Czech Republic · Hlavní město Praha · Prague
Prague 1, Prague — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Prague 1 is the central municipal district of Prague, laid across both banks of the Vltava. It covers the city's oldest quarters, Old Town, Josefov, Malá Strana, and the castle hill of Hradčany, under one administration. Prague Castle crowns the western skyline. Across the river, the Old Town Hall and its astronomical clock anchor the medieval streets that most visitors come to walk.
About Prague 1
Where to stay in Prague 1
Not every neighbourhood fits every trip — here's what each one is good for.
Staying in Prague 1 puts you inside the sightseeing core, within walking distance of nearly every major monument. Old Town and Josefov keep you steps from the Old Town Hall, the Church of Our Lady before Týn, and the Jewish Museum in Prague. Malá Strana, quieter and steeper, sits below Prague Castle and suits travellers who want the river and the gardens.
Beds here run expensive. For lower rates, stay in the outer districts and ride the tram in, since the whole quarter is dense and easy to cross on foot.
About Prague 1
What are the main landmarks in Prague 1?
The castle hill holds the district's grandest cluster, crowned by Prague Castle with Saint George's Basilica inside its walls. West along the ridge stand Strahov Monastery and the Loreta, while the Petřín Lookout Tower rises above the trees to the south. Across the river, Old Town Square carries the Old Town Hall, the Church of Our Lady before Týn, and one of the city's two churches of Saint Nicholas.
The Powder Tower guards its eastern gate. Nearby, Josefov keeps the Jewish Museum in Prague, and the Franz Kafka Museum sits on the Malá Strana bank.
What is the history of Prague 1?
The quarters that make up Prague 1 are far older than the district itself, which was drawn as a single municipality in 1973. Prague Castle grew on the western hill as the seat of Bohemian rulers, and a town of craftsmen and clergy spread below it in Malá Strana. On the opposite bank, Old Town became the merchant core, with its own town hall and a ring of churches.
Josefov held the walled Jewish quarter. Over the centuries these separate towns fused into the continuous centre that the modern district administers.
Where is Prague 1?
The district straddles the Vltava at the centre of Prague. On the right bank it holds Old Town and the Jewish quarter of Josefov, then reaches south into New Town, where the National Museum stands. The left bank rises through Malá Strana to the castle hill of Hradčany and the wooded slope of Petřín.
Its eastern edge climbs toward the Žižkov Television Tower.
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Updated July 2026