Franz Kafka Statue
Franz Kafka Statue
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksMonuments & Statues
7:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Monday
7:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Friday
7:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 12:00 AM
About
The eleven-metre-high statue is a 21st-century technical marvel of Prague. Forty-two moving panels form the face of the great Czech writer Franz Kafka. The statue by David Cerny stands at the Quadrio shopping centre and combines art with modern technologies and the traditional "golden hands" of Czech craftsmen. Watch the Metamorphosis, wait for the right alignment of the panels and discover Kafka!
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Nove Mesto (New Town)
Nearly 700 hundred meters long, Wenceslas Square represents the most frequent and buzzing crossroads of the city. The National Museum in the upper part of the square watches over your spending spree in countless shops and retail stores lining the entire square, which ends at Na Příkopě, the most famous shopping street. When tired or broke, you can explore the city's underpasses, which can take you to the Old Town or to the courtyards of art nouveau houses with secret gems of greenery, white benches and rose bushes that provide unexpected peace in the midst of the city. Be sure to pay a visit to the traditional cafés, classic Czech pubs, cinemas and theaters. National Theater near the river has a lot to offer to foreigners. Go to the river bank and enjoy live music and drinks while watching a sunset behind Prague Castle.
How to get there
  • national Ave • 1 min walk
  • bridge • 4 min walk
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See what travelers are saying

  • VGTravelGirl
    St. Albert, Canada2,110 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting art attraction that has moving parts
    Personally, I enjoyed this attraction more than the astronomical clock - it provided greater (and longer) entertainment value. And it is not as busy. There are other amenities nearby as well, including restaurants, groceries, coffee shops, etc.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written September 14, 2023
  • 52phantom
    258 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Statue was remarkable, as was Prague generally.
    Prague is a wonderful city to visit, its buildings are a mixture of old and new, some dating back many hundreds of years. Its main issue was too many tourists, many of whom are selfish and rude!!
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written September 19, 2023
  • Discover43006835309
    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Statue of Kafka
    What a fascinating piece of art! I purposely chose a table at the Aroma restaurant nearby to fully appreciate its movement. It was conveniently located, free to access, and added an extra dimension to my short business trip. Outdoor and accessible to everyone, it was a rare treat to encounter such art.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 7, 2024
  • Anuradha
    New Delhi, India1,258 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice modern steel sculpture !
    This outdoor sculpture marks a tribute to the city’s homegrown writer, Franz kafka. The sculpture is made of rotating panels that are constantly moving to change the direction of the head. But when I visited it was not rotating, surprisingly, it was the next day of his death anniversary and some tribute was being paid in the adjacent mall.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 26, 2024
  • iamadhir
    Kolkata (Calcutta), India380 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing sight
    The rotating head is a fascinating sight to experience, especially since it’s not the head rotating as one single piece but little bits sliding into position! A marvel of engineering! We had a little difficult in locating it, as most local people who we asked for directions had no clear idea. It’s just near Narodni Trida shopping centre.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 11, 2024
  • Mariasole.mazzi gastronomia
    Rome, Italy84 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing
    The rotating head is really fascinating. Furthermore it represents Kafka: an important novelist who was born in Prague. It’s great to see this characteristic statue, the only thing that could be boring is waiting for the head to spin.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written August 31, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,913 reviews
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2,206
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1,255
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Liz T 14
Cheyenne, WY3,640 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
It seems to me to be so unusual because the artist manages here without the ironic and caustic symbols that are so unmistakable in his other products. One thinks of his caricaturing of the EU and its states in some very hurtful ways (to be seen in the Techmania Science Center in Pilsen) or St. Wenceslas on a dead horse (in the Rococo passage in Prague).
Or did DČ want to use his disk-like representation of Franz Kafka's head to point out his rather split personality ?! We will not find out because DČ does not interpret his works in principle.
In any case, the object is an expression of a great idea and its creation is a technical and technical masterpiece and is therefore definitely worth seeing.
Written February 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul I
Newcastle and Gateshead, UK339 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
There are 2 statues dedicated to the memory of this Czech born author of short stories dealing with 'the inner self' and letters on philosophy. One is in the old town at Spálená 2121/22, Prague 110 00 and the other, more striking statue of his head that rotates is outside the Qudrio shopping centre a little further out. Defo take a look
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

