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.
Masarykovo nádraží may not be the largest station in Prague, but it is certainly the oldest. When the first steam trains arrived here in the mid-19th century, Prague was still a walled city, and the station stood close to its defensive lines. The arrival of the railway quite literally pierced the city walls, marking the beginning of Prague’s transformation into a modern European metropolis.
What makes Masaryčka special is that it has never really stopped being what it was designed to be: a terminal station where journeys begin and end. Unlike Prague’s Main Station, which most people rush through, Masarykovo nádraží invites you to slow down. The platforms are short, the distances human-scale, and the historic iron canopy still filters daylight in a way that feels unmistakably 19th-century.
Masarykovo nádraží also has something that many people don’t expect from a railway station: a proper, elegant restaurant. The historic first-class restaurant, once part of the imperial station experience, has been sensitively renovated in recent years and brought back to life. With its high ceilings, restored details and traditional Czech cuisine, it’s a place worth visiting on its own — even if you don’t have a train to catch.
From empire to republic — and a changing name
The station’s history mirrors the political story of the country. It opened under the Austrian Empire, later became a key hub of the Czechoslovak state, and after 1918 was named after Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the republic’s first president. During the Nazi occupation and the communist era, the name changed several times, but after 1989 Masaryk’s name returned — and stayed.
Masaryčka also carries darker memories. During the final days of World War II, the station and its surroundings witnessed executions carried out by retreating Nazi units during the Prague Uprising. It’s a reminder that even places associated with travel and everyday life can also be silent witnesses to violence and loss.
Masaryčka today — and the Prague of tomorrow
Today, Masarykovo nádraží mainly serves regional and suburban routes, especially towards northern and eastern Bohemia. It is tightly connected to Prague’s public transport network, with metro line B, trams, and bus links just outside the station hall. Despite being slightly overshadowed by the Main Station, it remains one of the most practical gateways into the city centre.
At the same time, Masaryčka stands at the centre of one of Prague’s most ambitious redevelopment projects. The surrounding former railway lands are being transformed into a new urban district, including modern office buildings, new public spaces, and improved pedestrian connections. The contrast between the historic station buildings and the contemporary architecture rising next door is striking — and not without controversy.
Whether you see it as a symbol of continuity or of change, Masarykovo nádraží remains a place where Prague’s layers are clearly visible. For me, it’s a station that still feels like a station — not a shopping mall with trains attached — and that’s exactly why I keep coming back. It’s one of those small urban jewels we have literally under our noses — a place we walk past every day, and yet so often fail to notice for what it really is.
Masarykovo nádraží at a glance
- Official name: Praha Masarykovo nádraží
- Nickname: Masaryčka
- Opened: 1845
- Named after: Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, first president of Czechoslovakia
- Type: Terminal (head) railway station
- Location: New Town (Nové Město), near Náměstí Republiky
- Main function today: Regional and suburban rail services
- Why it matters: Oldest railway station in Prague still in operation
How to get there: matro B station Náměstí Republik, numerous tram lines
Web in English: https://www.masaryckaspojuje.cz/en/
