Welcome to Prague Lesser Town! Charming part of the historical city center of Prague. This small area under Prague Castle is full beautiful Baroque, Renaissance houses, churches and palaces but also full of tiny, charming, hidden gems often missed by tourists. Such places are barely mentioned in the generic guide books. But they are well known among us, locals. Let me take you for a short tour. These are my favourite things to do in Prague Lesser Town.
Who is writing you this post?
Hi! I am Dana, Prague local and also owner / guide for Prague Behind The Scenes. If you are interested in touring Prague in a less touristy way, with a local, in a more authentic way, please drop me a line at dana@praguebehindthescenes.com I will be happy to show you Prague city center away from the stereotypical routes and mass tourism traps.
You can also follow my social media profiles for updates and tips about Prague.
1) Local bakery Torto: if you want to taste Czech pastries for great prices
Torto bakery is so tiny that people passing by don´t even spot a shop there. You simply need to know where to grab the handle. Torto is well known among locals living in the Lesser Town but totally unknown to tourists. From what I have seen, tourists prefer one of the biggest edible tourist traps called “trdelník” sold just around the corner. So, if you don’t want to be a typical victim of Prague mass tourism, go to Torto instead. It´s a family run business. Recently open but already loved. They bake small amounts of pastries and desserts every day, so if you come late, don´t be surprised that the shelves and trays are half empty or completely empty:-)
My tip: come early – the sooner, the better and get some warm fresh “koláče”, “buchty with poppyseeds or quark” or “kremrole.” These are my favourites!
2. See Charles Bridge without crowds around you
Do you think this is impossible? Hehe, maybe when you are on the ground. But what if you are above all the craziness? One of the best things to do in Prague Lesser Town is to climb up the Charles Bridge tower. Just a minute away from the Torto bakery you will find a beautiful entrance (tower) to the Charles Bridge. Did you know that this impressive high tower is open to the public? And did you know that it can often happen that you will be the only ones at the top?
Enjoy the fabulous views, learn about Prague from a different perspective and also enjoy your own space. Away from crowds. From the top you will see: Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Strahov Monastery, Petřín Tower, St. Nicolas Church, Žižkov TV Tower and all the beautiful red rooftops and cupolas.
My tip: during the first opening hour, there is a 50 % discount on the entry to the tower. Please check the opening hours before you go there. They vary according to the season. Prague Lesser Town bridge tower opening hours you can find here.
3) The shortest street in whole Prague is in Lesser Town
Maybe you have heard about Prague´s narrowest street which is currently so extremely popular among tourists…I will tell you a secret now. This is a tourist trap and another “discovery” of travel influencers. Please skip it, otherwise you will be standing in a line up like a sheep. For a tourist trap. The “street” is actually a gap between two houses, leading to a very average restaurant (rating 2.3 on Google says a lot).
The shortest street is only 10 minutes away. It´s a real street, it has a name (Jiřího Červeného) and is completely empty. 27 m only for you and your fabulous photos.
4) Hidden art work of David Černý: Quo Vadis
This is my most favourite art work of David Černý: Quo Vadis? (Where are you going?). And I love the story behind it too. This giant thing is a typical East German car called Trabant and you will find it in a garden of the German Embassy (former West Germany Embassy). Trabant is a symbol of the exodus of East Germans escaping their country through Czechoslovakia in 1989 (before the fall of Berlin wall). East Germans were arriving in Prague in these funny duroplast cars and started camping inside the West Germany Embassy until they were given asylum in the West.
My tip: you can´t enter the embassy garden as I did in the picture but you can still see this sculpture through a fence surrounding the embassy. That’s how I took the photo below. The best spot is from the nearby playground. This funny hidden gem is part of my small-group tours.
Dana, owner and fully certified guide for Prague Behind The Scenes | small-group tours and experiences.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to see Prague with me. With my services I try to support sustainable and respectful tourism, not mass tourism. If this sounds like your style too, I will be happy to hear from you. I am an independent solopreneur, so you will always talk / write directly to me. dana@praguebehindthescenes.com
If you enjoyed my blog and want to support my work and respectful tourism in Prague, you can buy me a coffee. Thank you!
Where to next?
3-hour private tour of Prague downtown with Dana
Where to stay in Prague: 5 tips for hotel locations, sightseeing and friendly downtown neighborhoods
3 hidden gems of Prague food scene (still undiscovered by food bloggers and masses)
Where to exchange money in Prague and how much?
Traditional and fun Czech sweets – easy to pack souvenirs from Prague.
Don´t be a dull tourist: This is a list of the most flagrant Prague tourist traps.
Prague Castle: How to plan the visit? What to see and what to skip? How much does it cost?