Unusual Places and Sights in Prague

Article published March 2021 and updated October 2024.

Most visitors flocking to Prague have surely made acquaintance with the astronomical clock, the saints on the Charles bridge or the giant babies by David Černý.

Are you planning a trip to Prague or like to discover all the magical places this city has to offer? Then check out Prague’s Best Kept Secrets for inspiration.

This time we want to take you on a tour to Prague’s less known and rather bizarre sights. And there are plenty.

Here are our best picks.

Mosaic heads

The outer edge of the Central Park (Stodůlky) is decorated with three giant mosaic heads made from colorful tiles. The technique reminded us a little of Gaudí. We didn’t expect to find such great arts in such an ordinary place.

Bodies in wall

The half cut bodies of a man and a woman decorate the walls of a passage on Nerudova street in the Lesser Town. They belong to the Museum Montanelli (MuMo) a private owned Czech non-profit organization for contemporary arts.

Butterfly effect

In June 2024, David Černý unveiled a new artwork to the public: two giant butterfly sculptures adorning the facade of the newly reopened Máj Národní building. From time to time, the butterflies span their wings and enchant viewers with their fluid motions.

The wings of the butterflies are attached to World War II fighter plane models, which symbolize the liberation and the end of war. The building is located on Národní Street, a historically significant site that also played a key role in demonstrations against Communist rule.

Woman dangling from umbrella

In Prague you never know what awaits at the next corner. It can even happen that a life-size figure is dangling right above your head. Like in this installation of a depressing looking woman hanging on an umbrella. It is called Slight Uncertainty and was created by Michal Trpák. There is a counterpart statue of a man dangling from an umbrella right next to this one.

Magical Cavern

If Prague itself has not already enchanted you, pay a visit to Reon’s magical cavern amidst the green hills of Petřín. Forget reality for a moment and explore an entire house full of mystical paintings and sculptures.

Franz Kafka monument

During your Prague stay you will see and learn more about the great Franz Kafka than you can imagine. There are several statues honoring the life of this remarkable writer.

One of them can be found in the Jewish quarter in the old town portraying Kafka himself sitting on the shoulders of a headless and handless man. Living through absurd and hopeless situations without the chance to escape is a recurring theme that even led to the creation of an own word: Kafkaesque.

Rhino statue

This temporary installation by Jaroslav Róna shall raise awareness of the man-made extinction of rhinos. It depicts a rhino knight, half animal half man guarding the entrance to the old town.

The shoes of the victims Memorial

Collisions between pedestrians and vehicles including public transport account for several deaths in Prague. Like for the owners of the shoes in this photo. We are not sure if these are the original shoes of the victims or if they were just donated for the purpose of this memorial. However, the information on the boards stating the date and cause of death should be truthful.

Each victim is represented as a pair of angels wings and a pair of shoes. The memorial can be seen at Zítkovy sady.

Red Deer with wings

Červený jelen (red deer) is a new pub/restaurant in the city center. The statues of red deer adorned with a pair of wings can be admired at the entrance and in the yard.

Mystic beehives in Vojanovy Sady park

Vojanovy Sady in Mala Strana should be on your list for your next Prague trip. It can be easily missed as it does not lie exactly on the tourist route. You will be enchanted by the presence of old willow trees, magnolia trees and plenty of benches to sit and take a rest. If you spot some peacocks crossing your path, this is totally normal and part of the park’s highlights. And then there are these mystical beehives with faces of old men carved in tree stomps.

Street art

We have an entire article to prove how much stunning street art there is to find in Prague. In the last three years we kept updating this article whenever we spotted a new piece.

If you enjoy street art as much as we do, go and have a look. You will be surprised how many great street artists have left their traces in Prague.

Reader in the armchair

Jaroslav Róna pays tribute to the book in his sculpture of a reader in an armchair. Reading helps us to escape from reality and fires our imagination.

Nest in the sky

We still haven’t figured out what this weird construction on Dlouhá street is supposed to be. Until we know for sure, we like to think of it as a nest hovering in the sky.

Ďáblice Observatory

Unlike the Prague Planetarium in Stromovka park or Štefánik Observatory on Petřín, Ďáblice Observatory is the lesser known place to watch the sky and the stars. We had the opportunity to visit this place during the Open House Praha event. For one weekend the city opens its doors to less accessible buildings and spaces.

