When we started our Prague Foodie Tours at the top of the Wenceslas Square in Prague’s New Town, showing its historical importance was easy: we’d just whip out our iPad and show photos of people celebrating Czechoslovakia’s independence in 1918, the Nazi troops parading on the square in 1938, the Soviet tanks in 1968, and the Velvet Revolution that ended Communism in late 1989.
Yes, Wenceslas Square, one of Prague’s natural crossroads and a place when the locals meet to venture into the historical centre, where they work and shop (but rarely live) is a place where history was repeatedly made. It has been losing its splendour in the past decades as it lost some high-profile retail shops to Old Town’s Pařížská street and as it became the nearest Prague had to a red light district at night. Think Champs-Élysées, but in Prague.
So the locals may be a bit grumpy about the current state of the square, and look forward to plans of its revitalisation, which - after years of empty promises - seem to be finally picking up speed.
The Wenceslas Square is not just a photo opportunity to capture the monumental National Museum towering at the top of the avenue (year, the „square“ is not really a square), but a great place to spend a day, or a half of it, breathe in the history, have a meal and a drink, and wonder through the webs of walkthroughs that connect the buildings around it. So if you’ve done the Old Town and the Castle District during your Prague trip, the Wenceslas Square is a great place to explore, especially on a rainy day in Prague.
What to see in Prague’s New Town and Wenceslas Square?
Drake may have started at the bottom. We’re going to start at the top… with the National Museum. Reopened recently after a long and comprehensive reconstruction, the National Museum is a thing of beauty. No wonder they shot Casino Royale on the central staircase of the building. The museum itself is a natural history museum (think „Hall of Minerals“, which is actually quite stunning in a beautifully old-school way, and dinosaurs) that is hours of fun. Just ask our 4yo JJ.
Make sure you take the underground tunnel with pretty cool video art to the museum’s new building next door. The former Federal Assembly building is a striking Brutalist building from the late 1960s, and you’ll know it was a parliament - just the amount of marble used is pretty admirable. Make sure you visit the interior courtyard by the Myšárium play area. The top floor now (January 2022) hosts a cool exhibition about Czechoslovakia’s 20th Century history.
Walking down, you will notice two things: first, a small memorial to Jan Palach, who set himself on fire on the square in 1969 in protest against the Soviet occupation, and then the statue of St Wenceslas which gave the name to the square. Yes, he’s the guy from the old English Christmas carol, and no, that Christmas carol does not exist in Czech culture. But you’re welcome. Many locals have, in their lifetime, set a meeting point „behind the tail“ of the horse, so you may see people waiting for others there around the full hour.
The Wenceslas Square is a mixture of all different styles of architecture from different periods of time (the square was founded, along with the entire New Town, as the horse market in the mid 1300s) but there are a few notable ones. Starting from the top, Hotel Jalta is a classic example of Socialist Realism (think 1950s Communist luxury). Hotel Evropa, the neighbouring Hotel Meran and Peterkův dům are classic Art Deco structures from the Belle Epoque. The Lucerna palace is a modernist structure with hints of cubism. The Debenhams department store is brutalist, while the Baťa shoe store and the Lindt palace right next door are functionalist/constructivist. So feel free just walking down the square and enjoy the juxtaposition of different styles, forms and sizes.
The one thing you must explore are the walkthroughs prevalent around the square. These are commonly used by the locals and rarely explored by the tourists, but they’re great little quirky passages and arcades that will protect you from the rain or heat depending on the weather. Here’s some of our favourites:
Walking from the top, the walkthrough next to the KFC leads to the Studio Dva theatre. Note that the ceiling at the end of the arcade in front of the ticket box sports a really cool face watch, so that you know if you’re on time for a show. The most famous arcade is the Lucerna Palace. Mostly know by the „upside down horse“, a statue by Czech artist David Černý that echoes the statue of St Wenceslas on the square, but with the horse upside down, the arcade hosts a few shops and, most notably, the oldest cinema in Prague (built in 1909 and still in use), the „Big Hall“ under the arcade that was home to concerts by Ray Charles or Louis Armstrong and today hosts high school proms, or Lucerna Music Bar, home of the popular 80s and 90s nights and concerts by many cool Czech and foreign performers. If open, take the paternoster elevator to the roof of the building with some great views and vibes.
The Lucerna extends along Vodičkova street into Dům U Nováků, built in 1904 to mimic big department stores in Western Europe (think Galleries Lafayette in Paris). Today, it is home to Divadlo ABC theatre and a variety of shops. Crossing the Vodičkova street, you’ll enter the Světozor arcade with an art cinema that includes Terry Posters, a cool shop that sells old Czech and foreign movie posters. (Czech posters are different from the ones you know, so check them out.) At the end of the arcade, you can turn right into the Alfa arcade, one of our favourites: the floor and the ceiling are quite stunning. Too bad the Palác u Stýblů building isn’t used. We strongly believe that if Soho House ever builds a hotel in Prague, it should be here.
If you turn left at the end of the Světozor arcade, you’ll enter the Franciscan garden, a little green spot hidden in the middle of the busy streets around it. The locals come here to sit on a bench and enjoy the view, eat ice-cream or lunch, or take the kids to the playground in the corner. (Want a super hidden indoor playground? Get to the top floor of Hotel Juliš on Wenceslas Square for a cute play area with some stunning views of the city.) If you walk through the garden, turn right into the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. The interior is classic Prague as it mixes two completely different styles: Baroque altar and decorations inside a Gothic church. Oh Prague, you’re so beautiful.