max b
Dudley, UK239 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
We were staying in a hotel 50 yards away from this amazing piece of art and saw it in action several times. (Previous reviewers said that it wasn't working in March but it certainly was working in Early April '22)
The movement is mesmerising and lasts for around 15 minutes. Just when you think it's over it bursts into life again and does some crazy stuff which makes for a great optical experience.
It is meant to start on the hour in daytime but we found that it began at about 5 to the hour, so to catch the whole thing it's best to arrive slightly early.
It looks different under different lighting so the afternoon looks different from the morning and where you stand also makes a difference because it is reflecting the buildings around it.

It is in a tiny square behind Tesco's and a shopping centre so is a hidden gem well worth seeking out.
Written April 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mirunavrn
Bucharest, Romania431 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
This is one of the most unique pieces I've ever seen. The statue rotates for 15 minutes every hour, from 8 am to 9 pm, so make sure you arrive there on time, not to wait for long for the show. It is located in the back garden of a commercial center and I recommend you to enjoy the show from 1st floor of the building, as you'll have a better sight.
Written May 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

daesquiv
San Jose, Costa Rica632 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
Super interesting statue that will really catch your attention and hypnotize the viewer, it has different layers that rotate and create Kafka's image after several turns.

It's worth to watch if you are in the area...we literally bumped into it while walking towards Wenceslao Square and it was a very cool stop.
Written July 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lucian M
Constanta, Romania2,477 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
We found this unusual statue just by chance as we were strolling in Prague downtown. It is a famous statue, I saw many pictures of it before my trip to Prague. We spent some minutes admiring the almost hypnotic movements of this kinetic statue. The statue is located in a small square in front of the Quadrio Shopping Centre.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NikM74
Leeds, UK230 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
Specifically went looking for this statue and was disappointed when we found it. The first time we arrived just as it had finished turning, so we came back the following day. Arrived a little early and stood waiting - disappointed they have not put seats in this area. I thought Starbucks opposite it might've had some outdoor seats to have a coffee and watch it. When it came time the pieces rotate so Kafka faces a different way, then they rotate again to another spot, etc. - over the course of 15 minutes. It is a beautiful piece of work but I don't understand why the rotation part is actually needed at all as it was underwhelming. Nice statue to see in passing but wouldn't bother purposely seeking it out.
Written November 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rapha_y_nici
Zurich, Switzerland5,948 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019 • Couples
Things like this fantastic statue are exactly things we’re looking for while exploring a city. We’ve never seen such an interesting moving statue. It’s not far from the Wencelas square and there is a nice mall with some cool restaurants nearby, so would definitely recommend it. Doesn’t seem to be that crowded.
Written February 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brian K
Renfrew, UK673 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Couples
Wanted to see the Kafka head as I had heard so much about it . It is a mechanical marvel and well worth seeing . It only happens on the hour so time it properly as part of your day . We saw it at night and it was impressive . Busy with tourists which might explain the number of dodgy characters hanging about . Be aware of who is suddenly standing too close to you and it will be fine . Prague seemed a very safe city and this was the only place where I was aware of people watching the tourists and not the attraction .
Written January 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Arthur M
Hamilton, Canada1,621 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
The statue in itself is stunning, but it spins across different ways and each of those layers spin at different speed or with delays or the direction of spin is opposite. Eventually, they will all come back together at their correct orientation. And that amounts to an amazing show.

This statue is located beside the Quadrio shopping mall, so definitely a popular place and there will always be crowds in the area.
Written January 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Franz Kafka Statue - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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