Sunsets In Prague
Sunsets in Prague are a wonderful way to see and savour the City of a Hundred Spires, and here’s our guide to the best places to watch them.
Sunsets in Prague are magical. Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, whatever the time of day or weather. As the sky turns fiery orange and pink behind the City of a Hundred Spires, until the ‘blue hour’ of twilight, it’s a breathtaking sight.
Our guide to watching sunset in Prague takes you from the Baroque statues of the Charles Bridge and spires of St Vitus Cathedral to some of the city’s medieval towers, and some Prague parks and beer gardens just outside the city centre. We hope you enjoy it and get to seek out some of the places we suggest.
Sunsets In Prague – An Introduction
The centre of Prague – where most visitors spend most of their time – is small and compact, so the majority of the best sunset in Prague locations are within a small area
Most of the Prague sunset viewpoints we recommend are along the Vltava river in Prague, or close by in the Old Town or New Town
The sun sets in Prague behind either Prague Castle (and St Vitus Cathedral) or Petřin Hill for most of the year
Prague Sunset Times
During the shortest days of the year, around the December 21st winter solstice and Christmas, the Prague sunset time is around 4 pm (1600). There are only around 8 hours of daylight at this time of year.
The latest time for sunsets in Prague is 9.15 pm (2115), which occurs around the summer solstice, June 21st. Prague summer days are long, with well over 16 hours of sunlight possible, and including pre-dawn, dusk and twilight, there are less than six hours of black night sky.
Sunsets In Prague – Our 10 Best Locations
Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is a must do in Prague for any visitor to the Czech capital. The medieval stone bridge is lined with 17th and 18th century Baroque statues (mostly of saints) and at both ends there is an ensemble of towers and domes that astonish me even after over two years living in Prague. Try to catch at least one sunset on Charles Bridge if possible.
The backdrop for a Charles Bridge sunset includes St Vitus Cathedral (from halfway along) or, if you’re closer to the Mala Strana (western) side, the Lesser Town Bridge Tower and dome of St Nicholas Church.
Charles Bridge is an incredible place for sunsets in Prague but, whisper it, it’s even better for seeing sunrise in Prague. As you look towards the Old Town before dawn, the Old Town Bridge Tower, the spires of the Klementinum and the dome of St Francis of Assisi church form a magical silhouette skyline, and watch the performance as the sun begins to peek through.
For Prague sunrise and sunset times, check this link. And get there an good hour before sunrise.
Old Town Bridge Tower
The Old Town Bridge Tower is one of the most famous landmarks of Prague, dominating the skyline as you look from Charles Bridge towards Prague Old Town. It’s also one of the best viewpoints in Prague, both during the daytime and at sunset, looking across the Charles Bridge towards Mala Strana and Prague Castle.
Its opening hours vary through the year – check the link above – but you can enjoy sunsets in Prague from this superb vantage point between June and August and from late October through to March.
If you’re visiting Prague in winter, sunny days aren’t very common, but when you do get them, you often get vivid red and pink streaks in the sky at sunset.
See Also: Photographing Prague – The Best Photo Locations In Prague
Powder Tower
The Powder Tower (Prašná brána) is a magnificent late Gothic gateway to the Old Town, and one of our favourite places to watch sunsets in Prague. It’s located next to the New Town, on the corner of Náměstí Republiky next to the gorgeous Art Nouveau Municipal House (Obecni dum).
We rate it one of best towers in Prague to visit, because it has superb views in all directions. At sunset you get one of the best views of Prague, with the fairytale Gothic spires of Our Lady Before Tyn Church and St Vitus Cathedral and Prague Castle off to the right.
It’s an incredible sight best seen to full effect in the winter months, though you can also enjoy sunsets in Prague from there in March, June to August and late October and November (same opening hours as the Old Town Bridge Tower).
Dancing House Prague
Anyone with an interest in Prague architecture should head down the riverfront to the Dancing House, the first notable post-Communist building in Prague. Partly designed by Frank O Gehry (of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao fame), it has become one of the most popular sights to see in Prague. From some angles it resembles a dancing couple, and Gehry himself nicknamed it ‘Fred and Ginger’.
It’s also a great place for watching sunsets in Prague. Enter the main lobby – which serves as the reception for the Dancing House Hotel – and catch the lift to the seventh floor. Climb the flight of stairs to reach the Glass Bar, where you can sit inside or head out onto the terrace.
The view outside is fantastic. You look along one of the most beautiful Prague streets, Masarykovo nábřeží, with its handsome Art Nouveau mansions and the splendour of the National Theatre just beyond. This looks amazing in sunset light.
