17 Beautiful Prague streets you must see

Where to find the most beautiful streets in Prague

Streets in Prague Image of Loretanska Street and St Vitus Cathedral Prague Czech Republic

About the author: David Angel is a British photographer, writer, and historian with 30+ years of experience exploring Europe. His work is regularly featured in the BBC, the Guardian and Conde Condé Nast Traveler. He currently lives in Prague.

You probably know some of the main Prague attractions, from the magnificent Charles Bridge to the Old Town Square.  You probably recognise some of the most beautiful churches in Prague, and other landmarks of Prague such as Prague Castle. But how many of the most beautiful Prague streets can you name?

It’s not an easy one, granted. I’ve been captivated by the many Prague sights, and especially the best Prague architecture, since my first visit 30 years ago.  Remembering what to see in Prague is one thing, knowing the best streets in Prague is something else entirely. Our guide to the streets of Prague is, like our feature on the bridges in Prague, a different way of exploring the best places to see in Prague.

Some of the Prague streets on our list may not be immediately familiar, but you’ll either recognise or discover many of the best places in Prague.  Some of these streets will give you the best views in Prague, while others are home to some of the best architecture in Prague.

Others are compelling because they have so many things to see. Either way, if you visit Prague, be sure not to leave without checking out at least half of these.

Best Prague Streets in Hradčany – The Castle District

Castle Prague Image of Uvoz street and St Vitus Cathedral in Prague
Uvoz street with St Vitus Cathedral dominating the Prague skyline

It’s easy to get confused with some of the Czech names for places, especially Prague Castle and Castle Hill. The whole hill including the castle is called Hradčany, meaning Castle District or Castle Hill. This name includes the streets, churches and other Prague attractions that are on the hill but not part of Prague Castle proper.

The name Pražsky Hrad means Prague Castle – this refers to the actual Castle of Prague complex, including the royal palaces, St Vitus, St George’s Basilica and the various fortifications. 

I’ve heard people asking the way to Hradcany Castle – by this, they mean Prague Castle, Pražsky Hrad.  

1. Loretanska

Prague Streets - Loretanska Street
The Castle Prague Image of colourful Baroque houses on Loretanska Street in Prague Castle District
The bright colours of Loretanska in Prague Castle District

Loretanska is one of the most picturesque Prague streets. It’s outside the main Prague Castle complex, and connects Pohorelec Square with Hradcanské namesti (Castle Square) and has some of the best views anywhere in the city of St Vitus, the best-known of the four Prague cathedrals.

Most of the street was built in Baroque style after a fire in 1742, and there are now colourfully painted mansions and palaces, some hotels and a couple of the better cafes in Castle Hill.

The Loreta pilgriminage church and monastery is just down the hill to the right of the street.

Insider tip: We’re particularly fond of Loretanska because of the magnificent view of St Vitus Cathedral, which is especially beautiful at night.

2. Uvoz

Prague Best Places Image of pink house with 'Luna' sculpture on Uvoz Street Castle District Prague
An image of a street in Prague called Uvoz Street

Uvoz Street is the continuation of Nerudova (see Mala Strana below), climbing and skirting the edge of Prague Castle Hill.   It leads to the Baroque Strahov Monastery, and you walk up the hill with views of its twin towers ahead of you. To your left, the Petrin Tower peeks above the treetops and the parkland below.

There are some sublimely beautiful houses and buildings along the street, some of which have been turned into boutique hotels and restaurants.

Insider tip: Before you reach the top of the street where it joins Pohořelec square, turn around to enjoy the view over Mala Strana and Stare Mesto Prague.

3. Golden Lane (Zlata Ulicka)

Image of houses on Golden Lane in Prague Castle

Also known as Golden Street Prague, this is the one street in our selection that you have to pay to enter. Don’t begrudge it, it’s worth every koruna. You need to book a Prague Castle tour to see it unless you visit after the palaces and other interior areas on the tour close.

Seeing Prague Castle inside is a revelation – it’s like a small town up there. Golden Lane was named after the goldsmiths who set up shop there in the 17th century, but it was built a hundred years earlier for guardsmen of Rudolf II. The brightly painted house fronts came in the 20th century.

