The best view of Prague you're not paying for
Letná Park sits on a wide bluff on the north bank of the Vltava, directly across the river from the Old Town, and its main terrace gives one of the best panoramic views in the city — the whole span of bridges, spires and rooftops laid out below, without a ticket, a climb up a tower, or a crowd anything like Prague Castle's. It's a genuine local favourite for exactly that reason.
The Metronome
The park's strangest landmark stands on a huge stone plinth that originally held one of the largest Stalin monuments in the world, unveiled in 1955 and dynamited by the Czechoslovak government itself less than seven years later once the political tide had turned. Today the same plinth holds a giant, functioning red Metronome sculpture, installed in 1991 as a symbol of time moving forward — it's rarely switched on to actually tick, but it's an unmistakable, slightly surreal landmark either way, and worth knowing the backstory of rather than just photographing.
Beer gardens and skate culture
A seasonal beer garden sets up near the main viewpoint through the warmer months, serving simple drinks and snacks with that same panoramic backdrop — one of the most relaxed places in the city to end a day of sightseeing. The wide plaza around the Metronome plinth has also become one of Prague's best-known skateboarding spots, informally, for decades; don't be surprised to find it busy with skaters at almost any hour.
Getting there
Several tram routes stop near Letenské sády at the park's edge, and it's an easy, mostly flat walk from there to the main viewpoint. It also sits close to the Veletržní Palace, home to the National Gallery's modern and contemporary collection — see our museums & galleries guide — making the two an easy pairing for an afternoon.