Prague Hotels in the New Town

Prague is divided into more than 20 districts. But most travellers prefer to stay in accommodation as close to the centre as possible. Prague New Town can offer you many hotels that suit you best. The history mix here together with the present and the future. If you prefer shopping zones, stylish restaurants, bars with a great atmosphere and live music, the centre is an ideal area for you.

The carefully planned New Town was founded by Charles IV in 1348. Twice as large as the Old Town, it was mainly inhabited by tradesmen and craftsmen. During the late 19th century its outer fortification were demolished and redeveloped to its present appearance. Today it is not particularly attractive to tourists, who prefer history, because of its modernisms. 

Myths and fables are here all around you. All the famous monuments can tell you amazing stories. And also the hotels in Prague New Town have their own history. This part of city is mostly made up of offices and apartment buildings and home to some of the city´s best restaurants and shops. Today, New Town is mostly a work-a-day place that lacks the charm of older parts of the city. You should visit the street Na Prikope and Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske namesti) if you stay here.

Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske namesti)

Originally a horse market, it got its present name in the middle of the 19th century. The Wenceslas Square is the main centre of modern Prague surrounded by shops, cinemas, office blocks, hotels, restaurants and cafés. The 750 m long and 60 m wide square has been the scene of a great deal of Czech history. In 1969 a university student Jan Palach burnt himself to death in protest against the Warsaw Pact invasion and in November 1989 protest meetings against police brutality were held here and led to the Velvet Revolution and to the end of communism in Czechoslovakia. In the upper part of the square is a monument of St Wenceslas on a horse accompanied with sculptures of four Czech patron saints. 

National Museum (Narodni muzeum)

Founded in 1818 as a regional natural history museum, the architectural symbol of the Czech National Revival was completed in 1890 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It stands at the upper part of the Wenceslas Square and it is more than 70 m high. Its hall, façade, staircase and ramp are decorated with sculptures made by famous artists. Inside of the building are many historical paintings by Frantisek Zenisek, Vaclav Brozik and Vojtech Hynais. There are changing exhibitions as well as permanent collections devoted to archaeology, anthropology, mineralogy, natural history and numismatics. 

State Opera (Statni opera)

Originally a German theatre, this Neo-Rococo building was designed by famous architects from Vienna and built around 1886 to rival the Czechs’ National Theatre. On the pediment of the Classical façade are figures of Dionysos and Thalia. Until 1882 Bedrich Smetana was the director of the theatre, in 1945 it became the city’s main opera house. 

Faust House (Faustuv Dum)

Built in the 14th century and owned by the alchemists Prince Wenceslas of Opava, Edward Kelley (16th century) and by Count Ferdinand Mladota in the 18th century, this Baroque mansion is associated with the legend of the devil, Faust. 

National Theatre (Národní divadlo)

Funded entirely by private donations and created by the most important artists of that era, the Neo-Renaissance National Theatre has always been an important symbol of the Czech cultural revival. Opened in 1881 with the opera “Libuse” by Bedrich Smetana, the architect Josef Zitek’s masterpiece burned down two months later but it was founded again and restored within two years. The stage curtain is the work of Vojtech Hynais, the ceiling paintings are by Frantisek Zenisek. Today, the theatre is used for ballet and opera performances, as well as drama. 

The New Stage of the National Theatre was built by architect Karel Prager in the 1970s from Cuban marble plates and glass. It houses Laterna Magica, one of Prague’s best-known theatre groups.

If you really want to enjoy your stay in Prague, relish the atmosphere of the historical centre of the town, of the cultural life and of the night life of Prague you should look for a charming hotel in Prague´s New Town.