Prague on the Run

Should you find yourself in need of getting away from the Old City crowds for an afternoon, we suggest taking the following run:

1. Start your run at the Astronomical Clock on Staromĕstské Náměstí (Old Town Square). If you’re here on the hour, make sure you stick around and stretch long enough to catch the “Walk of the Apostles”. The clock is famous for this mechanical display of moving sculptures.

2. Run east down Karlova Street to the Charles Bridge and Vltava River, picking your way gingerly across the cobblestones as you go (.32 mi / .51 km).

3. Turn right onto Křižovnická Street, which soon leads to a riverside path. Continue north on it. 

4. Pass the Rudolfinum Opera House and Manesuv Most (.6 mi / .97 km). 

5. Cross the river at the next bridge, Čechův Most (.86 mi / 1.38 km). 

6. Run up the stairs on the other side of the bridge, and at the top the park begins (1.01 mi / 1.63 km).

7. Loop the park a couple of times (3.55 mi / 5.71 km). a. Use the destroyed Stalin’s Monument as your base marker. At over fifteen meters tall, it was the world’s largest monument to the little Georgian before it was destroyed in 1962. Thirty-four years later a thirty-five-foot tall statue of Michael Jackson was erected on this spot. But it went the same way as its predecessor. b. On the west side of the park there are some great views of Prague Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. c. As you come back to the south, enjoy the panoramic sweep of the Old Town and Josefov, the Jewish Quarter, on the other side of the river. d. Also take some time to explore other paths through the park.

8. Return down the stairs and across the bridge. 

9. Continue straight along Panzka Hrida to Staromĕstské Náměstí (4.09 mi / 6.58 km). 

10. End your run at Staromĕstské Náměstí and right back in the center of town.