Insider tip: You can go inside some of the cottages, which are evocatively made up to appear as they would have in different times gone by.

4. Novy Svět – Our favourite street in Prague

Image of the cobbled street Novy Svet in Hradcany Prague
Image of Novy Svet street in the Prague Castle District
A view over Novy Svět and Hradcany – the Castle District of Prague

Some of our favourite Prague walks are up around Hradčany, and Novy Svět is the nearest thing you’ll find to Prague off the beaten track. Its name means ‘New World’ but it belongs to a bygone age, a narrow cobbled street full of old houses, some with their emblems (which were used in the pre-house-numbering era) still intact.

It’s just down the hill from the Loreta church, and makes for one of the most enjoyable Castle Hill walks.

See Also: 27 Hidden Gems In Prague To Discover

5. Ke Hradu

Image of Ke Hradu street in Prague
Looking down Ke Hradu in the snow

‘Ke Hradu’ simply means ‘to the castle’. If you’ve ever visited Prague Castle, there’s a very high chance you’ve walked up or down it.

Ke Hradu is one of the shortest Prague streets, one without any building fronts, only backs. Its main feature is the supporting wall beneath the Schwarzenberg and Salmovsky Palaces, adorned with a row of simple street lamps.

The views towards Strahov Monastery, Petřin Hill, Mala Strana and the Old Town are magnificent. And on a cold Prague winter night, the lights just switched on, there are few Prague streets as atmospheric as this.

Best Prague Streets in Mala Strana – Lesser Town

1. Letenska

Image of tram on Letenska Street Lesser Town Prague
One road, three tunnels – Letenska, In Mala Strana

I have my five-year-old son to thank for waking me up to the wonder of Letenska, which connects Malostranske Namesti, Lesser Town Square with Malostranske metro stop and Vltava river. It passes the Wallenstein Gardens and Palace with a view up to the Prague Castle Cathedral of St Vitus.

Here trams squeeze past a baroque church, St Thomas, and under a narrow tunnel beneath a palace. There are three arches in total, one for the trams, another for cars and a third for pedestrians. He wanted to watch at least ten trams pass through before begging me to catch a tram to pass through there himself.

A beautiful, quirky Prague Street in one of the best neighbourhoods in Prague.

2. Mostecka

Image of Mostecka street in Mala Strana or Lesser Town Prague Czech Republic
Image of the Lesser Town Bridge Tower and Mostecka Street Prague
Image of townhouses on Mostecka Street Mala Strana Prague

If you visit Charles Bridge Prague you’ll also see Mostecka. It’s the street leading from Malostranske Namesti to the Charles Bridge, and its name means ‘ Bridge Street ‘ .

It’s notable for its array of splendid painted houses and the view towards either end – to St Nicholas Church Mala Strana at one end, and the Lesser Town Bridge Tower, two of the best viewpoints in Prague.

The street has perhaps the best location in Prague, with architecture to boot, but at ground level it’s been taken over by a mixture of bureaux de change and fast food joints, which don’t do the place any favours. Just keep looking upwards.

See Also: Mala Strana Prague – one of the most enchanting areas in Prague

3. Na Kampe

Image of Na Kampe square on Kampa Island ioin Prague
Na Kampe, Kampa Island’s square, from the Charles Bridge
Image of houses on Na Kampe street on Kampa Island Prague
Na Kampe

Kampa Island is perhaps the most beautiful of the Prague Islands, and is a fascinating area to explore. It’s easy to reach, just off the south side of the Charles Bridge.

It has several museums, some of the best places to eat in Prague and in Kampa Park on eof the most beautiful parks in Prague .

The main street and square on the island is Na Kampe, a quiet atmospheric spot with some fine old houses, now a mixture of hotels, restaurants, galleries and bars.

See Also: Kampa Island Prague – one of Prague’s most beautiful neighbourhoods

4. Nerudova Street Prague

Image of a plaque of Bohemian poet Jan Neruda in Mala Strana in Prague
The house where Jan Neruda lived and wrote
Image of Nerudova Street Prague
Nerudova, one of the most beautiful streets in Prague

You get some of the best views of Prague city from Nerudova, the cobbled street leading from Mala Strana to the heights of the Prague Castle district, Hradčany. It’s lined with brightly painted, beautiful old townhouses, many from the medieval and Renaissance periods.

