DK Travel : Prague

At the geographical heart of Europe, Prague’s beautiful cityscape has been carved and sustained by a variety of emperors, artists and religious communities, from the Gothic exuberance of its castle and cathedral, to the dignity of the medieval Jewish Cemetery, and the 19th-century opulence of the “new” town. Under Communist rule, Prague was off the tourist map, but since 1989 the city has seen a surge of visitors eager to take in this spectacular city.

Museum of Communism

This museum seeks to help visitors experience totalitarianism first-hand through reproductions and genuine objects from the Communist era. The most chilling area is the reconstructed interrogation room. Although locals might not agree, the tour is more fun than it sounds.
Museum of Communism

A triptych of the dream, reality and nightmare that was Communist Czechoslovakia. To fill the museum, its creators combed the country for mementos of its totalitarian past.
Museum of Communism

Although there is a slightly kitsch element to the displays here, this new museum hopes to enable visitors to “experience” first hand 40 years of life under the Communist regime. Some critics assailed the entrepreneurs behind the show for not getting the approval of totalitarian experts, but it is nevertheless proving to be one of the city’s more popular modern museums.
Museum of Decorative Arts

The museum has recently spiced up its collection of crystal, porcelain and woodcarving with exhibitions of Czech fashion and other shows.
Museum of the City of Prague

Visitors can explore 19th-century Prague with Antonín Langweil’s scaled replica of the city.
Museum of Torture Instruments

If you can’t quite grasp how these grisly instruments work, the helpful illustrations should make their operation painfully clear. More than 60 implements of pain from all over Europe are on display, accompanied by explanations in several languages.
Museum Shop

This is the shop for unique gifts and souvenirs for travellers with discerning tastes. Instead of another T-shirt, how about a scarf patterned after a window at St Vitus’s Cathedral? There’s also a wide selection of prints, fabrics, masks, books and trinkets, modelled on items in Prague’s museums.
Mýrnyx Týrnyx

Hipsters can pick up Prague’s best club and retro fashions here, as well as expert clubbing advice from the friendly proprietress Maya Kvátný.
N11

Billed as Prague’s first New York nightclub, N11 combines a sleek discotheque with good pub-style dining. Open until the early hours of the morning. Strangely, journalists and medical staff receive a 10 per cent discount – the club’s owner is both.
Na Příkopě

Formerly a moat protecting the city’s eastern flank, Na Příkopě is Prague’s fashion boulevard, counting Benetton, Izod, Marks & Spencers and Taiza among its big-name stores. Shoppers jam the pedestrian zone and pavement cafés, streaming between the gleaming Myslbek Shopping Centre and Slovanský dům, with its 10-screen multiplex cinema. The Hussite firebrand Jan Želivský preached on the site now occupied by another shopping mall, the Černá Růže Palace.