KGB Museum

The basics

Visitors to the KGB Museum are typically guided around the collection by the chatty proprieter himself. Of particular interest to visitors are Vladimir Lenin’s death mask, the weapon used to kill Leon Trotsky, and the personal belongings of Lavrentiy Beria, the head of the NKVD (the interior ministry of the Soviet Union). A separate room of the museum features a collection of photographs taken in Prague in 1968 by KGB officers, while other rooms give visitors a sense of the offices and everyday work environments of the officers.

Things to know before you go

*The KGB Museum is an offbeat Prague attractions that is suited to spontaneous visitors. *There is an admission fee to enter; tours are included in English or Russian. *Some visitors have complained that the museum is revisionist and overly sympathethetic to the Soviet regime.

How to get there

The KGB Museum is located on the west side of the Vitava River in Prague, less than a 10-minute walk from Prague Castle. Using public transportation, the museum can be reached by taking tram numbers 12, 20, or 22 or bus number 192. It is also about a 15-minute walk from the Malostranská Metro station (served by Line A).

When to get there

The KGB Museum is open every day except Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. As it is a small museum, you need only set aside around one hour to thoroughly explore the collection. The museum is primarily aimed at tourists so is busiest in the summer.

Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague

If you are interested in visiting another quirky museum, the Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague is just a two-minute walk away. Via two floors or lurid displays and tableaux, including a replica alchemists’ laboratory, you can learn about Prague’s historical alchemists, sorcerers, and various other dabblers in the dark arts.