Prague off the Beaten Track

Radio Prague International

A podcast exploring the hidden gems of Prague, uncovering unique places, stories, and cultural experiences away from the usual tourist paths.

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20 episodes
Avg 13 min
English

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Dec 18, 2025 · 13 min
Masaryčka: an 1845 Prague architectural jewel hiding in plain sight
For Prague Off the Beaten Track, Masarykovo nádraží, known as Masaryčka, is one of those places that feels both central and strangely overlooked. Opened in 1845, it is Prague’s oldest railway station and a rare example of a historic terminal still in everyday use. Named after the first Czechoslovak president, it quietly connects the city’s 19th-century beginnings with its 21st-century transformation.
Dec 4, 2025 · 13 min
Stromovka park: history, quiet corners, and Prague’s hidden nature
In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we take you into Stromovka, Prague’s vast Royal Game Reserve. Once a medieval hunting ground, today it’s one of the city’s most beloved and tranquil parks. Just a short walk from Výstaviště, it offers history, nature, and unexpected quiet in the middle of Prague.
Nov 13, 2025 · 11 min
Hidden Prague: exploring Bohnice’s quiet cemetery and scenic vistas
In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we explore Bohnice, a Prague district with a fascinating mix of history, nature, and calm. It’s a place where ivy has reclaimed forgotten graves and trails lead to scenic lookouts above the city. Come along for a peaceful autumn walk through one of Prague’s most surprising corners.
Oct 30, 2025 · 12 min
The Braník Rocks: where Prague’s prehistoric past meets today’s city life
In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we explore Braník Rocks, the striking limestone cliffs that rise above the Vltava River in southern Prague. Once quarried for the “Old Town lime” that helped build the city’s bridges and embankments, the site now reveals layers of history reaching back 420 million years. It’s a place where fossils, wartime tunnels, and today’s climbers all share the same ancient stone — a vivid meeting of nature, history, and urban life.
Oct 16, 2025 · 15 min
Prague's oldest botanical garden: 250-year-old classroom hidden in plain sight
In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we visit one of Prague’s most fascinating green spaces — the Botanical Garden of Charles University. Founded in 1775, it’s the oldest continuously operating garden of its kind in the Czech Republic. Today, it combines centuries of academic tradition with the peaceful charm of a public park right in the heart of the city.
Oct 9, 2025 · 16 min
From vineyards to bunkers – the Prague park that captivated Dan Brown
Few visitors to Prague have heard of Folimanka Park, a green valley tucked between Vinohrady and Nusle. Yet this quiet corner recently gained worldwide attention when Dan Brown set part of his latest thriller there.
Oct 2, 2025 · 11 min
Malešice Botanical Garden: history, peace, and nature in Prague’s overlooked district
In this episode of Prague off the Beaten Track, we visit the Malešice Botanical Garden, a quiet oasis few people in Prague have heard of. Run by a horticultural school, it offers an arboretum, rock garden, and peaceful paths away from the usual tourist crowds. Nestled under Tábor Hill, it reveals a surprising blend of history, nature, and tranquillity in one of the city’s overlooked districts.
Sep 25, 2025 · 13 min
Prague’s Výtoň railway bridge: history, controversy, and a new future
In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we visit the Výtoň railway bridge—an unmissable steel landmark just below the Vyšehrad cliffs. For more than 120 years, its sweeping arches have carried trains across the Vltava while quietly becoming part of daily life for locals. Once threatened with demolition, the bridge now has a new lease on life as Prague balances heritage, transport, and identity.
Aug 14, 2025 · 15 min
Exploring Divoká Šárka: Prague’s wild gorge of legends, cliffs, and hidden pools
In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we visit Divoká Šárka—one of Prague’s wildest landscapes, filled with rocky cliffs, meadows, and forests. Just a short tram ride from the city centre, this nature reserve blends ancient history, dramatic scenery, and local legends. From swimming in spring-fed pools to hiking past medieval hillforts, it’s a perfect escape into nature without leaving Prague.
Aug 9, 2025 · 13 min
Žižkov Highline: Prague’s little‑known but fabulous shortcut
