designed by Václav Roštlapil, with an extraordinary dome, ornate facades and a beautifully kept garden running down to the river.

Since 1945 it has been used as Czech government building, which means you can’t go inside, but the exterior and the riverside setting are absolutely worth seeing.

My local tip: The garden (and sometimes the interior) is open to public for free during special days, mainly on official Czech public holidays.

• Location: Straka’s Academy, Hradčanské náměstí 1, Malá Strana, Prague 1
• Opening times: Special open days only, but you can see most of the garden and building by just walking around it
• Tickets: Free

6. Karel Zeman Museum

I’ve really enjoyed visiting Karel Zeman Museum, because that’s my childhood, but I think it’s also perfect for anyone who loves the magic of old cinema. It celebrates the life and work of the genius film director Karel Zeman, who was a pioneer of special effects long before computers existed.

I think it’s one of the most fun museums in the city because it’s entirely interactive. You can take photos in sets that use the same forced-perspective tricks Zeman used, like flying on a flying machine or walking on the moon.

There are also displays original puppets, sketches and behind-the-scenes footage from Zeman’s films like Invention for Destruction.

My Local Tip: The museum’s entrance is through Saský dvůr courtyard, just a few steps from the Charles Bridge and the Lesser Town Tower, which almost feels like a film set on it’s own. There is also traditional Czech restaurant with outdoor seating – a perfect place for a sunny afternoon away from the crowds.

• Location: Saská 3, 118 00 Praha 1-Malá Strana
• Opening Times: Daily 10:00 – 19:00
• Ticket Cost: Adults 290 CZK; Children 190 CZK; Family tickets available

7. St. Nicholas Church Bell Tower

Now, it’s important to remember that the St. Nicholas Bell Tower is actually a separate entity from the St. Nicholas church next door. Originally, this tower belonged to the city, not the clergy, which is why the entrance is around the corner. It was used as a watchman’s tower for centuries to look out for any town fires or approaching enemies.

When you go up the tower, you will pass through the former living quarters of the watchmen and at the very top, there is a tiny room that was used as a surveillance post by the State Security (StB) during the Communist era. They used it to spy on the American embassy and other western embassies few streets away.

My Local Tip: The top room has been kept pretty much as it was back in the late 1980s and you can still see the basic monitoring equipment used by the secret police there.

The nearly 360-degree panorama views of the Lesser Town’s red roofs and the Prague Castle are absolutely spectacular and definitely worth climbing up to the top for.

• Location: Malostranské náměstí, 118 00 Praha 1-Malá Strana
• Opening Times: Daily 10:00 – 18:00 (Last entry 30 mins before closing)
• Ticket Cost: Adults 190 CZK; Students & Seniors 130 CZK

8. Jánský Vršek Street & Square

If you want to feel like you’ve stepped into a 17th-century film set, you have to leave the main busy Nerudova Street and walk down the steps to Jánský Vršek and Janska street.

This winding, cobbled street connects to the lower parts of Lesser Town and I really like how atmospheric it feels. Historically, this area was a hub for craftsmen and quite famously, the alchemists who worked for Emperor Rudolf II trying to make gold!

As you walk up, you’ll pass the Museum of Alchemists and Magicians, the site of an old church and cemetery (where the Baroque architect Santini was originally buried) and you can also spot a lot of pretty house signs that are still visible on many of the house facades.

My Local Tip: Once you meet Vlasska Street you can either walk down to get back to lower Lesser Town or walk up to the side of the Petrin Hill to get to Strahov Monastery on one side or Petrin Lookout Tower on the other.

• Location: Jánský vršek, Prague 1 (Connects Vlašská and Nerudova)
• Opening Times: 24 hours (It’s a public street)
• Ticket Cost: Free

9. The New Castle Stairs (Nové zámecké schody)

Don’t let the name fool you, there is nothing “new” about them! These stairs were actually built in the mid-16th century on the site of an even older steep path. They connect the top of Thunovská street to the Hradčanské Square.

The main reason why I like walking up these stairs (apart from the exercise! ) is the most amazing view. You’re walking between high, historic walls and gardens, and the view looking down towards the St. Nicholas dome is absolutely fabulous (and much better than from the ‘Old Castle Stairs’ that most people use).

My Local Tip: Look out for the statue of St. Philip Neri halfway up. He’s the patron saint of joy and laughter, which is exactly what you’ll need once you realize how many steps are left! It’s the perfect spot to stop, pretend you’re admiring the view, and catch your breath before hitting the final stretch to the castle gates.

