The best photo spots in Prague - Insta worthy views

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Are you heading off to the Czech capital soon and wondering where you can find the best photo spots in Prague? If you’ve only ever seen Prague in pictures before now, I can tell you that you’re in for an absolute treat when you get there as honestly, photos don’t even do this place justice.

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Why is Prague such a great place for photographers

Prague is known rather beautifully, as ‘The City of a Hundred Spires’, which is unsurprising if you’ve ever seen the towering Gothic architecture that stands tall in the city’s historic centre. In fact the real number of spires in the city is in the thousands!

It’s not just the these beautiful old buildings that make Prague a photographer’s dream though. The city’s architecture is a fascinating blend of Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau and even cubist masterpieces. Walking through the streets you’ll find interesting details hidden around every corner, and from one of the city’s many viewpoints you can get a real appreciation for this diverse city skyline.

Best photo spots in Prague: Views over the city from St Wencelaces' Vineyard

View from St Wenceslas vineyard in Prague

This place is so good that I’ve visited on two seperate occasions that I’ve been in Prague. Situated at the top of the steps leading up to Prague Castle is the rather lovely St Wencelaces’ vineyard that has an amazing view over the whole city! As well as being one of the best viewpoints in Prague (in my opinion anyway), the vineyard also boasts its own cafe, rather aptly named the ‘Panorama Cafe’, where you can grab a bite to eat and sample the local wine- and being Prague. You’ll be pleased to know that the prices arevvery reasonable too!

We spent several hours here overlooking the beautiful gothic architecture and the unmistakable Charles Bridge below whilst sipping merrily on a carafe of the locally produced wine. Two of my favourite things to do whilst travelling are enjoying the locally produced food and drink, and taking photos, so when both come together I’m in my element. From our table overlooking the city I was able to take some wonderful photos of the iconic orange rooftops of Prague and of course the bridges joining the two sides of the city over the river Vltava.

All in all a nice relaxing spot to get some really amazing panorama snaps, whilst losing a few inhibitions!

I think you can agree that that’s a pretty spectacular view over Prague, with a lot of opportunities for fantastic photographs! The fact that you can photograph both sides of the city from one (very comfortable) spot, makes it the ideal place to stop on your way down from the hill after visiting Prague Castle.

If I had you at the word ‘wine’ you can read more about the wonderful ‘Panorama Cafe’ at St Wenceslas’s Vineyard in my blog post about the best food to try in Prague.

Looking for things to do in Prague? Check out these fun activities and experiences:

Best photo spots in Prague: Take beautiful photos of by the river from Střelecký Island (Střelecký ostrov)

The best views in prague for photos aren’t just from above of course. Further south and back down from the vineyard, the River Vltava runs through the city. On the river lies Střelecký Island. The island makes for a nice change of pace from the regular hustle and bustle of Prague city centre with an abundance of trees and nature, so if you are looking for some greenery to foreground your photos of this spectacular city, this could well be the ideal spot for you.

You can also get right up to the water’s edge for some dynamic shots or the city from the level of the river. Beautiful swans frequently pass the island too, creating opportunities for some really magnificent photographs. You would be able to get some amazing photos of the city lights reflecting off the river here at night I think. Check out the map below to help you find this hidden gem!

Strelecky island view over the water Prague

Best photo spots in Prague: Archways and architecture from the Charles Bridge

View of Prague Castle and Charles Bridge

One of the best photo spots in Prague is, of course, the spectacular Charles Bridge. A walk across the bridge from one side of the city to the other with a camera in hand can actually take a really long time, as there are so many great angles to shoot from!

The Charles Bridge offers beautiful views over the Vltava River where you can see Prague Castle at the top of the hill, with plenty of those unmistakable orange rooftops cascading down the hillside until you reach the river in the foreground.

The bridge itself is an architectural wonder, with impressive architecture flanking each side of the bridge. In many ways the Charles Bridge is the very heart of the city, and it won’t surprise you to hear that it’s one of my favourite bridges in Europe. The bridge has been used since it was constructed in the 14th century to connect the castle to the old town, and provides an impressive pedestrian route across the wide expanse of the River Vltava.

Along the bridge you’ll find fascinating ornamentation, some of which is though to hold good luck according to local legend. These decorative architectural details make for some really interesting close up shots.

Charles bridge in prague lit up at night

The Charles Bridge is somewhere you absolutely have to revisit at nighttime too! Prague shines at night with lights illuminating all of it’s beautiful architecture. The gates at each end of the bridge become a fascinating mixture of beautiful and imposing, inviting you in with their warm glow.

Best photo spots in Prague: Get the best views of the Charles Bridge from Mánes Bridge

Charles bridge from manes bridge in prague

To get some truly beautiful views of the Charles Bridge, it makes sense that you would need to be on the next bridge over, and that’s where the Mánes Bridge comes in! Of course, the bridge’s main function is to facilitate a tram line between the two sides of the river, and is a rather lovely bridge in itself, but I have to admit it doesn’t quite compare with the main attraction.

I came back here again once the sun had gone down, and I hope you’ll agree that the potential for nighttime photography and long exposure shots here is unreal! See a sneak peek of my efforts below!

Photo of the Charles Bridge in Prague lit up at night

Beautiful views of Prague from the Lesser Town Bridge Towers

Prague photo spot from the lesser town bridge towers

This might just be one of my favourite photo spots in Prague! The Lesser Town Powder bridges sit at the end of the Charles Bridge that connects to the lesser town (the side with Prague Castle on it), and from the towers you can get some amazing shots across the bridge and over the streets of Prague’s Lesser Town.

You have to pay to go up the tower, but at only 100 CZK (about £3.30) it’s seriously a no brainer for the view you get over the city. As you can see from my photos it’s also a fantastic place to people watch all the walkers going across the bridge. It’s especially fun to see people doing all sorts of poses for their own photos!

If you’re planning on going up the Lesser Town Bridge Towers (and you totally should) be sure to check the website for the most up to date information on pricing and opening hours.

More tips for getting the best photographs of Prague

Here are some of my top tips for getting the most out of Prague’s best photo spots:

Get up early

Dawn is a fantastic time to capture photos in Prague, especially at locations such as the Charles Bridge. At certain times of year you will find a light fog that creates the most beautiful atmospheric photos. Plus, getting up early will mean avoiding most of the crowds that could otherwise ruin a picture
Go for golden hour

The beautiful architecture in Prague, with it’s terracotta rooftops and pale golden and pastel facades, is at it’s most beautiful in golden hour. Have your camera ready for the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset to make the most of that beautiful warm light.
Take a tripod

There are some fantastic opportunities for long exposure shots of the lights from boats passing over the river at night time, take a compact travel tripod like this one to keep your camera stable while the magic happens.