In this Prague off the Beaten Track episode, we start at Prague’s busiest railway hub—Hlavní nádraží—but head somewhere unexpected. Just beyond the platforms lies the Žižkov Highline, a short walkway born from a temporary art project that’s now a functional shortcut between districts.
Jul 24, 2025 · 12 min
Where Prague feels like a village: exploring Kajetánka and its neighbors
In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we visit Kajetánka—a hidden gem in Prague 6 that once housed a monastery and vineyard. Today it’s a peaceful park with historic surroundings and hardly any tourists. If you're looking for a quiet place to wander or have a picnic, this might be your new favorite spot.
Jul 17, 2025 · 11 min
Girls' Castles: Legends, Meadows, and Przewalski’s Horses in Prague
In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we take you to Dívčí hrady, where legends meet nature on a peaceful hillside above Prague. Walk through meadows, discover old Czech stories, and catch a glimpse of wild Przewalski’s horses. This quiet part of Prague offers stunning views, rich history, and an experience far from the city’s usual tourist routes.
Jul 10, 2025 · 13 min
Urban Oases on the Vltava: Discovering Prague’s Central Islands
They’re in the middle of Prague’s historic core, yet many visitors never set foot on them. This episode of Prague off the Beaten Track takes you to two islands, nestled in the Vltava River, that are easily overlooked green spaces that offer history, views, and a welcome escape from the city’s busy streets.
Jul 3, 2025 · 12 min
Cool refuge in the city: Kunratický les or "Kunraťák", Prague’s forest getaway
Kunratický les, known to locals as Kunraťák, is one of Prague’s largest and most beloved green spaces. Located in the city’s south, it offers shady trails, wildlife, and even the ruins of a medieval royal castle. It’s a perfect escape from the summer heat — peaceful, easy to reach, and full of history.
Jun 5, 2025 · 13 min
Prague’s Little Hanoi: SAPA market and center
In this episode of Prague off the Beaten Track, listeners are guided through SAPA—Prague’s sprawling Vietnamese market complex in the district of Libuš. It's a unique space where commerce meets culture, offering everything from street food and household goods to legal services and community events. Far from Prague’s tourist hotspots, SAPA reveals a vibrant side of the city that many have never seen.
May 15, 2025 · 11 min
Concrete, rubble, and renewal: The curious story of Rohanský ostrov
Rohanský ostrov, or Rohan Island, is a place many Prague residents pass without a second thought. Once a true island in the Vltava River, it later became a forgotten industrial zone. Today, it’s undergoing a transformation into a modern, sustainable neighborhood—with green parks, housing, and public spaces. In this episode of Prague Off the Beaten Track, we take a closer look at its layered past and ambitious future.
May 8, 2025 · 18 min
Prague off the Beaten Track: Hotel International provides Soviet grandeur with a view
You won’t find it on most tourist maps, but the Grand Hotel International in Prague’s leafy Dejvice district is a towering time capsule. Built in the 1950s in the style of Stalinist architecture—but with an American twist—it combines communist-era ambition, artistic surprises, and panoramic views into one unforgettable landmark.
May 1, 2025 · 11 min
Vítkov: a peaceful hill where Czech history was made
Just a short walk from the center of Prague rises Vítkov Hill—a quiet, unassuming ridge that separates the districts of Žižkov and Karlín. Though technically part of Žižkov, it’s visible from much of the city and offers some of the best panoramic views of Prague. Still, it remains surprisingly uncrowded, a perfect candidate for those seeking a different kind of city experience.
Apr 24, 2025 · 12 min
From castles to concrete: The expanding story of Prague
Unlike most episodes of Prague Off the Beaten Track, this one doesn’t take you to just one place. Instead, it takes a step back to look at the bigger picture—because before we head out to places like Libeň, Karlín, or Jižní Město, it helps to understand how Prague became what it is today.
Apr 3, 2025 · 11 min
Žižkov Tower: From Cold War relic to luxury in the sky
Soaring high above Prague’s rooftops, the Žižkov Television Tower is impossible to miss—and just as impossible to categorize. A product of late-communist engineering, this peculiar structure has been called everything from an eyesore to a masterpiece of high-tech design. But what many visitors don’t realize is that inside one of its iconic pods, perched 70 meters above ground, lies one of the city’s most exclusive places to spend the night.

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