• Location: Connects Thunovská street to Hradčanské náměstí.
• Opening Times: 24 hours.
• Ticket Cost: Free.

10. Pětikostelní Square & Sněmovní Street

This is a corner of the Lesser Town that most tourists completely miss, which is exactly why I love it. Pětikostelní náměstí is a tiny, quiet square just off the busy path. Interestingly, the name means five churches square, but there has never been a single church there!

In the olden times, this was one of the access routes to the Prague Castle and you can still follow the narrow street towards the hotel ‘U Zlate Studne’. The street now obruptly finishes in the hotel reception area as the houses closed off the street, when better access (like the new or old castle stairs) was built.

I love that this is still a residential street and apart from the hotel, people actually live here!

Snemovni Street, which leads to the little square has the most impressive buildings, such as the Thun Palace, which is now used as a government building. Because of that, you’ll see police officers standing guard, but don’t let that put you off; it’s a perfectly public and safe street to wander through.

The little square has a memorial to a Milada Horakova, who was a fearless Czech politician who survived Nazi concentration camps only to be executed by the Communist regime in 1950 after a notorious and made up show trial and become national symbol of courage and resistance against totalitarianism.

My Local Tip: My favourite little find here is the local vine bar called Zasivarna u Fify, which has a outside tables, great vine and it’s usually open from 3 pm till late (closed on Sunday’s). In summer, this is absolute amazing place to soak up the atmosphere of Lesser Town.

• Location: Snemovni street
• Opening Times: 24 hours.
• Ticket Cost: Free.

11. Franz Kafka Museum

If you fancy learning more about the life and work of Franz Kafka in Prague, then you should definitely visit the Franz Kafka Museum. Kafka’s exhibition in the museum was originally created by Dubliner Ira James Joyce and Portuguese Fernanda Pessoy for a series of exhibitions about cities of world-important writers.

From 2002 to 2003, it was on display at the Jewish Museum in New York, and in 2005 the exhibition was moved to Hergetova Cihelna (Hergert’s Brick’s Manufacture) in Lesser Town, just a few steps from Charles Bridge.

Perhaps because this was originally done as an exhibition and then turned into a museum, there are very few exhibits, which mainly include documents or diary pages, but not actual objects that belonged to Kafka.

My Local Tip: Even if you don’t go inside the museum, you have to visit the courtyard to see the Piss fountain by David Černý. It’s two bronze men peeing into a pool shaped like the Czech Republic.

• Location: Cihelná 2b, Prague 1
• Opening Times: Daily 10:00 – 18:00
• Ticket Cost: Adults 300 CZK; Students & Seniors 220 CZK

12. Věra – David Černý art Installation

Věra is one of David Černý’s most recent art installations in Prague. Černý is Prague’s most celebrated and most provocative contemporary artist, responsible for some of the city’s most talked-about public works, from the crawling babies on the Žižkov Television Tower to the upside-down horse in Lucerna Passage or the Kafka’s Moving Head behind Quadrio Shopping Centre.

Vera is a statue of three gymnasts in a circle that moves around is dedicated to Vera Caslavska, a famous Czech gymnast that won several Olympics Medals. Caslavska even worked together with Cerny to design this installation, but sadly passed away just before the completion.

My local tip: If you walk round to the front of the Sokol building, there are often free exhibitions about the history of Sokol. Several times a year, they also host free open days, where you can, for example see the large gymnasium where Vera Caslavska was training. That’s also the reason, why the art installation is, where it is!

• Location: Sokol Headquarters Building at Malá Strana, Prague 1 (access from the back – also from Kampa Island)
• Opening times: Visible at all times — public artwork
• Tickets: Free

13. Pharmacy at the Black Eagle

You might have noticed this house, because it’s very pretty, but you might not realise that this is the oldest pharmacy in Prague! Impressively, it’s been a working pharmacy since 1488 and the incredible Neo-Renaissance interior is from the late 1800s.

My Local Tip: Don’t be shy! Even if you don’t need a prescription, it’s perfectly fine to go in and have a quick look at the interior, just be respectful as it is a working business. They also sell their own branded herbal products and local soaps which make much nicer Prague souvenir than a plastic magnet.

• Location: Malostranské náměstí 203/14, Prague 1
• Opening Times: Mon–Fri 8:00 – 18:00 (Hours can vary slightly on weekends)
• Ticket Cost: Free to enter (It’s a shop!)

