Exploring Prague's passages, a hidden city within a city

Most visitors to Prague are drawn to its iconic landmarks—Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Astronomical Clock—but there’s another side to the city that often goes unnoticed, hidden beyond the main squares and bustling streets. Woven through Prague’s streets is a network of passages and arcades, which allow you to take shortcuts and avoid the crowds. We'll explore at least some of them with architect Štěpán Beneš, one of the founders of the association Mapamátky, which aims to popularize Prague’s architecture.

Here is a list of passages we visit:

Phoenix passage

Clock on the ceilieng of Fénix passage|Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International

Phoenix passage is situated within a grand commercial palace in the upper half of Wenceslas Square. Designed in the functionalist style, the building houses several shops, a café, and a theatre. Notable elements include a semi-circular glass and metal cinema box office and a ceiling clock with brass numerals. The interior is clad in marble and travertine, lit by original brass and milk glass chandeliers. Another standout feature is a large-scale mosaic picturing female figures.

Štěpánská passage

Štěpánská passage|Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International

Štěpánská passage, originally known as Merkur, was built in 1938 in the so-called emotional functionalism, according to the design by architect Eugen Rosenberg. Notable architectural features include a striking vaulted ceiling, an island shopfront, ceramic tiles, and a medieval portal in the hall, which pays homage to the original house from 1381. Despite its rich history, this passageway remains largely off the radar.

Rokoko passage

Rokoko Palace is home to one of Prague’s most beautiful passages, featuring elegant Art Nouveau decoration. The palace is part of a trio of multifunctional buildings located at the corner of Štěpánská Street and Wenceslas Square. Constructed between 1911 and 1915, the complex was designed by architect Emil Králíček. The passage is full of rich architectural details and features a beautiful, glass ceiling, with a repeating motif of a circle within a square.

Světozor

Stained glass window in Světozor passage|Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International

Ligna Palace, built during World War I according to the design by designed by Osvald Polívka and Josef Sakař, blends fading Art Nouveau with emerging modernist influences. The arcade itself, was only added after World War II, based on a design by the Fišer brothers. A highlight of the space is the famous 1949 Tesla advertisement by František Hudeček in the form of a stained glass window.

TeTa passage

Entrance to TeTa passage|Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International

TeTa passage offers a little-known shortcut leading to the Franciscan Gardens. Located in a functionalist building from 1933, designed by architects Ernst Mühlstein and Viktor Fürth, it is better known to locals as the Dům sportu (House of Sport), once a popular shop with sports equipment.

Franciscan garden|Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International

Adria

Štěpán Beneš and Marie Zákostelecká|Photo: Ruth Fraňková, Radio Prague International

Adria Palace, a striking Rondocubist structure at the start of Národní třída, has stood there for nearly a century. Originally the headquarters of an Italian insurance company, it’s notable for its intricate facade, featuring semi-circular and triangular cornices, battlement-like towers, and sculptures by Jan Štursa and Bohumil Kafka. The richly decorated passage features, among other things, a mosaic floor, depicting scenes one might need insurance for.

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