Prague Photos -- National Geographic's Ultimate City Guides

Charles Bridge and the Church of St. Francis
Photograph by René Jakl/Spectrum Pictures
Prague boasts hundreds of architectural landmarks, including two visible in this evening shot: the 14th-century, statue-decorated Charles Bridge (Karluv Most)—from which the photo was taken—and the domed Church of St. Francis.
Prazsk Hrad
Photograph by René Jakl/Spectrum Pictures
A setting sun bathes Prague and its storied Prazsk Hrad (Prague Castle), which rises on the left. Spared destruction in World War II, much of Prague’s historical center was declared a World Heritage site in 1992.
Old Town Square
Photograph by Giovanni Simeone/SIME
A city gem, Prague’s colorful Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti) dates to the 12th century. A busy marketplace in medieval times, the square became the city’s social center.
Theological Library
Photograph by Mark Edward Smith/TIPS Images
Heavenly firmament: A baroque ceiling of religious frescoes and elaborate stucco work celebrates the world of religion in the Theological Library at Prague’s Strahov Monastery.
Jo’s Bar and Garaz
Photograph by Andrea Pistolesi/TIPS Images
A popular watering hole near the Charles Bridge, Jo’s Bar and Garaz is a multi-level venue tucked into two old buildings.
Golden Lane
Photograph by Mark Edward Smith/TIPS Images
Lilliputian lodging, this little blue house lines Golden Lane, a cobblestone street in the Prague Castle complex that was fashioned as a residential area for the Emperor’s marksmen.
"Dancing House"
Photograph by Guido Cozzi/Atlantide
Touch of 1990s whimsy, Prague's "Dancing House," on Resslova Street, designed by Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunic, represents an upstanding Fred Astaire with a flare-skirted Ginger Rogers.
Giant Metronome
Photograph by René Jakl/Spectrum Pictures
Marker of a new era in Prague: A giant metronome, placed at a city overlook in 1991, replaced a statue of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin that was demolished in the 1960s. The monument symbolizes Czechoslovakia’s movement away from communism.
Changing of the Guard
Photograph by Abraham Nowitz
No traditional costumes here: Modern-day pageantry marks the changing of the guard at the gates of Prague Castle, a complex that includes royal residences and churches.
Charles Bridge
Photograph by Paul Panayiotou/SIME
Like apparitions from bygone days, Prague residents stroll across fog-shrouded Charles Bridge, the local landmark that has served the city’s inhabitants since the 14th century.