14. The Narrowest Street in Prague (Vinárna Čertovka)

Just a few steps away from the Kafka Museum is a quirky little spot that I always find hilarious. It’s officially the narrowest street in Prague, so narrow that two people can’t pass each other without a struggle. It’s actually a 10-metre long gap between houses, which was originally built as a fire prevention measure! Back in the day houses built close together easily caught fire, so this ment to prevent that.

The corridor leads down to a restaurant by the water and because people kept getting stuck in the middle, they eventually had to install pedestrian traffic lights at both ends!

My Local Tip: Don’t just run through and back! Walk all the way to the bottom. Even if you don’t eat at the restaurant, there’s a little platform there where you get a fantastic, close-up view of the Charles Bridge and the river boats. It’s a great spot for a photo that doesn’t have a thousand other people in the background.

• Location: U Lužického semináře, Prague 1 (Look for the narrow gap between the buildings)
• Opening Times: Usually 11:30 – 23:30 (Matches the restaurant opening hours)
• Ticket Cost: Free (Just be patient with the light!)

15. House At the Three Ostriches (U Tří pštrosů)

If you are walking off the Charles Bridge into the Lesser Town, you literally cannot miss this building, it’s the beautiful Renaissance house sitting right next to the bridge tower.

This house was named ‘At the three ostriches’ back in 1597, when the owner was a supplier of ostrich feathers to the royal court (feathers were the “must-have” fashion accessory for knights and nobles back then). But for me, the most exciting part of its history happened in 1714, when a Syrian merchant named Georgius Hatalas opened Prague’s very first coffee house right here.

My Local Tip: What I really like about U Tří pštrosů is that it hasn’t lost its character, even though it’s now a hotel and restaurant. You can still see the original Renaissance frescoes on the facade with three ostriches, obviously!

• Location: Dražického náměstí 12, Prague 1 (Right at the foot of Charles Bridge)
• Opening Times: The restaurant is usually open daily 11:00 – 23:00
• Ticket Cost: Free to admire the outside; the price of a coffee if you go in!

16. Museum Montanelli — MuMo

Hidden in the beautiful baroque townhouse on Nerudova street, Museum Montanelli is a small, quietly brilliant private art gallery that deserves to be much better known than it is.

Founded in 2008 by the Montanelli Foundation, MuMo focuses on contemporary art and supports emerging Czech talent. The gallery has several display rooms on multiple floors of the historic building, which creates a wonderfully unusual atmosphere, you have a modern art in a 17th century baroque interior. The programme of temporary exhibitions changes regularly and is consistently well-curated, covering painting, sculpture, photography and installation art work. There’s also a small but excellent art bookshop inside.

My local tip: You can continue walking away from Nerudova street pass the MuMo gallery and then down by the Baracnicka Beseda (a great traditional Czech pub restaurant) and you will end up outside the American Embassy. It’s a great little shortcut and you can see a great example of old house’s ‘pavlac’, which is sort of outside public access to the flats around the building (it’s like a open gallery or balcony).

• Location: Nerudova 13, Malá Strana, Prague 1
• Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, 11am–6pm. Closed Mondays.
• Tickets: Around 120 CZK for adults / free for children under 10

17. Werich Villa Museum & Cafe

This is a beautiful Renaissance building dating back to the 16th century, but it takes its name from Jan Werich, who was writer, actor and satirist who lived here from 1971 until his death in 1980.

Werich was one half of the legendary Osvobozené divadlo theatrical duo with Jiří Voskovec and their sharp, witty, politically charged performances in the 1930s made them icons of Czech culture.

The villa was turned into museum dedicated to Werich’s life and work with a permanent exhibition about his extraordinary career, personal archive and the broader story of Czech theatre and comedy in the 20th century.

My local tip: The café terrace at Werich Villa is one of the most peaceful and romantic spots in the whole Lesser Town. The desserts here are created by Iveta Fabesova a celebrated Czech pastry chef and cookbook author who practically revolutionized the Prague café scene by introducing high-end French patisserie to her boutique cafés here at Werich Villa and newly also at Masarycka.

• Location: U Sovových mlýnů 501/1, Kampa Island, Prague 1
• Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am–6pm. Closed Mondays.
• Tickets: Around 150 CZK for adults

This blog post was originally written on 21 April 2026 and last updated on 21 April 2026