Prague Photo Guide – The Best Spots in The Bohemian City

The moment I set my foot on the cobblestoned alleys of the capital of the Czech Republic, I already knew that writing a Prague photo guide is inevitable. Prague is just sooo picturesque! Middle-aged, perfectly restored houses, giant gothic towers, a river full of swans and bridges disappearing on the horizon. All of this combined with curious modern art installations and multiple panorama viewpoints.
Yes, Prague has it all!

To save you the extra research, I gathered all the best spots I found to create the ultimate Prague photo guide. In the next 2000-ish words, I’ll point you to my favorite Prague photo spots and explain which ones you can skip and why. I’ll present some of my favorite photos, and give you tips on how to do it yourself. Time to stop the blabber now. Let’s the hunt for the best photo spots in Prague begin!

Charles Bridge (Karluv Most)

The first place in my Prague photo guide is the most famous bridge in town and central Europe – Charles Bridge. The visually stunning historic bridge connects the Old Town of Prague with the Mala Strana, and it’s the biggest symbol of the city thus presenting plenty of photo ops.

On The Bridge

The first and most obvious spot is on the bridge itself. If you go there during the day, you can be sure there will be thousands of tourists there. I’m not exaggerating – thousands! You can still make a good photo of the street artists but if you want a truly great picture, make sure you get there around sunrise.

The bridge would always have a dozen of photo-enthusiasts and party animals that lost track of time, but it shouldn’t be that much of an issue. Some good ideas for a sunrise photo:

– In the middle of the bridge, with the tower in the distance
This one works best right before sunset and excels if there is some morning mist or fog.

– One of the statues in the foreground with Prague Castle in the back

– Take a shot at the end of the bridge, right where the towers start. Use the tower entry as a frame.

Swan Spot

In the northside of Mala Strana, you can find one of the most picturesque photo spots in Prague. At first, it looks just like any other place alongside the river, but once you get closer, you start noticing the swans. So many swans!
Wait patiently for a while, and catch them interacting with each other and making a heart shape with their necks.

Be careful not to get too close, though. Swans are pretty temperament birds, and it’s not unheard of to attack cheeky photographers who dared to invade their private space.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.088717, 14.411165

Southside River Shot

The other side of the bridge (again from the Mala Strana area) is perfect to get a good river shot with Charles Bridge in the background. The good thing about this photo spot is that you can go almost any time of the day and it won’t be overcrowded. Even if it’s, your picture won’t be affected.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.086292, 14.409336

Old Town Shore

South of Charles Bridge but this time on the Old Town’s side.
The line alongside the river opens a beautiful panoramic view of the iconic bridge with Prague’s Castle in the background.

Try to catch a boat in the shot to make it extra good. If you want to do the shot during the day, the best place would be the Lavka restaurant (It would’ve been the best place after dark too, but it’s closed).

Google Maps coordinates of Lavka restaurant: 50.085555, 14.412821

Padlock Shot

On the Old Side of town, right next to the bridge tower, you can see a small garden with few benches. It’s a popular romantic spot where couples go to lock a padlock on the rail (so their love will stay secure for all eternity). The thousands of colorful padlocks make the perfect foreground, and the beautiful Charles Bridge completes the background.

This shot is easiest to make early in the morning, but if you’re patient and ready to wait for all the couples and selfie-takers, you can do it at any time of the day.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.086324, 14.413546

The Old Town Bridge Tower

The tower at the end of the bridge (the one from the Old Town side) offers an awesome vantage point to photograph Charles Bridge from above. It opens at 10 AM so you won’t be able to get it free of tourists but the straight line ahead combined with the overlooking St.Vitus Cathedral in the back creates a wonderful composition.
The tower is also a great spot for after-dark shots!

Google Maps coordinates: 50.086144, 14.413540

Old Town Streets

It may sound weird, but the biggest inspiration behind this Prague photo guide was not Charles Bridge. As amazing as it is, nothing beats the early walk around the medieval alleys of this astonishing city. Nothing!

Below are the places you should keep an eye on during your walk. Funny enough, most of them are modern art installation mixed between the classical buildings.
Did I mention how much I love Prague?

