How many Prague Landmarks can you Identify from these Music Videos?

Like many Linkin Park fans around the world, I was genuinely saddened to hear of the death of Chester Bennington last week. The band actually filmed videos for two of their best known songs in Prague, although I actually only noticed the second one today whilst revisiting some of their older tracks on Youtube.

This discovery got me wondering how many more music videos have been filmed in the city. Of course, Prague has long been a popular destination for shooting films, so it would follow logically that it would also be a popular choice for music videos. It only took a few minutes of research to find that A LOT of music videos have been filmed in and around the city. Unfortunately, with many of the videos I saw, the location was completely unidentifiable. They were either shot in a studio, in a generic indoor location, or contained shots of Prague that were just too brief to tie down to a specific location. However, there were also many videos that were just full to bursting with iconic Prague landmarks and I had a great time trying to pinpoint as many of the shots as possible.

Internationally renowned artists such as Rihanna, Kanye West, Gwen Stefani, Muse and REM have all shot music videos in Prague but rather than going for the biggest names, I have chosen to include the videos which offer the best views of the city and which present the best opportunities for location spotting.  There are of of course a fair few fantastic songs and some pretty well known artists represented here.

How many Prague landmarks can you pick out from this lot?

Editors: Smoke Outside the Hospital Doors

This is one of my favourites on the list and not just because I absolutely love this song. It also features some more unexpected areas of the city.

Filmed in: 2007

Locations to look out for: Hlavni Nadrazi (main train station), views over the Vltava River, Zeleznicni Most/Bridge, the Naplavka riverside.

Human League: Tell Me When

This is a great video for picking out some of Prague’s most well known sights.

Filmed in: 1995

Locations to look out for: Wenceslas Square, Prague Castle Complex, Wallenstein Gardens

INXS: Never Tear us Apart

Another great video which is just full to bursting with fantastic shots over the city. How many of these landmarks do you know?

Filmed in: 1987

Locations to look out for: The Jewish Cemetery, Strelecky Ostrov/Island, The National Theatre, Charles Bridge, The Astronomical Clock, Old Town Square

Geri Halliwell: Look at me

There is a lot going on in this video and just SO MANY beautiful Prague landmarks to pick out. Don’t blink or you might miss something!

Filmed in: 1999

Locations to look out for: Zeleznicni Most/Bridge, Strahov Monastery Library, Hlavni Nadrazi (the main train station), Vysehrad Castle, Naplavka, Olsanske Cemetery, Troja Chateau

Faithless featuring Estelle: Why Go?

This is a great video of a woman dancing her way through Prague’s streets, surrounded by unimpressed bystanders.

Filmed in: 1998

Locations to look out for: Wenceslas Square, Prague Metro

Feist: Mushaboom

Rather than sticking with the conventional central Prague locations, Canadian songwriter Feist decided to take the party to Prague’s Holesovice district.

Filmed in: 2004

Locations to Look out for: Kamenicka Street, Pristavni Street, Luna Park Fairground

Linkin Park: Numb

Filmed in: 2003

Locations to look out for: Charles Bridge, The Church of St. Nicholas

Linkin Park: From the Inside

The large scale rioting in this brilliant video is a little distracting but look closely and you can see that the riot is clearly taking place in Prague

Filmed in: 2003

Locations to look out for: Locations surrounding Prague Castle

LORDI: The Riff

This video is pretty strange but I kind of love it. It’s filmed entirely in an Albert Supermarket and if you look closely you may see familiar Czech brands on the shelves, prices in Czech Crowns and signs saying “Akce” (meaning special offer in Czech).

Filmed in: 2013

Machine head: Darkness Within

This dark and slightly disturbing video from Machinehead contains some fantastic shots of the city. Fun fact: the church which is made from skulls and bones which we see brief shots of during this video actually exists but it isn’t in Prague, it is in the town of Kutna Hora.

Filmed in: 2011

Locations to look out for: Charles Bridge, Kutna Hora bone church, The Memorial to the Victims of Communism, Vysehrad Castle

Tindersticks: Can our Love?

This beautifully romantic video by the British indie band Tindersticks takes a split screen approach and shows the daily wanderings of our two protagonists. Of course, they are wandering around Prague.

Filmed in: 2001

Locations to look out for: Streets around Malostranske Square, Wenceslas Square, The Lucerna Passage, Prague Metro

You Say Party! We Say Die!: Monster

This video depicts a quirky Little Riding Hood like figure prancing around the streets of Prague’s Mala Strana district by moonlight (and she’s on the run from possibly the least terrifying but most hilarious monster in the world). This video may not offer too much variety in terms of shots of Prague but it’s worth watching just for the sheer absurdity of it all.

Filmed in: 2007

Boyzone: Everyday I Love You

If you’re in the mood to watch a bunch of emotional Irish men driving around Prague in a big black car, this is the video for you.

Filmed in: 1999

Locations to look out for: Old Town Square, Tynska Church, Karlovy Lazne, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle