5 Quirky Prague Statues to See on Your Next Visit

One of the many charms of Prague is its abundance of bizarre and unique statues and sculptures.

From the moment I set foot in Prague, I was smitten. It feels like you’re walking in a fairy tale, with gorgeous buildings, extensive history, and all kinds of fun treats. Of course, many fairy tales also have weird creatures in them—and in Prague, that takes the form of bizarre, wacky, and unique statues and sculptures.

Here are some of the strangest Prague statues and how you can witness them for yourself. I’ve added a map at the bottom for easy reference. Let’s go!

King Wenceslas on an Upside-Down Horse

King Wenceslas riding an upside-down horse in Prague.

A good rule of thumb when visiting a European city is always to keep your head on a swivel. That includes looking to your left and right but also up. There are so many cool architectural designs and statues that you can miss out on a ton of interesting work.

As you pass through the Art Nouveau Lucerna Palace, walking from one street to another, take a minute to admire your surroundings, specifically the enormous sculpture of King Wenceslas atop an upside-down horse with its tongue hanging out—presumably because it’s dead.

This David Černý creation is a spoof on the King Wenceslas statue in Wenceslas Square. The king-turned-saint is sitting on an upright horse in that one.

Depending on what time you visit, you might also be able to catch a show in the Lucerna Palace theater. Horses, sadly, are not allowed.

Address: Lucerna Palace, 36 Vodičkova

Il Commendatore

This statue reminds me of a fairly niche computer game called Loom, where your character has a cloaked face for the entire game. In fact, there’s a scene where you kill an enemy simply by removing your cloak. I feel like I’d be disheartened if someone died after looking at me.

This statue, designed by Anna Chromý, is allegedly similarly haunted. It’s supposed to depict the ghost from the Il Commendatore opera, and it’s also called the “Cloak of Conscience and Tolerance.” The work of Chromý was so highly appreciated that she became the first woman to win the Premio Michaelangelo, a top award in the world of sculpting.

The hollow part of the statue is supposedly big enough to fit two adults, though I wouldn’t recommend trying. The first time I walked by, I overheard a tour guide saying he once saw a man on a bachelor party trip try and peek inside, but then he got stuck in the statue. His friends, being kind people, quickly got him out of there. Oh no, I’m sorry—they pulled his pants down and started smacking his butt.

So, yeah…maybe just admire this one from a few feet away.

Address: Next to the Estates Theater, Železná, 110 00 Staré Město

Franz Kafka Rotating Head

Picture of the Rotating Franz Kafka Head

Franz Kafka is perhaps the most famous author in Prague’s history. He wrote Metamorphosis, The Trial, and The Castle, the latter two of which were published after his death in 1924.

To honor him, David Černý built this magnificent rotating head of the author. The Statue of Kafka is 10.6 meters high and weighs 39 tons, with 42 metal tiers that move a couple of times an hour.

Much like Kafka himself, the statue is a bit absurd, but in a wonderful way. It’s also near a shopping center and a quick walk to Wenceslas Square.

Address: Outside the Quadrio shopping center, Spálená 2121/22

Statue of Franz Kafka

I’d argue this is perhaps the hardest of the Prague statues to get a picture of because nearly every city tour stops next to it, so your view is often blocked by other people. But if you’re patient, you can find a lull in the traffic to snap a few photos.

And it’s a wacky little statue. Jaroslav Rona created this one in 2003. It features a headless man with no hands carrying another man on his shoulders. The smaller man getting the piggyback ride is Franz Kafka. The larger man with no head or hands is a reference to “Description of a Struggle,” a short story Kafka wrote.

You might even get really lucky and see a bird perch on Kafka, giving you the closest thing Prague has to the old three kids in a trenchcoat trope.

Address: Dušní, 110 00 Staré Město

Bird of Paradise Sculpture

Okay, this one is technically outside of Prague, but Kutná Hora is a quick 45-minute trip away from the city, and this statue, built by Lukas Rittstein, is one of my favorites.

On one side, it looks like a colorful bird. Yet take a quick walk around to the other side, and…

It’s a car! I love it. The Bird of Paradise statue is my top dog (er…bird), but the entire lawn of the Galerie Stredoceskeho Kraje (GASK) is worth checking out.

If you make the trek to Kutná Hora, make sure to visit the St. Barbara Cathedral and the Sedlec Ossuary, which is also known as the Church of Bones because of the interior design made from human remains of more than 40,000 people. If you’ve never seen a chandelier of bones before, you truly haven’t lived (or died). It’s a bit eerie, but more than that, very peaceful.

Address: Barborská 51–53, 284 01 Kutná Hora

This is just a small taste of the unusual artwork and sculptures you can find in Prague. Check them all out on the map below and pin this post to save for your next trip!

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