District · Prague

New Town (Nové Město)Nové Město

Founded in 1348 and now the business and shopping centre; Wenceslas Square is its spine. More affordable than the Old Town, with good metro links; the square itself is busy and a little rough after dark.

sleepsee

Key facts

Suits: Trains and metro, mid-range hotels, dining out
Room prices: $$; price band of 5
Sights here: 1
Eats here: 3

Actions

What it's like

Feels:: Wide boulevards, shops, business and nightlife
Suits:: Trains and metro, mid-range hotels, dining out
Best time:: Afternoon and evening
Watch out for:: Exchange booths and clubs advertised by touts.
In short:: Founded in 1348 and now the business and shopping centre; Wenceslas Square is its spine. More affordable than the Old Town, with good metro links; the square itself is busy and a little rough after dark.

About these names

Prague is divided into numbered districts (Praha 1 to Praha 22). Praha 1 is the old centre on both banks, Praha 2 and 3 are Vinohrady and Žižkov, Praha 7 is Holešovice and Letná. Postcodes follow: 110 00 is Praha 1.

Prague is small enough to walk, but the hills and cobbles slow you down. The castle is on a hill on the west bank; the Old Town Square, Josefov and the New Town are on the flat east bank; Malá Strana links them below the castle. A first visit needs four clusters: the castle, the bridge and Lesser Town, the Old Town, and the New Town with Wenceslas Square.

Where exactly

This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.

New Town (Nové Město) on the Prague mapTap an area for what it is like and who it suits. Shapes follow this guide’s walking areas and places, not official boundaries.

New Town (Nové Město)Nové Město

sleepseePrice $$

Suits: Trains and metro, mid-range hotels, dining out

On the map: Wenceslas Square and the National Museum

District guide Walk: Wenceslas Square & New Town Sleep: New Town (Nové Město)In the districts table

Off the map: Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) (35–55 min by the usual route).

Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Vinohrady, Vyšehrad, Holešovice and Letná, Žižkov and Karlín. See the table above.

Where’s what, as a list:

Old Town (Staré Město) (Staré Město): The square, the clock and the lanes around it: the busiest and most expensive part of the city, but the shortest walks. Choose a side street, not the square, and expect cobbles under a suitcase. Suits: First visit, walking to everything, short stays. Price band $$$.
Josefov (Jewish Quarter) (Josefov): The old Jewish ghetto north of the square: six synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery, plus the Pařížská street shopping strip. Closed on Saturdays for the museum. Suits: History, a quiet hour, museum visitors.
Malá Strana (Lesser Town) (Malá Strana): Baroque palaces and gardens below the castle, reached over the bridge. Calmer than the Old Town at night; hillier, with steps and tram noise on the main road. Suits: Quiet evenings, baroque streets, the castle climb.
Hradčany and the Castle (Hradčany): The castle complex and the quiet square in front. It is a half-day visit, steep to reach: take tram 22 or a car up and walk down. Suits: Morning sightseers, views, cathedral and palace visits.
New Town (Nové Město) (Nové Město): Founded in 1348 and now the business and shopping centre; Wenceslas Square is its spine. More affordable than the Old Town, with good metro links; the square itself is busy and a little rough after dark. Suits: Trains and metro, mid-range hotels, dining out. Price band $$.
Vinohrady (Vinohrady): A leafy residential district east of the New Town with cafés, wine bars and the Náměstí Míru square. Metro line A and trams reach the centre in 10 minutes. Suits: Second visits, cafés, quiet residential streets.
Vyšehrad (Vyšehrad): A hill fortress south of the New Town with a church, a cemetery and the best sunset view over the river. Metro C to Vyšehrad, or walk along the river. Suits: A quiet fort hill, river views, a half-day out.
Holešovice and Letná (Holešovice): The former industrial district north of the river: the National Gallery's modern art building, a market hall and Letná Park's beer garden with a skyline view. Suits: Modern art, cafés, a park with a beer garden.
Žižkov and Karlín (Žižkov): Žižkov has the TV tower and the densest pub streets; Karlín is a rebuilt riverside district with restaurants. Both are 10 to 15 minutes from the centre by tram. Suits: Late pubs, bars, a local feel.
Sleep area New Town (Nové Město): suits Trains and metro, mid-range hotels, dining out, price band $$.
Sleep area Old Town (Staré Město): suits First visit, walking to everything, short stays, price band $$$.
Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG), 35–55 min by the usual route.

Stay here?

How this district's sleep area scores for five kinds of traveler, ranked against the other Prague districts that have scores. Scores are this guide's 1–5 judgements.

