The 15 Best Kept Secrets In Prague

Though Prague has a great variety of small and large atmospheric cafes, some of them are not so easily spotted as they are located on the first floor terraces of buildings. One, in particular, Café Louvre, offers a great fin de siècle atmosphere and was frequented by such famous names as Franz Kafka and Albert Einstein. A tip: the café is rumoured to have the best hot chocolate in the city.

Prague is full of magnificent street art and monuments, so certain works get overlooked in favor of others that are located in better areas or are simply more popular. This art installation consists of seven bronze male figures, with each statue looking a little more broken (almost to the point of disappearing) than the one in front of it. The images represent the impact of Communism on men – wearing them down and making them slowly disappear.

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The first museum in the world dedicated exclusively to sexual gadgets, this isn’t a place for the prude or the weak of heart. Aside from a huge collection of whips, vibrators, masks and bondage equipment, you’ll also find more intricate, and somewhat dubious, items, including an 1869 steam vibrator and a 19th-century French voyeuristic chamber pot (complete with a mirror). The museum also includes larger machines, chastity belts and a small cinema where you can watch old porn movies from the early 1900s.
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For a taste of Asia in Prague, it doesn’t get any better than Sapa, the city’s largest Vietnamese market. While locals (and visitors) mostly come here for food, Sapa is also a great place to pick up everything from flower pots to small electronics to cheap clothing and household items. Come ready to bargain.
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Golden Lane is a medieval street located within the grounds of the Prague Castle. What makes it unique is that the 16th-century tiny houses and buildings were named in honor of the King’s alchemists. Part magicians, part scientists, the alchemists’ goal was to try to convert other metals into gold. The alchemists actually worked somewhere else in the castle, but the kingdom’s goldsmiths did live and work here.

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A natural reserve located within the borders of Prague, Divoká Šárka offers some of the best urban hiking imagineable. The park has a gorge, lots of hiking and biking trails, a public swimming pool and a reservoir that also allows swimming. Easily accessible by public transportation, Divoká Šárka is a favorite among locals (and their dogs) and is home to wildlife, rare birds and even mini waterfalls.
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An interactive exhibition tour through an authentic decommissioned nuclear bunker, this experience showcases the eclectic items, such as military gear, used during WWII and the many battles, revolutions and revolts that have hit the country since then. Gas masks designed to protect citizens in case of a chemical attack, uniforms, helmets, measuring and medical equipment and an extensive collection of photographs and newspapers complete the exhibition. Visitors can also explore the tunnel system built in case of an attack, as well as machine rooms housing the equipment needed to run the bunker. For access to the ticket office where the tours start (not the bunker itself), go to the address below, which is near to the Old Town Square.

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These well-hidden and very picturesque Baroque gardens look as fabulous today as they did in the 17th century. Home to wild peacocks, marble fountains and an artificial grotto, the garden is part of Wallenstein Palace and in summer becomes a regular spot for classical concerts and art events.
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During its post-Communist years, Prague saw the springing up of many daring contemporary artists. David Černý, for instance, has stunned the world with strange and awe-inspiring sculptures such as the gigantic babies climbing the Žižkov Television Tower. Černý opened MeetFactory, which combines art exhibitions, workshops, theatre and musical performances that showcase Czechia’s alternative art scene.

Especially dedicated to Czech national food and offering a 14-course tasting menu, La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise, located in Prague’s Old Town, takes its food inspiration from a 19th-century cookbook the manager found in a junk shop. The restaurant is therefore delightfully authentic and offers dishes such as třeboň catfish with kefir, poppy seeds and dill, or mnetěš pigeon with elderberry and hazelnuts.

The Žižkov TV tower, with the aforementioned giant babies climbing to reach its top, is a very unusual and modern sight in the city. Moreover, it is very much worth it to climb to the top of the TV tower, which offers spectacular views of the city (not recommended for those with a fear of heights). The Žižkov neighbourhood is itself an interesting place to visit too, as it has the world’s highest concentration of bars per capita.

The Cross Club is delightfully unusual throughout, from the interior and exterior décor made of futuristic mechanical sculptures and frameworks to its eclectic music offering, which includes live bands, reggae, dubstep and a variety of electronic music. The club gets its name from its original intent to serve as a crossroads for different subcultures, so expect to mingle with all manner of people from Prague’s artistic circles here.

In a country where a bottle of beer is cheaper than bottled water, it makes sense you should have a chance to bathe in beer if you want. Beer spas are very popular in Prague and offer just what you would imagine: a number of treatments using beer as the main potion. The most popular option in beer spas is the beer bath, where you can soak inside a large oak tub full of beer. Even better, most beer spas have a beer tap right next to the tub so you can drink as much as you want while you’re soaking.

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Prague’s most popular cat café (though not the only one) follows the trend born in Japan years ago. Stop by to cuddle a kitty or two – there are ten cats in residence – at one of the many indoor corners or the completely fenced outdoor space. The kitty cake, a marzipan delicacy, goes great with coffee.

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Another way to explore Czech art culture is to visit Qubus, a contemporary ceramics gallery located around the back of Prague’s Old Town square. Czech people are certainly one of the oldest nations that mastered the art of ceramics, with archaeological finds in the medium dating back to 25,000 BC. The gallery exhibits works of ceramics in all its forms, from traditional pots and bowls to a gold-glazed baroque clock fronted with a 1970s LED readout.