References to the Knights of Malta around Malá Strana hark back to 1169, when the military order established a monastery in the Church of Our Lady Beneath the Chain on the square. Disbanded by the communists, the Knights have regained much property under post-1989 restitution laws, including the John Lennon Wall.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Built over a time span of almost 600 years, St Vitus is one of the most richly endowed cathedrals in central Europe. It is pivotal to the religious and…
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Strolling across Charles Bridge is everybody’s favourite Prague activity. However, by 9am it’s a 500m-long fairground, with an army of tourists squeezing…
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Prague’s most popular attraction. Looming above the Vltava's left bank, its serried ranks of spires, towers and palaces dominate the city centre like a…
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This museum consists of six Jewish monuments clustered together in Josefov: the Maisel Synagogue; the Pinkas Synagogue; the Spanish Synagogue; the Klaus…
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Strahov Library is the largest monastic library in the country, with two magnificent baroque halls dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. You can peek…
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Prague’s most exuberantly art-nouveau building is a labour of love, with every detail of its design and decoration carefully considered, and every…
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While this monument's massive functionalist structure has all the elegance of a nuclear power station, the interior is a spectacular extravaganza of…
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More a broad boulevard than a typical European city square, Wenceslas Square has witnessed a great deal of Czech history – a giant Mass was held here…
Nearby Malá Strana attractions
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After his murder on 8 December 1980, John Lennon became a pacifist hero for many young Czechs. An image of Lennon was painted on a wall in a secluded…
2. Museum of the Infant Jesus of Prague
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The rather plain-looking Church of Our Lady Victorious (kostel Panny Marie Vítězné), built in 1613, has on its central altar a 47cm-tall waxwork figure of…
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A 17th-century baroque monastery building with an impressive central atrium makes a beautiful setting for Prague’s Museum of Music. The museum’s permanent…
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This ‘secret garden’, hidden along an alley at the corner of Tržiště and Karmelitská, was built in 1720 for the Earl of Vrtba, the senior chancellor of…
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Bohemia-born director Karel Zeman (1910–89) was a pioneer of movie special effects, though his work is little known. This fascinating museum, established…
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There are two towers at the Malá Strana end of Charles Bridge. The taller one was built in the mid-15th century in imitation of the Staré Město tower; it…
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A recently renovated historical building on Kampa island, Werich Villa is worth a visit if you're interested in the history of Czech theatre and the lives…
8. St Nicholas Church Bell Tower
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During the communist era, the bell tower of St Nicholas Church was used to spy on the nearby American embassy – on the way up you can still see a small,…