Street art and murals in Prague

A wall in Malá Strana is painted over every few weeks, and nobody minds. That is the point. The Lennon Wall is a rare thing, a piece of public art that is never finished, and it carries real history.

The Lennon Wall

After John Lennon was murdered in 1980, a wall on Velkopřevorské náměstí in Malá Strana was painted with his image, lyrics and slogans. Under communist rule that was a quiet protest, and the authorities repeatedly painted it over. Students added more. After 1989 the wall stayed a place for messages, and it still is.

It stands on land belonging to the Order of Malta, which has allowed it to continue. Today it's a layered collage, repainted regularly, so don't expect a perfect portrait. Go early to beat the crowds. If you add something, keep it to the wall and leave the surrounding property alone. The little Čertovka stream runs beside it, and the corner is pleasant even without the paint.

David Černý

Černý is the best-known Czech sculptor of public provocation, and several of his works are in the city. The giant crawling babies climbing the Žižkov television tower date from 2000 and can be seen from the street below. In the Old Town, a figure hangs by one hand from a beam above the street, said to refer to Sigmund Freud, and it's a surprise from below. Outside the Quadrio shopping centre at Národní třída stands a large kinetic head of Kafka, its mirrored layers rotating. See our Kafka guide for context.

His work is often satirical, and some of it has caused controversy, which is usually the aim.

Murals and legal walls

Prague also has murals on apartment blocks and commercial buildings, many commissioned by owners or local councils, particularly in Žižkov, Karlín and Holešovice. The best way to find current ones is to walk and look, or to check the official visitor information for projects. Streets change, so there's no fixed list here.

Some places are designated for legal graffiti. Elsewhere, spraying walls without permission is illegal, and a Czech city dealing with graffiti on historic buildings is not relaxed about it. Penalties exist. If you want to paint, find an official legal wall and ask locally.

Public art beyond graffiti

Prague has a long tradition of public sculpture: the statues on Charles Bridge, the monuments around Wenceslas Square, the Memorial to the Victims of Communism on Petřín. The metronome on Letná hill, installed after 1989 where the Stalin monument once stood, is another favourite; see our guide to communist-era architecture.

A walking route

Start at the Lennon Wall, cross the river to the Old Town, walk to Národní třída for the Kafka head, then take the tram or metro to Žižkov for the tower and the babies. Our guide to Žižkov covers the district. Allow half a day with stops.

Manners

Treat murals as public art, not a backdrop for blocking the pavement. Don't climb on sculptures, and don't leave litter. If you add to a wall that is meant for it, do it quickly and leave room for others.

Do this today

Be at the Lennon Wall before 10 a.m., look at the layers of paint and find a message in a language you can read. Then follow the river to the next piece of public art on your route.