Smíchov: from brewery and wagon works to Prague's left-bank hub

If you want to understand how Prague's economy shifted from factories to services, take the metro to Anděl. The station sits at a crossroads that, a few decades ago, was surrounded by workshops. Today the surroundings are glass-fronted offices, a large shopping centre and apartment blocks, with a few older industrial buildings left standing as reminders.

Smíchov sits on the left bank south of Malá Strana, with the hills of Petřín behind it and the river in front.

An industrial town

Until the 19th century, Smíchov was a village of vineyards and orchards on the left bank. The railway, the river and cheap land attracted industry. A brewery was founded here in 1869 and eventually took the name Staropramen, which became one of the best-known Czech beer brands; the brewery is still in the district. Engineering works built railway wagons and machinery, and a workforce of thousands lived in tenements around the factories.

Smíchov was a town in its own right, with its own institutions, until 1922, when it was joined to Prague as part of the Greater Prague reform. Much of the industry has since closed or moved, but the pattern of the streets, large blocks of tenement housing and a few factory buildings, still reflects the period.

The redevelopment

The shift from industry to services began in earnest in the 1990s. Land around the Anděl crossroads was cleared, and new developments followed in stages. The Zlatý Anděl building by the French architect Jean Nouvel was completed around 2000, and the Nový Smíchov shopping centre opened in the early 2000s. Offices followed, and then housing.

Further south, the area around Smíchov railway station has been the subject of large-scale plans for new streets, offices and flats. Because redevelopment plans change, we do not describe specific projects, and the Prague Institute of Planning and Development publishes the city's current plans. Our overview of how Prague's spatial plan works explains what is and is not decided at each stage.

The district shows the tension between conservation and development. The older industrial buildings are sometimes protected, sometimes demolished, and sometimes converted. The piece on loft conversions in former factories explains what buyers should ask.

Streets and character

Smíchov is not one place but several. Around Anděl the scene is urban, busy and commercial. Behind it, toward the hill, are quiet streets of tenement houses and small shops. Up the slope, on Mrázovka and around the Kinský Garden, there are villas and green space. The Kinský Garden is a park on the slope of Petřín hill, with a wooden church and a view over the river. It is far larger than people who know only the commercial centre expect.

Below the hill, on the river, is a stretch of embankment with a mix of old and new buildings. Floods have affected the left bank in the past, and some areas fall within flood-protection planning; see our explainer on floods in Prague.

Smíchov also has a strong residential community. Because it has fewer tourists than the centre, it feels more like an ordinary Prague neighbourhood, with local markets, schools and sports clubs. The city's guide to green spaces and parks shows how the parks connect.

Transport

Anděl is the main interchange. Metro B passes through, and several tram lines meet there. Smíchovské nádraží, the railway station, is also a metro B station, so passengers can change between trains and the metro. For long-distance and regional services you generally use Praha hlavní nádraží or Masarykovo nádraží, but Smíchov station is useful for local trains toward the south-west; see Prague railway stations explained.

The line B carries you east to the New Town, Florenc and Karlín, and west to the housing estates of Jinonice, Stodůlky and Zličín. The airport buses leave from the Nádraží Veleslavín stop on line A, and from the Zličín terminus for some connections; see getting to and from Ruzyně airport.

Renting and buying

Smíchov offers a wide range of housing: older tenement flats, 1930s functionalist blocks, panel buildings on the edges and a growing number of new apartments. Prices and rents vary by street and are not given here; our piece on apartment prices in Prague by district explains how to compare them.

New developments are concentrated around the railway station and Anděl. Developers active in the district are listed on Novostavby.com's Smíchov section (in Czech), and our guide on how developer sales work sets out the stages of a purchase, including reservation agreements and payment schedules. Check the specifics of any project with the developer and a lawyer.

Most of Smíchov falls under Prague 5. The labels used by offices and agents are explained in Prague's districts and numbered areas.

Daily life on the left bank

Around Anděl there are shopping centres, cinemas, offices and a cluster of cafes and restaurants, which means that most errands can be done within a few minutes of the metro. Away from the junction, the streets calm quickly, and the tenement blocks of the older grid hold small shops, pharmacies and local pubs that have served the same customers for decades.

Healthcare is close at hand. Prague 5 contains the large Motol hospital and the Na Homolce Hospital, and the overview of Prague's hospitals explains how they fit into the network. Schools and nurseries are spread across the district, and the catchment rules in Prague schools and districts apply.

Karlín, across the river, tells a similar story of industry giving way to offices and housing, with the same flood-protection question; see the profile of Karlín. Holešovice has a third version, led by culture, in the profile of Holešovice. Smíchov's draw is its transport hub and the hills behind it. The trade-off is a commercial centre around Anděl that is busier and less intimate than the older districts.

When you view a flat, check the building's position relative to the main roads and tram junctions. The streets that carry heavy traffic can be noisy at all hours, and the difference between a flat on the main road and one on a side street a hundred metres away can be considerable.

Moving in

For a tenant in Smíchov, the steps are the same as elsewhere in the city. Your address decides which district office you deal with, in most cases Prague 5, and foreign residents register their place of stay under the rules for their status; see how to register your address with the foreign police. Since the district mixes new and old buildings, ask about the heating system and the service charges, and compare them with those in older blocks.

Frequently asked questions

What is Smíchov known for?

Its industrial past, including the Staropramen brewery, and its modern centre around Anděl with offices and a large shopping centre.

Which metro line serves Smíchov?

Line B, with stations at Anděl and Smíchovské nádraží, among others.

Is Smíchov on the flood plain?

Parts of the riverside are. Check the specific property's flood status with Prague City Hall and the seller.

Is Smíchov a good area for families?

It has parks, schools and good transport. School places depend on catchment rules, which are explained in our guide to Prague school catchments.

To read the district, take metro B to Anděl, walk uphill to the Kinský Garden, then come back down through the tenement streets to the river. It runs from commercial centre to quiet slope in one loop.