Prague On a Rainy Day: 12 Things To Do

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic and is bisected by the Vltava River. It is the historical capital of Bohemia and has been a political, cultural, and economic center for centuries. Prague is home to a number of famous cultural attractions, including the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, and Wenceslas Square. The city has also been a major European center of Jewish culture, with a historic Jewish Quarter.

Visiting Prague is ideal for fans of art, great food, world-class museums, and historically significant buildings. It's no surprise that the city welcomes over eight million tourists every year. And if you are looking to escape the enormous crowds of the summer, your chance of running into a few rain delays is much more common.

Prague is a city rich in history – it dates back to 870 AD. There are lots of things to see and explore, so even on a rainy day, you'll never run out of things to do. You can check out some of the city's finest museums, like the National Museum, the Cold War Museum, and the Museum of Communism. Prague Castle and Old Town Square can still offer a wonderful Prague experience, even on a rainy day.

If you're already dealing with rain, the last thing you want to worry about is your luggage. Our luggage storage in Prague is here to help. We'll make sure your things are well looked after so you can enjoy the best of a rainy day in Prague (or two). And if you want to make a booking in your native language? Then head over to our Czech homepage!

National Museum

Prague National Museum is one of the best museums in Prague and the entire Czech Republic. It was founded in 1818 by a group of patriotic Czech aristocrats led by Kašpar Maria Šternberg, and it's a museum dedicated to Czech history, art, and culture. It has a large collection of Bohemian and Moravian glassware, tapestries, and other works of art. The museum also houses a library with over 1 million books.

Some of its best-known exhibits include an assortment of ornaments, coins and medals, historic weapons, religious artifacts, photos of Prague landmarks such as Charles Bridge and St. Vitus Cathedral, medieval sculptures, and Renaissance paintings.

The bottom line is: you should head to the National Museum when you're in Prague whether it's raining or not.

Museum of Communism

The museum is dedicated to the history of communism in Czechoslovakia. It is one of the most popular museums in Prague, with over 200,000 visitors per year.

The Museum of Communism was founded in 2002 by Miroslav Milos and was opened to the public in 2011. The museum is housed in a former communist-era department store and has a total of four floors, each of which is dedicated to a different aspect of life under communism. The first floor focuses on the political history of communism. The second floor focuses on the economic history of communism, with exhibits on topics such as housing, employment, and healthcare in communist Czechoslovakia. The third floor of the museum is dedicated to the social history of communism, with exhibits exploring things like education and culture under communism, as well as everyday life in communist Czechoslovakia. The final floor explores more contemporary topics related to communism, including life after the collapse of communism and current issues relating to democracy and human rights.

Overall, the Prague Museum of Communism is an excellent resource for those looking to learn more about this important time period in Czech history. Whether you are a student or simply interested in learning more about events that shaped modern society, this museum is definitely worth adding to your rainy day itinerary when you visit Prague.

National Gallery

The Prague National Gallery has various locations, but the one you should focus on is the Fair Trade Palace found in the Holešovice District. This is a great rainy day activity for any art lover in your group and they showcase the best of Czech artists.

The National Gallery is a state-owned art gallery that manages the largest collection of art in the Czech Republic. With over 1.8 million visitors per year, it is the seventh most visited art museum in Europe. The focus is on Czech art from 1930 to present, but there are also pieces created during the quest for Czechoslovakia's independence from 1918 to 1938.

The museum offers a rotating cast of exhibits, many of which are considered quite modern in the art world, so fans of more contemporary art will enjoy it here. This is a great place to avoid the rain and get a glimpse into the more recent artistic history of Prague and the Czech Republic.

Do some shopping

A common thing to do on a rainy day in any big city is to head to one of many shopping malls. Prague is no different and boasts excellent shopping opportunities from traditional to unique. For an indoor activity that's sure to scratch your shopping itch, take a trip to the Czech department store Kotva near Wenceslas Square. The store has everything you might want in terms of clothing, household goods, and accessories. It's a great spot to shop like a Czech local and pick up a few souvenirs while it pours outside.

As you leave the store, if it isn't too rainy outside, take a little detour to see Wenceslas Square, which is a popular hangout for locals, and the location of a wonderful Christmas market in season.

Mucha Museum

Close to Wenceslas Square and Kotva, the Mucha Museum is another great indoor activity for fans of Art Nouveau. In fact, the entire museum is dedicated to the work of Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist Alphonse Mucha. The museum is located in the historic center of Prague, near Old Town Square. Expect a large collection of Mucha's work, including paintings, drawings, photographs, and personal belongings. The museum also has a library and archive with a wealth of information on the artist and his creations.