It’s now well touristed, the old houses mostly converted to hotels, cafes and restaurants. One of the most picturesque streets in Prague.

Beautiful Prague Streets in Old Town Prague – Stare Mesto

1. Old Town Square Prague – Staromestké Namesti

Image of Prague Old Town Square from the Hotel U Prince terrace
This view is yours – for a glass of champagne
Image of Dum U Minuty - House of the Minutes - on Old Town Square, Prague
Dum U Minuty – House of the Minutes – on Old Town Square
Image of the Old Town Square Christmas Market in Prague
The view from the Old Town Hall Tower of the Christmas Market and Tyn Church

The Old Town Square Prague is far and away the finest square in the city and one of the best squares in Europe. Wherever you go, you’re surrounded by top Prague attractions – the Prague Astronomical Clock, the Old Town Hall and Tower (a superb, if crowded vantage point), the Baroque St Nicholas Hussite church, some Renaissance and Rococo mansions and the enchanting Gothic spires of Our Lady Before Tyn Church.

The square is also the setting for one of the main Prague Christmas Markets, which are held every winter in Prague between late November and early January each year.

See Also: 21 Amazing Prague Squares To Discover

2. Pařížská

Parizska Street Prague - One of the most beautiful Prague Streets.
Parizska Street Prague

I didn’t originally include this street in this article but after a year in Prague have become well and truly swayed by it. It’s the main haute couture shopping street in Prague, and in spring and summer the combination of dense tree shade and parked cars everywhere did very little for this non-fashionista.

Take away the leaves, add some lights and a sprinkle of Christmas magic and it’s a totally different story and becomes one of our favourite Prague streets. It runs from the edge of the Old Town Square, north through the Jewish district of Josefov to Čechuv most bridge and the Vltava river.

The bare trees also reveal some magnificent Prague architecture, especially around the junction with Široka. The Old-New Synagogue and Jewish Town Hall also back onto it. If you’re in Prague in winter, it’s by far the best time to appreciate it.

3. Široka

Image of ornate houses on Siroka Street Prague
An ornate Art Nouveau building on the corner of Siroka
Image of the Franz Kafka statue on Siroka Street Prague Old Town
The quirky Franz Kafka statue on Siroka

Široka Street is the main thoroughfare in the small Prague Jewish quarter, Josefov. It only runs around 300 metres from 17th November (17 listopadu) to the V Kolkovne roundabout, but so much Jewish Prague history is packed into this tiny area that it’s an absolute Prague must see.

The 16th century Pinkas synagogue and the adjacent Prague Old Jewish Cemetery are both part of the Prague Jewish Museum and are the best place to start. Five other Prague synagogues – Maiselova, Klausova, the Old New, the High and Spanish Synagogue – are within a few steps of the short course of Široka.

Also look out for some beautiful Prague Art Nouveau details and the quirky statue of Franz Kafka.

See Also: 20 Great Prague Statues To Seek Out

5. Havelska

Image of St Gallen church on Havelska Street Prague
St Gallen Church on the corner of Havelska Market

Havelska, in Prague Old Town, is the only old marketplace still in use in the city centre of Prague. The market was originally established in 1232, It’s a short, pretty street dominated by the twin Baroque towers of St Gallen Church.

The Havelsky Market – Havelské Tržište – is the place to come for your fruit and vegetables on weekdays, and you’ll usually find Prague souvenirs on offer on weekends.

6. Ovocny Trh

Ovocny trh is a part-square, part-backstreet at the southern edge of Prague Old Town. It runs from Celetna and the superb Dum U Matky Bozi (House of the Black Madonna) where you’ll find the Cubist Museum Prague, across the square and behind the magnificent Estates Theatre.

This part of the street (pictured above) is especially beautiful when the lamps are switched on at twilight. The narrow square – its name means Fruit Market – is no longer used as a marketplace, but is the setting for the one of the Prague Christmas ice rinks each winter.

