Things to do in Prague, Kutná Hora & Bohemia

Prague Castle's vast complex around St. Vitus Cathedral takes in the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica and the tiny houses of Golden Lane, while the privately owned Lobkowicz Palace inside the grounds shows paintings by Bruegel the Elder, Canaletto and Velázquez, and the historic library halls of the Strahov Monastery Library sit a short walk uphill. Cross the 516-metre Charles Bridge, lined with 30 statues and sculptural groups, climb the 138 steps of the Old Town Bridge Tower and watch the twelve apostles appear on the Astronomical Clock of the Old Town Hall, then tour the Clementinum's Baroque Library and Astronomical Tower, the paternoster lift of Prague City Hall and the Art Nouveau Municipal House. The Jewish Museum in Prague opens the synagogues and Old Jewish Cemetery of Josefov, the National Museum with its famous whale skeleton crowns Wenceslas Square, Petřín Hill pairs its lookout tower with a mirror maze and Vyšehrad hides casemates beneath its ramparts; families can head to Prague Zoo in Troja, the Saturday Náplavka Farmers' Market or a one-hour Vltava cruise past the Dancing House, and in Advent Christmas markets fill Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, Náměstí Míru and Republic Square. Day trips reach the Sedlec Ossuary, a place of remembrance, and St. Barbara's Church in Kutná Hora, Charles IV's Karlštejn Castle, Konopiště Chateau with one of the richest armouries in the Czech lands, the sandstone arch of Pravčice Gate in Bohemian Switzerland National Park and the Terezín Memorial to the victims of Nazi persecution.

Good to knowThe Old Town Bridge Tower, the Old Town Hall and Petřín Lookout Tower are half price in the first hour after opening, the Prague Castle circuit buildings close at 16:00 in winter, and the Jewish Museum is closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays. Book the Sedlec Ossuary in advance for a set date and time, and check calendars before day trips: in winter Karlštejn's basic tour runs mostly Friday to Sunday and Konopiště tours run mainly on weekends, while Pravčice Gate opens only on Fridays and weekends from November to March, with parking allowed only in the paid car parks at Hřensko or Mezní Louka. At the Terezín Memorial the Small Fortress closes at 16:00 from November to March and the crematorium area is closed on Saturdays.