Kafka Museum

Another museum dedicated to a single person, the Kafka Museum focuses on the life and work of the Czech writer Franz Kafka. Founded in 2005 by David Vichnar, a professor at Charles University in Prague, the museum's contents are housed in a former Jewish bathhouse, which was converted into a museum space in 2013.

The museum's collection includes Kafka's personal belongings, letters, manuscripts, and photographs. The interactive exhibits will allow you to experience Kafka's world all while escaping the rainy day outside.

Old Town Square and City Hall

You may not immediately think that an exposed town square is a good place to spend a rainy day. Although the square itself is better viewed in bright sunshine, this is such an iconic Prague attraction that you shouldn't pass up any opportunity to visit. And besides, there are many buildings and restaurants that line the square that you can venture inside to avoid the elements.

Bring your umbrella and watch the astronomical clock strike the hour, pop into the Old Town Hall to get a great view from the platform over the square, or explore the interior of St. Nicholas Church. If that isn't enough, you can also visit the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, and maybe all these diversions will give the sun a chance to come if you're lucky!

St. Vitus Cathedral

If the weather breaks, consider heading towards Prague Castle over the Charles Bridge from Old Town Square. If you prefer not to walk in the rain, there are public transport options to help you out. This area is generally best explored in good weather, but there are a few options to take cover in places like St. Vitus Cathedral. But, strolling the Golden Lane and other parts of Prague Castle may have to wait until the sun makes an appearance.

St. Vitus Cathedral is a worthwhile stop in the Prague Castle area to get out of the rain. It contains the tombs of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors, as well as Saints Cyril and Methodius. The interior is decorated with a number of notable sculptures by Matthias Braun and other artists. Keep in mind though that the cathedral is an active place of worship and regularly holds masses and other religious services. It is also a popular tourist destination, receiving more than 1.8 million visitors per year.

Enjoy some Czech beer

Sometimes the best thing to do on a rainy and cold day is just relax in a local pub with a Czech beer or two and watch the world go by. If you prefer a more Irish experience, the Dubliner Irish Bar is a safe bet for a pint that's close to the action of Old Town Square. Have a meal and finish up with some drinks in whatever cozy place you come across because there are quite a few, especially in Old Town. If Czech beer isn't your thing, most spots also have great coffee to warm you up nicely!

National Technical Museum

If you would like to learn more about the history of science and technology, then this museum is a great place for you. You can learn about all kinds of things in this museum – from ancient machinery to computers. You can see locomotives, the interior of Franz Joseph I's salon train car, and a selection of old vehicles. The collection is so large here that they can only display about 15 percent of their items, so you know the best stuff is always on exhibit.

Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum focuses on the history and culture of the Jewish people in Bohemia and Moravia from the 10th century to the present day. The museum was founded in 1906 by historian and collector Jakob Kraus. It was originally housed in a rented apartment on Wenceslas Square. In 1912, the museum moved to its own building on Pařížská Street.

In 1941, the Nazis closed the museum and confiscated its collections. After the war, the collections were returned to Czechoslovakia but were not put on display again until 1963.

Today, the Jewish Museum Prague is one of the largest and most important Jewish museums in Europe. It is comprised of six different buildings, each showcasing its own unique exhibits and collections. These include a historical synagogue, Jewish cemetery, and bible museum. It's an informative, albeit sometimes sad, museum that everyone should visit at least once.

Museum of the Senses

Also near the Mucha Museum, the Museum of the Senses is one of the more unique museum experiences available when visiting Prague. This amazing museum is dedicated to exploring all aspects of our senses, from history and culture to modern science. Whether you're a child or an adult, you are sure to find something that interests you here.

The interactive exhibits in this museum are perhaps its best feature. Visitors can try out different sensory experiences, such as virtual reality glasses that immerse them completely into another world or electronic touch tables where they can feel all sorts of textures and materials. There are also many traditional exhibits, with displays related to the history and culture of human sense organs.

Conclusion

Prague is a gem in central Europe that's loaded with exciting things to do rain or shine. You can view art from local and international artists, tour informative and interactive museums, and visit more than a few stunning churches to get the most out of a rainy day in Prague. Whether it rains so much that you have time to do everything on this list or just a few, you'll be glad you made the trip to this city with such a rich history.