Nový Svět Prague: A magical hidden street, don’t miss it

Why Visit Nový Svět Prague

Nový Svět is one of the most beautiful cobblestone Prague streets, an evocative step back a few hundred years in time.

It’s a glimpse of Prague before its discovery by millions of tourists each year, and one of only a couple of areas in the historic centre of Prague which have managed to escape this.

 Nový Svět is one of the most romantic places in Prague, a stunning atmospheric street with a wonderful cosy café at one end.

One of the best viewpoints in Prague is from the bastion above Nový Svět, overlooking it and the surrounding narrow streets of the Hradčany district.

Nový Svět Prague History

Nový Svět is believed to have its origins in the 14^th century. It was originally outside the Hradčany area, but incorporated into it by 1360.

The small houses built there were homes for courtiers and workers in nearby Prague Castle, and later inhabitants are believed to have been poor.

The street was largely destroyed by fire in 1420 and 1541, and many of the houses we now see date from the 17^th or 18^th centuries.

Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe lived at what is now 76/1 Nový Svět, on the corner with U Brusnice. He spent his later years as court astronomer in Prague, and worked with Johannes Kepler shortly before his death. 

He died in 1601, apparently from a burst bladder, having been too polite to leave a banquet to use the privy. Brahe is buried in the Tyn Church Prague, next to the Old Town Square.

The family of famous Prague architect Jan Blazej Santini Aichel also owned a house on Nový Svět. He is best-known for his blending of Gothic and Baroque, which includes two World Heritage Sites in the Czech Republic – the Cathedral of the Assumption in Sedlec, Kutná Hora and the Pilgrimage Church of St John Nepomuk at Zelená Hora.

In more recent times, Nový Svět has become a popular place for artists and writers to live.

What To See In Nový Svět Prague

If approaching from the fortifications above, there is a small, partially hidden pathway to the right of the steps down to Nový Svět.

Follow this around for about 40-50 metres and you’ll be treated to the superb view over the street and area around.

There is also a great view of the spires of the Loreta Church and Our Lady of the Angels, particularly beautiful if you’re visiting Prague in autumn.

The sturdy brick bastion wall dates from the 18^th century – around the same time as the fortifications at nearby Vyšehrad – and is the outermost wall of the Prague Castle complex.

The small pastel-coloured houses of Nový Svět have quite grandiose names, many of which include the word ‘golden’. They include ‘At The Golden Griffin’ and ‘At The Golden Star’. Many other houses in Prague were known by their names, as opposed to numbers.

We often stop at the café in Romantik Hotel U Raka, at the western end of Novy Svět, at the foot of the staircase to the bastion above and on the corner with another lovely street, Černinská.

It’s unusual as it’s the only traditional wooden house in historic Prague, but if you venture out into the Bohemian countryside you’ll see many more old houses like this.

There is also a stack of logs chopped for firewood outside, especially in autumn and winter. The cafe serves coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cake.

There is also another café, Kavarna Nový Svět, a few doors along the same side of the street. You’ll also find an Italian restaurant, a small open-air theatre (Divadlo Ungelt) and a secret playground behind a door in the wall that runs halfway along one side of the street. This is usually closed over the winter months.

Where Is Nový Svět Prague

Nový Svět is located in a corner of the Hradčany(Castle) district of Prague.  It’s around a ten-minute walk from Prague Castle, and is in the Praha 1 (Prague 1) central district of the city, like most of the main historic sights and most popular things to do in Prague.

How To Get To Nový Svět Prague

Nový Svět is very easy to reach by tram, followed by a short walk.

The nearest tram stop is Brusnice, only five minutes’ walk away. Brusnice is one stop after the popular Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) stop on the 22 route which runs from Narodni divadlo (National Theatre) across the river and the Malostranská stop.

From the Brusnice stop, you need to cross the road. Then you head off the main street (Jeleni)  and down the hill along U Brusnice. Nový Svět is on the right at the bottom.

You can also get off the 22 tram at Brusnice, cross Jeleni and turn right, continuing around 100 metres until you reach a pathway through a park. This takes you to a flight of stairs which you descend, taking you to the other end of Nový Svět, next to the Romantika Hotel U Raka.

It’s also possible to reach Nový Svět from the next tram stop on the 22 route, Pohořelec. From there, head down the square (some readers may recognise the arcade from scenes in the 2017 movie Anthropoid), and briefly along another gorgeous Prague street, Loretanska.

When you reach the square, turn left downhill and bear left, turning right down the cobbled Černinská. Nový Svět is at the bottom of the hill on your right.

You can also burn off some extra calories by walking all the way up to Nový Svět from Mala Strana. Head up the Castle Steps or Nerudova, take in the stunning view of Prague from outside the Castle, then walk up Hradčanské náměstí – one of ther finest Prague squares – and Loretanska before turning downhill.

Things To See Near Nový Svět Prague

Nový Svět seems a world away from the rest of Prague – at least a century or two – but this most enchanting of hidden places in Prague is very close to many other Prague attractions.

The most obvious, Prague Castle, is around a ten-minute walk away. I suggest walking there via Hradčanské náměstí and entering via the Matthias Gate (pictured).

The ticket office is well signposted, and you can also walk through the castle precincts and gardens without purchasing a ticket.

The Royal Garden is one of the most beautiful Prague gardens, and is on the north side of Prague Castle. It’s better to start at the Castle (top) end, and you walk through an English-style park before passing the sgraffito façade of the Ball Games Hall.

You then reach the lovely Baroque parterre garden in front of Queen Anne’s Summer Palace, one of the finest examples of Renaissance Prague architecture.  

Novy Svět is close to a few other Prague hidden gems, including the ornate Baroque Loreta church just up the hill. The Černin Palace is across the square from it, with the Černin Palace gardens among the best in Prague.

It’s a short walk from there to Pohořelec, from where a signposted staircase takes you to the precincts of the Strahov Monastery. The church is one of the best Baroque churches in Prague, but the main reasons to visit are the two extraordinary Baroque libraries and the superb art gallery.

Beyond Strahov, it’s a short uphill walk to the summit area of Petřin Hill Prague, with its gardens, playground and mini-Eiffel Tower.

Nový Svět Prague – Final Thoughts

Nový Svět is unlike almost anywhere else in Prague. My son often accompanies me on expeditions – on foot or by tram – around the city, and we both love the centuries-old architecture, the view from above, the feeling of peace, the lack of crowds. And, of course, the cake.