Hanging Freud

Apparently, the famous Austrian psychoanalyst was born in the Czech Republic, so the Czech’s decided to celebrate him by creating this curious art installation. Hanging for dear life, several meters above the street, this little fellow presents an excellent photo op.

If you have a nice telephoto lens, you can go for a close-up, but the better shot (for me) is the wide-angle one with the lantern in the foreground. The best thing about this spot Is that the humongous Prague crowds can’t ruin it, so there’s no need to wake up at 5 AM.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.084174, 14.418286

Kafka’s Head

Created by the same artist that came up with the hanging Freud idea, the 11 meters tall head is more of a video than a photography opportunity. While the head does look impressive on a still shot, its real charm is the way it moves. Every few seconds, part of it turns to the right, eventually moving the whole face to stare in a different direction.

If you need a great Instagram story from Prague – Kafka’s Head is the one!

Google Maps coordinates: 50.081646, 14.420786

The Umbrella Man

This one is not in the Old Town, but it’s pretty close to it. The Hanging Umbrella Man is another curious sculpture you can’t really see anywhere else in the world (or at least I haven’t seen it anywhere else). It blends wonderfully with the light buildings around it and it’s way lower than the Hanging Freud thus giving you more composition options.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.077738, 14.418147

Powder Tower

Back in the heart of the old town, the gothic Powder Tower looks just like something out of a magazine. There is a tricky part here, though. The place is a popular stop for the vintage cars that offer tours all around Prague, and getting one of those in your tower shot looks fantastic. However, those cars get out once the tourists are out.

And what is the worst thing you can have in your cool Prague photo? Yep, a horde of tourists!

If you’re patient enough, I’m sure the moment will come, and you’ll be able to get the tower with a vintage car inside the shot. If not, well, go there early and get a clean shot free of vehicles and people.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.087286, 14.427414

   See Also:  Prague Vienna Budapest – The Ultimate Itinerary

Old Town Square

You probably don’t need a Prague Photo Guide for this one. No matter what you do, you’d eventually end up on the Old Town Square.

Just like the previous stops, the Old Town Square is best to visit early in the morning. Being a gathering spot for almost every Prague tour, the place is swarming with people after 9 AM. If you do make an effort to get early though, you’re going to get a serene experience with plenty of material for your lenses.
The two must-check spots are:

Prague’s Astronomical Clock

The oldest working mechanical clock in the world is quite an annoying scene during the day, but the perfect Instagram spot early in the morning. Make sure your lens is wide enough, you have someone to click the shutter (or a tripod with a remote), and you are placed centrally in front of the clock and voila – you got yourself an awesome Instagram photo!

During the day, your only option is to shoot close-ups of the clock (which are pretty awesome too).

Old Town Hall Tower

The other top-notch square photo spot Is the old town tower. No need to get here before sunrise since it opens at 11:00 AM, but it’s good to be among the first visitors and not waste time waiting for someone to get down.

The panoramic photo of the square is best taken in the afternoon when the sun is already behind you.

Google Maps coordinates (the clock is right next to the Town Hall entry): 50.086947, 14.420703

Strahov Library

Have you watched Disney’s Beauty and the Beast? Imagine getting inside the Beast’s castle for a photoshoot! Well, the Strahov Library may not be as big as the castle, and there is no talking furniture, but it offers one of the most amazing baroque libraries in the world. Seriously, your jaw would drop when you see it in person.

Taking a photo is permitted (although you need to buy a special ticket for that) and most of the time you should be able to catch the library free of people.
How come?

They just don’t let people inside the actual library. You can only see it from the entry doors. At least that’s what the staff told me, but I did saw some lucky fellows inside. How did they get there?  No idea. Did they ruin my photo? Absolutely not

You can visit the Strahov Library any time in the day (between 9 AM and 5 PM), and you’d still get the same awesome photos.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.086024, 14.389485

 Dancing House

I remember the first time I saw the Dancing House on Instagram. I was absolutely convinced this is an ad for some photo editing tools. The structure’s proportions look so unreal!

It’s situated on a crossroad, so getting there in the morning before the rush hour is advisable. Get on the island in the middle of the streets to get the best angle.