If you manage to grab yourself a spot in the longer evenings of spring or summer, stay around for a classic Prague sunset, as the sky glows orange behind the silhouette of Prague Castle and the spires of St Vitus.
Prague Castle
As well as being the focal point of many sunsets in Prague, the Castle (Pražsky hrad) is a great location for catching some as well.
In winter, the sun disappears from view early, only to light up the sky behind the spires of Strahov Monastery (also see below), which look wonderful along the lamp-lit Ke Hradu.
The area just below Hradčanské náměstí, a few metres uphill from Ke Hradu, also offers outstanding views, especially so as the sunset light falls on the domes, spires and towers below.
Also try to seek out another of the most beautiful places in Prague, the viewpoint below the Black Tower (Černá věz). At sunset in spring and summer you’re treated to late golden sunlight flooding the centuries-old skyline of the churches and towers of Mala Strana, an extraordinary sight.
Strahov Monastery
The Baroque twin spires of the Strahov Monastery, between Petřin Hill and Prague Castle district, are ideally located for a dramatic sunset in Prague, especially during the autumn and winter months.
The Strahov spires are visible from many vantage points, especially across the river in the Old Town. We particularly like the view from the small park next to Manes Bridge (Manesuv most) with the dome of St Nicholas Church to its right.
We also strongly recommend visiting the monastery, primarily to visit the astounding Baroque Strahov Library (a considerably better experience than the Klementinum Library across the river). While you’re there, take a look at the splendid Baroque church next door – one of the finest churches in Prague.
Letna Park – Hanavsky Pavilion
The Hanavsky Pavilion is a wonderful Baroque and Art Nouveau concoction on the Letna Park ridge overlooking the city, and it’s one of the best places in Prague to enjoy the sunset.
The Pavilion has a small beer garden, and there’s a viewpoint just outside, from which you have a superb view of the river and main bridges in Prague. There is also a great view over the spires of Old Town Prague from there.
In winter, the sun sets behind Petřin Hill, so on a clear day the dusky sky glows a vivid pink, the last of the colour lingering long before giving way to the night. In summer, the city looks wonderful in the late golden sunlight, and there are more viewpoints as you walk along the ridge.
The Prague Metronome is a popular Prague landmark, built on the site of the widely loathed statue of Stalin which was demolished in 1962. A little further on, the Letna Park Beer Garden offers another fine panorama over the city and Zizkov TV Tower to go with your cold glass of Pilsner Urquell.
Letna Park – Near Korunovacni tram stop
If you walk from the ridge at Letna Park towards Holešovice and the Sparta Prague football stadium, keep an eye on the horizon to your left. As you walk further away from the trees towards the busy main road, Milady Horakove, the spires of St Vitus Cathedral come into view.
It’s not the most obvious spot for a sunset in Prague, but from close to the main road you get a great – and different – view of St Vitus Cathedral on the horizon, looking stunning against the pink sunset sky.
Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad is the second castle in Prague, around 4 km (2.5 miles) upstream from the more famous Prague Castle. It stands on a rocky bluff overlooking the river, and commands fantastic views in both directions. As you look north down the river, you get a great view of the city and Prague Castle, and this looks particularly beautiful at sunset, especially during the summer months.
Like Prague Castle, Vyšehrad is of great importance to Czechs, as it’s the traditional home of the Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia. Within Vyšehrad Castle there is a splendid neo-Gothic Basilica, the Cemetery with tombs and memorials to many famous Czechs, one of the most beautiful Prague parks, and two locations to enjoy sunsets in Prague.
The first of these is a footpath just behind the Cemetery, close to the Basilica and Rio’s restaurant, at the top of a flight of steps leading down to the river.
The second Vysehrad sunset spot is in the Hospudka Na Hradbach, one of our favourite beer gardens in Prague. It’s another one for a balmy summer evening, with a great view towards the suburb of Nusle, its vast bridge and the towers of Prague Bastion and New Town.
Riegrovy Sady
Riegrovy Sady – Rieger Gardens – is one of the best places to kick off a Prague night out. It’s located in the suburb of Vinohrady, a few minutes’ walk from the Zizkov TV Tower, and is well-known for its beer garden, which is at the top of the hill, and is best accessed from Na Svihance.
The beer garden itself doesn’t offer much of a view. Instead of lingering there, continue a minute or two towards the park, and find yourself a spot on the slope to sit and watch the sun set over the city and St Vitus Cathedral. One of the best things to do in Prague.
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