First visit
2nd of 2
The Old Town is 10 to 15 minutes on foot, the castle a tram ride.
Better for this: Old Town (Staré Město)
Families
best of 2
Metro access, larger rooms and supermarkets nearby.
Light sleepers
best of 2
Traffic on the main streets; side streets are calmer.
Night owls
2nd of 2
Bars and clubs around Wenceslas Square; watch for touts.
Better for this: Old Town (Staré Město)
On a budget
best of 2
More rooms under CZK 3,500 a night than in the Old Town.

See

Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.

Wenceslas Square and the National MuseumGo
A long boulevard of shops, hotels and cafés with the National Museum at the top: walk it in the late afternoon for orientation, and do not eat or change money here.
Hours:
Open all hours; shops about 09:00–20:00; the museum has its own hours (check).Open all hours; shops about 9:00 AM–8:00 PM; the museum has its own hours (check).(check)
Entry:
Free

Eat

What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.

Café Louvre
A large first-republic café on Národní street: go for breakfast or a coffee and cake between the river and Wenceslas Square; sit by the windows and skip the Friday night crowd.
Order: Káva: 'Jednu kávu, prosím'.
Price: A coffee is about CZK 70–110 and a cake about CZK 100–160 (2026 estimate).
U Fleků
A brewery pub with its own dark lager and a maze of halls: go at lunch or early evening, expect tourist groups, and order the house beer and a simple dish.
Order: Tmavé pivo: 'Jedno tmavé, prosím'.
Price: A half-litre of beer is about CZK 90–130 here, against CZK 55–80 in a local pub (2026 estimate).
U Medvídků
An old brewery pub on Na Perštýně with its own beer and a plain Czech menu: go at lunch for a quieter hall, or book for the evening.
Order: Pivo: 'Jedno pivo, prosím'.
Price: Beer about CZK 70–110 here (2026 estimate).

Sleep

New Town (Nové Město)$$
Modern hotels near Wenceslas Square with lifts and flat streets; a car at the door and a 12-minute walk to the Old Town.
Rooms: CZK 2,500-5,500 (≈ US$120–300) for 2 to 4 people (check)
Skip this if: Less atmosphere at night.
30–41 min walk to Charles Bridge & Malá Strana · 15–21 min walk to Old Town Square & Josefov · 3–5 min walk to Wenceslas Square & New Town

Getting there and around

Where to get off

Metro lines A and B to Můstek, or line A or C to Muzeum · for Wenceslas Square and the National Museum
Národní třída (metro line B), about 3 minutes · 4 min walk to Café Louvre
Národní třída (metro line B), about 8 minutes · 8 min walk to U Fleků
Národní třída (metro line B), about 6 minutes · 6 min walk to U Medvídků

Walks inside the district

Wenceslas Square and the National Museum → Café Louvre: 10–14 min on foot (Walk on)
Wenceslas Square and the National Museum → U Medvídků: 16–22 min on foot (Walk on)
Wenceslas Square and the National Museum → U Fleků: 13–18 min on foot (Walk on)
Café Louvre → U Fleků: 5–7 min on foot (Walk on)
Café Louvre → U Medvídků: 7–10 min on foot (Walk on)

On to the next area

Walk north-west: about 12 min to Old Town Square & Josefov

From other sleep areas

From Old Town (Staré Město): 15–21 min walk to Wenceslas Square & New Town

Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.

Walking loop

A loop that starts and ends at the same place, through this district's sights and eats. Pick a length; download it for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google Earth.

About 78 min in all: 28 min on foot, the rest at the stops. 3 stops, back to where you started.

Wenceslas Square and the National MuseumStart here · stop about 20 min
Café Louvre10 min walk · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
U Fleků5 min walk · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
Back to Wenceslas Square and the National Museum: 13 min walk

Walking minutes come from this guide’s route graph where it has one; “estimate” means straight-line distance plus a quarter for street detours at an easy pace. Opening hours are not checked: look at “Open now” below before you set off.

Safety at night and noise

Wenceslas Square and the New Townday: oknight: caution
Touts for clubs and exchange booths; drinks with hidden charges; late-night crowds.
Metro, trams and the main stationday: cautionnight: caution
Pickpockets, and inspectors who fine if your ticket is not validated.
Vinohrady and Žižkovday: oknight: ok
Rowdier pubs late on weekends; otherwise residential and calm.
Airport and taxi ranksday: cautionnight: caution
Unlicensed drivers at arrivals; use the official desk or a ride-hailing app.

Quiet nights
Traffic on the main streets; side streets are calmer.
Nightlife
Bars and clubs around Wenceslas Square; watch for touts.
Late arrival
24-hour desks are common; the square is busy late.

Nearby districts

Built from this guide’s Prague districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.