On the other side of the square, walk towards the Henry Tower (and now the Andaz hotel) and pop into the Main Post Office in the first block of Jindřišská street on the right. You’ll be happy you did. Completely hidden from view unless you know about it, the post office must be one of the nicest in Europe. The last arcade for you to explore is the Koruna arcade, probably the most monumental one, at the very bottom of the square. You’re done with sights, let’s go eat and drink.
Where to eat and drink in Prague’s New Town and around Wenceslas Square
Let’s get the drinks out of the way first. There are two or three great cocktail bars in the area: OMY (Oh My Yalta) in the Jalta hotel is a showcase for the country’s most famous and respected distiller, Mr Žufánek. You will find his entire portfolio there, including some very limited items. Swim in Štěpánská street serves great vegetarian food but also artisanal cocktails in a pretty cool constructivist building. But our heart belongs to Parlour in the otherwise uninspired Krakovská street. It’s difficult to find with very little in the way of signage, but that’s not a bug - that’s part of the design. With a huge following among local cocktail aficionados, this little bar without a cocktail menu (you have to tell the bartender what you fancy, and they’ll fix you a drink) and with vintage glasses is an oasis for the thinking man and woman. If you’re introverted but love cocktails, you’ll be here a lot. Fancy a drunk crawl? Go elsewhere. Finally, the Be Bop Bar in the Alcron hotel is a classic bar with surprisingly delicious and creative drinks.
If you want beer, head to Lokál U Jirátů with fresh Pilsners and a pretty cool bar that opens and slides out into the street in the summer. U Pinkasů is an iconic Pilsner pub bordering on a tourist trap. And if you want wine, you’ll probably like Špejle that serves a lot of them with a side of tapas-style food.
Now, where do you eat in Prague’s New Town? Let’s go.
For the finest food in the area, head over to the Alcron hotel (the first independently-owned boutique hotel in the world, btw) to La Rotonde. Chef Lukáš Hlaváček may be young but he cooked in London’s iconic The Ledbury and in Napa Valley’s three-Michelin-star Meadowood. The restaurant is mostly empty, as the locals usually shy away from hotel restaurants, but that may change over time, as the young chef’s reputation grows. A bit down the fancy-meter is Čestr in the Federal Assembly building. A frequent stop on our Prague Foodie Tour, the modern restaurant slow-cooks local heritage breed of cow and adds delicious local sauces. The logo and plates tell the whole story: Czech tradition, updated. Great before or after a performance in the State Opera nearby.
Yalta Craft Bistro in the Jalta hotel puts a modern spin on some Czech classics, like the dill sauce with beef, and the results are delicious. Add local craft beers and outdoor seating on the terrace, and you must be a happy camper. Kantýna in Politických vězňů street is a place for meat lovers: the former bank is part steak house, part butcher shop and part deli with meat cutters and a ticket where the cutters record your order. Add fresh beer and you have Czech nirvana. Not a meat eater? Visit Swim just behind the Alcron hotel for vegetarian fare by one of the best vegetarian kitchens in town, Estrella.
Want something quicker? Have a bowl of ramen at Kitchen the Address, probably the oldest ramen shop in town. For a classic quick bite, have a chlebíček, the Czech open-faced sandwich, in Ovocný Světozor in the Světozor arcade, or at Lahůdky Zlaý kříž at the beginning of Jungmannova. On a nice day, get a few in a box and eat them al fresco in the Franciscan garden nearby.
Wenceslas Square is a great place to have pastries. In a country where continuity is hard to come by due to 40+ years of Communism, you’ll be pleased to know that Myšák in Vodičkova street opened in 1911 and has been great ever since. Come here for great classic Czech pastries, their iconic ice-cream sundae, and specialty coffee. Erhart Café in Dům U Nováků across the street adds a cool 1930s Constructivist aesthetic. And Ovocný Světozor serves ice-cream and whole cakes if you need them. Also, Grom may not entirely be the small artisanal ice-cream from Italy it purports to be (it’s a big company) but the ice-cream is legit.
And if you need coffee, the vicinity of Wenceslas Square won’t let you down. Most of local coffee is brewed around the Franciscan garden - Kavárna truhlárna is located in one of its corners, and Headshot is in another. Goodlok is just a few steps away on Jungmannovo námšstí and in addition to coffee serves cold-pressed juices and small dishes with a focus on fermentation and health. Kavárna Růžová just two blocks away is a cute espresso bar without any proper seats, but well-prepared coffee by Coffee Source, local roasters. Spell Coffee is tucked away in a courtyard and is a combination coffee shop and beauty parlour. Myšák may be a pastry shop, but their coffee is solid, and Cafe Susu has the best bingsu in town.
Finally, let’s talk shopping, because the Wenceslas Square has some retail therapy options.
First, Wenceslas Square is home to not one, but three bookshores. Neo Luxor is the biggest one - it spans four floors and has probably everything you may ever need. Academia is more about non-fiction, and Knihy Dobrovský may have a kitschy front, but a vibe of a small bookstore behind it. One of the coolest shops in the area is Foto Škoda, a true palace of photography that spams three floors and provides comprehensive printing services, too. For used and vintage cameras, check out the camera store in Dům u Nováků.
Two great shops for kids: Hugo chodí bos is a shop that sells Czech toys of our childhoods - we’d buy everything here… for ourselves, while Hračkotéka adds high quality and artisanal toys from Czechia and abroad, modern and old-school. Freshlabels is a fashion store with a focus on street wear and backpacks, while Queens is a great sneaker store. Finally, Les houbeles sells all things mushrooming, which is a Czech obsession, and Fransýr sells great French cheeses.