If Prague is a medieval fairy tale, then the Lennon Wall is a page of modern poetry that was accidentally inserted. Different from the historical weight of the Charles Bridge and the royal style of the Prague Castle, the Lennon Wall, with its graffiti, rock and free will, has long become a symbol of the young heartbeat of this city beyond the lens of tourists.
This wall not only carries the legend of John Lennon, but also witnesses the rebellious spirit and desire for freedom in the Czech Republic in the 1980s. Since the Lennon Wall became a cultural symbol, young people and artists in Prague have flocked here, leaving graffiti and coloring, and generations of thoughts have intertwined and collided on this wall.
However, coming to Prague just to take a photo at the Lennon Wall and leave is really a betrayal of the depth of this city. The Lennon Wall is just a prelude. If you really want to hear the cry of Prague, you should walk along the street corners and alleys of the Vltava River and walk into the pulse of youth culture from the heart of the city.
1. Lennon Wall: From Graffiti Wall to Utopia
Location: Velkopřevorské náměstí, Malá Strana, Praha 1
Opening hours: Open all day
Suggested playing time: 30-60 minutes
Transportation route: 15 minutes walk from Prague Old Town Square, or take Metro Line A to Malostranská Station and walk about 10 minutes
Booking platform: No tickets are required. It is recommended to book relevant city guide packages through GetYourGuide, Klook, Viator, etc. in combination with city walking tours
Expense: Free wall visits, city walking tours are generally between RMB 100-250
The Lennon Wall is not a typical tourist attraction, but a constantly changing art scene. Since the 1980s, this originally ordinary wall has been “awakened” by a group of Czech youths who painted the head of John Lennon, a member of the Beatles, and anti-establishment texts on it. It once became a symbol of opposition to totalitarianism and a cry for peace.
Today, the Lennon Wall has long become a spokesperson for freedom and creativity. Every day, tourists from all over the world leave messages, draw pictures, and even play Beatles songs with their own instruments. This is not just a wall, it is an utopia that is constantly being written, and a microphone for young Prague to speak.
You may wish to book a guided city walking tour to learn the story behind the wall, starting from the Swan Boat Pier, telling the story of Prague’s rebellious spirit and artistic awakening along the way.
2. Prague City Art Gallery (Galerie hlavního města Prahy): A platform for young artists
Location: Revoluční 1006/8, Praha 1
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00, closed on Monday
Suggested time to visit: 1.5–2 hours
Transportation route: Take subway line B to Náměstí Republiky station and walk for about 3 minutes
Booking platform: Klook, Tiqets, Civitatis are recommended to buy tickets or art tour packages
Expense: Tickets are about 80-150 crowns, equivalent to about 25-50 yuan
Compared to the magnificent collection of the National Gallery, the City Gallery is more like a showroom for cutting-edge creations. It supports young artists from Prague and Central Europe, and there are many exhibitions such as avant-garde installations, performance art and experimental photography.
The museum curates exhibitions with social commentary all year round. The exhibits are mostly full of strong personal emotions and the spirit of the times, suitable for travelers who love contemporary art and have strong thinking. It is recommended to check the exhibition schedule on the official website or platform in advance and choose the theme that impresses you the most.
The “Voice of Youth” series of exhibitions is especially recommended, which brings together emerging Czech art forces and tells the ideals and struggles of a generation in the form of images, sounds and images.
3. Kafka Museum: Anxiety and freedom written in the corners of Prague
Location: Cihelná 2b, Malá Strana, Praha 1
Opening hours: 10:00–18:00 every day
Suggested play time: 1–1.5 hours
Transportation route: You can walk from the Lennon Wall, which takes only about 6 minutes
Booking platform: GetYourGuide, Klook, Tiqets provide tickets + audio guides or combined tickets
Expense: Tickets start at 120 crowns, which is about 40 yuan, and the guided version is slightly more expensive
To understand the spiritual background of young people in Prague, Kafka cannot be ignored. This Jewish writer who lived in the early 20th century turned the entire Prague into his literary maze. Works such as “The Castle” and “The Trial” vividly express the anxiety of identity loss and social alienation, and these emotions still resonate among Czech youth today.
The Kafka Museum is not large, but it exquisitely restores the neighborhood where he grew up and the writing environment. The museum reproduces the writer’s ideological cracks through manuscripts, photos, documents and interactive projections. You can even hear the sentences he wrote whispering on the wall, like a dialogue with the soul of a century ago.
It is especially recommended to combine the “Literary Map” to visit together. By booking a literary theme tour on Viator or Klook, you can deeply understand the hidden connection between Prague streets and the city described by Kafka.
4. DOX Contemporary Art Center (Centrum současného umění DOX): Incubator of Urban Thought
Location: Poupětova 1, Praha 7
Opening hours: 12:00–18:00, Wednesday to Monday, closed on Tuesday
Suggested time to visit: 2–3 hours
Transportation route: Take subway line C to Nádraží Holešovice station and walk for about 10 minutes
Booking platform: It is recommended to buy DOX tickets and “City + Culture” tickets through Civitatis or Tiqets
Expense: Ordinary tickets are 180 crowns, about 55 yuan
DOX is the most dynamic contemporary art center in Prague. It not only displays visual art, but also focuses on issues such as architecture, politics, and social discourse. The exhibition hall building itself is a renovated industrial plant with a strong postmodern feel.
Its internal installations often span multiple media, from interactive lighting to virtual reality. Young artists and internationally renowned creators take turns to appear, and every time you enter DOX, it is like entering a thought experiment.
It is highly recommended to experience “Gulliver”, a giant airship-shaped exhibition hall in the museum, which symbolizes the flow of thinking and the flight of imagination. You can buy a combination ticket of DOX ticket + workshop course through Klook and GetYourGuide, which is suitable for travelers who want to participate in art more deeply.
5. Letná Park and Metronome Installation (Letenské sady): A gathering place for Prague youth
Location: Letenské sady, Praha 7
Opening hours: Open all day
Suggested play time: 1.5-2 hours
Transportation route: Take the tram to Letenské náměstí station and walk for about 5 minutes
Booking platform: No ticket is required, it is recommended to combine the city cycling group through Viator or LocalAdventures
Expense: Free, cycling guide is about 120-250 RMB
Letná Park is another banner of Prague youth culture. It is not only a skateboarding mecca, but also the first choice for lawn party gatherings. The most eye-catching is the huge Metronome pendulum clock built on the site of the original Stalin statue. This modern device symbolizes time, rhythm, change and reflection.
At night, this place often becomes a street performance stage for young people, where electronic music, hand drums, poetry recitations, and even improvisational dramas often take place. Standing on the observation deck next to Metronome, you can see the panoramic view of Prague, which is the most “attitude” overlooking point in the city.
It is recommended to choose to join the city cycling group, where a local guide will take you through the park paths and bridges to understand the symbolic meaning of this green space and the history of youth settlements.
The charm of Prague lies not only in its ancient red-tiled roofs and medieval streets, but also in the youthful pulse surging in these ancient structures. The Lennon Wall is not a background board for selfies, but the starting point of the city’s continuous cry. It extends not only the ink lines of graffiti, but also a city spirit that desires expression, participation and change.
After walking past the Lennon Wall, please don’t leave in a hurry. Follow the graffiti trails, go deep into Prague’s youth pavilions, literary landmarks, contemporary art centers and city squares, and listen to what young people are saying, doing and thinking.
Perhaps you will find that traveling is not only about seeing the scenery, but also about listening to the soul of the city. And Prague is speaking to you in the most youthful way.