To get the photo more interesting, you may try to catch a tram in the shot too. The long exposure technique also works great for this location.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.075735, 14.413988

   See Also:  How to Spend 2 Weeks in Europe

 Petrin Lookout Tower

Overlooking Prague, the Petrin tower is located on the top of Petrin Hill (who would’ve guessed), and it’s the most panoramic spot in my Prague photo guide. With its 64 meters height, the tower offers a view to the entire city.

The bad thing about it is that you need to take your picture behind a glass.

The good thing? There’s an elevator.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.083510, 14.395153

Idiom Installation

A lovely art installation situated inside Prague’s Municipal Library, the Idiom is an endless tunnel made out of books. It’s right at the entrance of the library so you won’t have to search for it a lot. There may be a small queue in front of the Idiom, but the installation is kind of off-beaten track attraction so you should have it for yourself most of the time. 

Wait what do you mean by an endless tunnel of books?

Imagine old books stacked as a tube with mirrors on both ends and an opening in the middle. The perfect book-lover selfie spot!

Google Maps coordinates: 50.087374, 14.417369

St.Nicholas Basilica

St.Nicholas Basilica (the one in Mala Strana) is quite impressive from the outside, but that’s nothing compared to the interior. At first, I was surprised there is an entry fee (4 EUR/ 100 CZK), but once I took my first look at the gorgeous baroque designs and the stunning ceiling frescos I was sold. Hands down, one of the most beautiful churches in Europe.

The only downside is, just as every church, it’s quite dark inside. If you have a good camera or a nightmode-able phone, you should have no problems.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.088157, 14.403159

Letna Hill

The top of Letna hill is home to a lovely park, perfect for a walk with your dog or with your kids. Since you’re reading my Prague photo guide though, I assume you’d go there for another reason.

And you won’t be wrong Letna Hill offers one of the most famous panoramic shots of Prague. The splendid view of the Vltava river and its bridges can be seen on every other postcard in Prague.

You may face some competition for the best photo spots, but it shouldn’t be hard to get a good one at any time of the day.

Google Maps coordinates: 50.093549, 14.412676

Prague Photography Tours

If you’re not that confident in your photo abilities or you just want a professional photographer as your guide, this one is of highest quality.

Not-Worth-it Prague Photo Spots

Before I went to Prague, I did my homework and checked multiple travel guides. I checked the places in google maps, on Instagram, and other photo apps. Yeah, when I travel, I like to be prepared and do my homework in detail.

There were some places, though, that looked very promising on paper but turned out a bit of disappointment.
Here ‘s what I mean:

Clementium

If you’ve already done additional research, you’re probably wondering why the Clementium is not included in my Prague photo guide.
With its vintage baroque library, regularly voted among the most beautiful libraries in the world, it looks like a no-brainer, right?

Well, I admit, the antique globes, rare books, and Hogwarts-like atmosphere is a sight to be seen. It’s not a sight to be photographed though. The library is privately owned, and it’s forbidden to take a picture of it. And they’re very serious about that. You take your turn just to take a look through the entry doors, while your guide carefully watches the usage of cameras and phones.

The Clementium tour also includes a climb to a panoramic tower overlooking the Old Town, but the one at the Old Town Hall offers superior photo ops.

   See Also:  How to Spend 3 Days in Vienna

Prague’s Castle Complex

Prague’s Castle Complex is by no means a bad place to visit. Just on the contrary, if you check out my Prague Itinerary Guide, you’ll see I highly recommend it.

When it comes to the Prague photo guide though… I don’t think it has enough to be deemed an excellent photo destination. St.Vitus Cathedral’s exterior does offer some beautiful details, but the interior is not as lavished as the one of St.Nicholas.

The famous Golden Lane is packed with people, while its houses are poorly lit. The Royal Palace is not very photogenic, neither are the museums around it.

Lennon Wall

John Lennon Wall is another lovely piece of Prague with plenty of spirit and history in it. It is also another disappointment when it comes to photography. The wall is just an average graffiti wall. Maybe even below average.
It’s worth the visit, but don’t expect to make an awesome profile picture there.

Prague Photo Guide Map

Click to see in Google Maps

That’s all from me, I hope this Prague photo guide will come handy for you.
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