The Ďáblice Observatory marked our personal highlight. The staff gave us a little tour of the two domes and let us have a look through their telescope.

The district of Ďáblice also offers some great nature and hiking trails.

Book tower

The next sight located in the Prague Municipal Library is only for those who are free from giddiness. A gigantic tower consisting of thousands of piled up books might look harmless from the outside.

However, if you step closer and have a look through the opening, dizziness awaits. There are mirrors at the top and bottom creating the illusion of an endless tunnel. Mind blowing.

Villa Helenka

Just the sight of this quirky building will put a smile on your face. Villa Helenka located on Václavce street in Prague 5 is another glorious example of the Art Nouveau architecture. The yellow façade covers various floral frescoes but the highlight is the sundial.

The redesigned John Lennon wall

For the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in November 2019 the wall got a fresh new look. Further, new rules were established regarding the public usage of the wall. Painting the wall is not possible anymore. Only pencils, marker and chalk are allowed officially and only in designated areas. Come and visit the new face of Prague’s famous symbol of love and freedom.

The nutrias of Střelecký island

Nutrias (or coypus) are a South American species introduced to the Vltava. Their numbers have been increasing in the last years and many of them hang out around the shallow shores of Střelecký island. We observed kids feeding the adorable critters with carrots. They obviously enjoyed the healthy snack.

Grébovka (Havlíčkovy sady)

This labyrinth of caves on multiple floors and connected through stairways is a playground for children and adults alike. Each corner has its own unique architecture and space to explore. And you can find yours.

Hanging out

Living in Prague for more than three years it was just recently during the pandemic that I was able to catch a thorough look of this bizarre sculpture without hordes of tourists clogging the alleys of the old town. Even for the hanging Sigmund Freud it must be a surreal sight to see the city so deserted. Keep your heads up to not miss Černý’s masterpiece, located on Husova Street next to Betlémské náměstí.

Nakladové Nádraží Žižkov

The freight station Nakladové Nádraží Žižkov was shut down since 2002. It served as an event space for flea markets and even weddings since then. In 2018, the city decided to transform the site into a new neighborhood with rental apartments, stores and even an elementary school.

We covered this place in our series about Abandoned places in Prague. Check it out for more details.

CyberDog and Trifot

Little were we surprised to learn that this futuristic installation in Nové Butovice was also designed by David Černý, Prague’s dearest controversial artist.

Trifot is a gigantic robot with an abundance of eyes spying on passers-by and capturing their movements on screen. Don’t worry. No recordings are made.

CyberDog is actually a technology and information center – not a bar, as it could easily be mistaken for. If you peek inside through the windows, you can spot an orange robotic arm pouring wine. Such prototypes are used in the assembly line in automotive factories. The cubic construction resembles a robot dog – hence the name CyberDog. There is so much more to explore on the two floors. Only downside: you cannot enter, just observe from the outside through the windows.

Beetle

David Černý added another artwork to his collection in April 2020 with the name Brouk (beetle). A Porsche 911 in opalescent colors is impaled on a large pin literally like a beetle in an entomology collection. The car has 11 moving segments which regularly expand and contract.

Pegasus

Another Černý display can be found on the Walterovo square in Jinonice. The statues of three horses where only the backside is that of a horse and a plane engine with rotating blades covers the front side. This is due to the fact that there was an aircraft factory in this area which went bankrupt after the Velvet revolution.

Red giraffe

In late 2020 Czech sculptor Jaroslav Róna contributed a new installation to Prague’s art scene. A ten meter red giraffe with a shower-shaped head reaching high into the sky.

Bicycle with wings

A bicycle with wings hangs from the ceiling of the Platýz passage near the Můstek metro station. The passage leads to a courtyard with a cafe, restaurants and art store. There are several such passages in Prague through which you can leap between old town and new town.

Woman in pond

This sculpture by Kurt Gebauer shows the statue of a nude woman standing in a pond. Without the water it could also be an arena. It was constructed in 1989 when Czechia was under Communist rule. The artistic era is referred to as Normalization.

Conclusion

Prague is a city full of surprises and a steadily growing art scene. New statues and artworks sprout up all the time so there is always something new to see and to experience. It offers both historical and innovative attractions spread out over the whole city. If you take a step out of the tourist zone, you will be amazed by how much unusual sights there are to discover.

Do you have more unusual and hidden places and sights in Prague? Share them with us in the comments.