Best Prague Streets in Nove Mesto – New Town Prague

1. Wenceslas Square Prague

Image of the former Grand Hotel Europa in Wenceslas Square Prague
The former Grand Hotel Europa, prime Art Nouveau on Wenceslas Square
Image of Wenceslas Square Prague at night
Wenceslas Square, also home to an upside-down mounted horse sculpture

The second most famous Prague square is Wenceslas Square, Vaclavské Namesti, It dominates Nové Mesto, Prague New Town, and is the commercial heart of the city. Along with Parizska in the Old Town and the adjoining Na Prikope, this is where many flock to do their shopping in Prague.

It’s full of department stores and fast food restaurants, but after living in Prague for a while, it has rather grown on me. The National Museum main building at the end of the Square reopened in 2018, and is one of the best things to see in Prague. 

Wenceslas Square also has some of the best Prague Art Nouveau architecture, from the Grand Hotel Europe and Hotel Meran next door to the Galerie Lucerna, with its statue of King Wenceslas on an upside-down horse a humorous tip of the hat to the famous upright Wenceslas statue at the top of the Square.  

See Also: New Town Prague Area Guide

2. Narodni

Image of the Viola Art Nouveau building in Prague
The Viola Building on Narodni Trida
Image of Art Nouveau Topic building on Narodni Street Prague
The Art Nouveau Topic building, one of several on Narodni

Narodni – National Street – is where the 1989 Velvet Revolution kicked off. This is when what was then Czechoslovakia broke off the shackles of Communist rule after 41 years – it all started with violent clashes between police and students on Narodni, and this is commemorated by a small plaque on the south side of the street.

Narodni is a busy Prague shopping street with some of the best Prague cafes, including Café Louvre and Café Slavia.Also look out for some beautiful Art Nouveau Prague architecture.

The National Theatre (Narodni divadlo) stands at the western end of the street, opposite the Café Slavia and across the road from the Vltava River. Turn left at the end of the street to reach our next street in Prague.

3. Masarykovo Nábřeži

Image of the National Theatre and mansions on Masarykovo Nabrezi in Prague
The National Theatre (Narodni Divadlo) and Masarykovo Nabrezi at dusk

This is the section of the east side Prague riverfront between the National Theatre and Dancing House, two popular Prague landmarks. We’ve chosen this street because of its stunning Art Nouveau architecture, with many mansions overlooking the Vltava river.

The street runs parallel to Slovansky Island (Slovansky ostrov), and this is a better place to appreciate the artistry on some of the facades than street level – the sandy playground area is probably the best place to see the mansions.

The Hlahol building is one of the most impressive – it’s about halfway along Masarykovo Nabrezi.

Prague Streets – Final Words

Image of the Charles Bridge Prague at sunrise
Sunrise is the best time to visit the Charles Bridge

I hope you have enjoyed – and been inspired by my guide to the best Prague streets to visit.

I have lived in Prague for four years, and written many more guides on the city. The best place to begin is my guide to the best Things To Do In Prague, which gives you a great overview of the city – ideal for first-time visitors. Also see my guide to the best landmarks of Prague so you know all the main sights.

Don’t miss my guide to the most famous landmark in the city, the Charles Bridge Prague. It’s one of the most beautiful bridges in the world – just set your alarm early for sunrise to avoid the crowds!

Check out my guide to the sights along the Vltava River in Prague, exploring the sights along both sides of the River. And don’t miss my Prague area guides, including Old Town Prague, the stunning old heart of the city.

Don’t miss my guide to New Town Prague, the neighbouring district which is nearly as old. Take a look at my guide to Mala Strana Prague, the gorgeous area between the River and Prague Castle.

Check out more of my themed articles on places to visit in Prague. Don’t miss my guide to the best churches in Prague to visit, And don’t miss my guide to the most beautiful Prague squares, including magnificent Old Town Square. My guide to the best hidden gems in Prague reveals even more amazing places to seek out.

And finally, if you’re intrigued by Prague history, check out my guides to Communist Prague and Prague World War 2 Sites.

Or discover more beautiful streets in Europe :


Image of David Angel found of Delve into Europe Travel Blog / Website

David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times.  David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.