Franz Kafka rotating metallic head on a clear day

How to See the Franz Kafka Rotating Head in Prague

Right in the heart of downtown Prague, you can see the large metallic Franz Kafka rotating head.

During my first visit to Prague, I stepped outside my hotel and walked down the street. I was headed for another destination, but something caught my eye along the way: a giant metal sculpture of a head. I overheard someone say the name “Kafka,” and I realized it was a statue of Franz Kafka, an early 20th-century author.

Before long, the metal layers of the sculpture started moving. Kafka was turning his head to look in another direction. I learned this happens twice every hour between 8:00 to 19:00 (8 am to 7 pm). And it’s quite the majestic thing to behold.

I couldn’t help but smile watching the Statue of Kafka in action. If you spend any amount of time in Prague, you’re bound to come across some kind of unusual creation—in fact, Prague’s unique artwork, statues, and sculptures were a major inspiration for the creation of this very website!

The head underwent construction at the end of 2023, and even the “error” message was pretty funny:

What is the Franz Kafka statue?

Designed by David Černý in November of 2014, the Statue of Kafka—also commonly known as Kafka’s Head or the Kafka Rotating Head—is a giant metal sculpture of Franz Kafka, one of the most popular writers from Prague.

The sculpture is 10.6 meters (just under 35 feet) tall, weighs 39 tons, and consists of 42 mobile tiers. It took Černý 4,200 hours to create the statue.

The head sits atop a large base. Gotta be comfortable with all that looking around.

Where is the Franz Kafka statue?

The Statue of Kafka is located right outside the Quadrio shopping center in Prague. The Quadrio address is Spálená 2121/22, Prague 1, Czech Republic, 120 00.

During the holiday season (which varies slightly each year), there’s a small Christmas market next to the head. You can grab a snack or warm yourself up with mulled wine or hot cider.

How to get to the Franz Kafka head Prague statue

Whenever I travel somewhere new, I try to walk as regularly as possible. It’s the best way to see a city—you never know when you’ll stumble down an alley into something cool or when you can take a wrong turn and end up meeting an incredible person. If you’re staying anywhere within Prague 1 or Prague 2 (such as the Old Town or New Town), you’re likely within a 30-minute walk of the statue and perhaps much closer.

You can also take the metro or tram to reach the Kafka rotating head, both of which stop fairly close by. The metro Line A and B goes to the Můstek stop, while trams 2, 9, 18, and 22 stop at Národní Třída. From there, it’s a quick stroll to Quadrio and the Franz Kafka sculpture.

Who was Franz Kafka?

Franz Kafka was a writer born in Prague in 1883, back when it was in the Kingdom of Bohemia in Austria-Hungary. He’s probably best known for his novella Metamorphosis, which is a story about a man who wakes up one morning and discovers he’s now a giant insect. I don’t believe the book ever specifically says what type of insect, though I think most people assume the character is a cockroach.

Whatever the case may be, I read this book in high school and thought it was super entertaining. The mere concept of it is “Kafkaesque” (aka absurd and surreal), but it also made me think of how I might react if I ended up in such a situation. I was also eating apples daily at the time, and an apple plays a fairly pivotal (and negative) role in the story, so that freaked teenage me out a bit. If you haven’t read the book, I’d highly recommend checking it out — it’s only about 70 pages, so it’s easy to get through.

Kafka authored other works, including The Trial and The Castle. Interestingly enough, Kafka, who died at age 40 from tuberculosis, told his friend Max Brod to destroy his unpublished works. Instead, Brod had the majority of it published. We likely would have never seen much of Kafka’s work if not for Brod. Good job, Max!

There’s also the Franz Kafka Museum, roughly a 20 to 30-minute walk away from the Kafka rotating head. It explores some of his additional writing, including letters to families and friends, and looks at other elements of his personal life.

Where to stay near the Franz Kafka rotating head

The Michaelangelo Grand Hotel Prague is a lovely spot that’s right down the street from the Franz Kafka rotating head. That hotel is also home to one of the city’s beer spas, which is something else you should absolutely do during your visit.

The Deminka Palace Hotel is another great option. It’s a bit further away, but still within walking distance and has some lovely views of the city. Also, it’s not every day you get to stay in a former palace!

Alternatively, you could stay anywhere in Wenceslas Square, perhaps the most popular street in the entire city. Wenceslas Square is another area with a Christmas market (two of them, in fact), but it’s still bustling any time of year.

A visit to Prague isn’t complete without seeing the Statue of Kafka in motion. It’ll certainly turn a few heads.

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