3 Best Sights in Smichov, Prague

This free-to-enter (donations welcome) art gallery, set within a labyrinthine, brick-walled basement, houses an eclectic range of quirky, contemporary, and occasionally downright creepy artworks, from oil paintings to audiovisual installations. But it's one particular provocative sculpture that takes the headlines: David Černý's Brown-Nosers. Head through the rotating window out into the garden to see two giant, naked, lower halves of bodies, bent over at 90 degrees. Climb one of the two rickety ladders and peer "into" the sculptures to watch a video. In one of the videos—spoiler alert!—former president Václav Klaus is being clumsily spoon-fed human waste to the soundtrack of Queen's "We Are the Champions." In the other, he's the one doing the feeding. The scenes are a metaphor for the state of Czech politics, apparently.

The gallery is a 15-minute uphill walk from Anděl Metro station. Ring the buzzer at the door to be let in.

This family-friendly attraction is home to Prague's most extensive model railway, comprising more than 600 meters of track and literally thousands of toy trains. There are several different sets, representing different regions of the Czech Republic (complete with intricately re-created, scaled-down sights), although they are mostly kept at an arm's length and behind glass. Luckily, there are also plenty of interactive sights, including remote control cars, train and tram simulators, and themed play areas.

The slogan for this brewery on the riverside in Smíchov could be "For beer, go directly to the source." Staropramen literally means "old source," and it's definitely one of the most ubiquitous beers in the city—and beyond. This visitor center offers 50-minute "guided" tours every day, where a video projection of early brewmaster Josef Paspa (well, a suitably ruddy-cheeked actor) takes you through the history of the site, the beer brewing method, and how far and wide the beer is exported. It all culminates in a tasting of four different Staropramen brews, from the excellent unfiltered lager to the dark beer. If you're feeling peckish afterward, one of the brewery's chain of Potrefená Husa restaurants, serving classic Czech food and beer, is just around the corner.