10/08/2026
🇨🇿🦫 Where can you see River Rats in Prague?
One of the most frequent questions I get from people travelling to Prague is: "Where can I see the river rats everyone keeps talking about?"
First thing to clear up: they are not beavers.
Some tourists call them "river rats," but they're actually nutrias, big, furry, semi-aquatic rodents that took over Prague's waterways. They look like an oversized guinea pig crossed with a beaver, which is exactly why people mix them up. Real beavers do live in Czechia too, but they're shy and rarely seen. If you spot something waddling around in daylight with a rat-like tail, that's a nutria.
So where do you actually find them?
Your best bet is Cihelná Park, right on the riverbank near Charles Bridge. It's also one of the best spots in the city to photograph Charles Bridge, so even if the nutrias are hiding, the visit is worth it.
If they're not out at Cihelna, head to Střelecký ostrov instead. It's right in the middle of the river off Legion Bridge and one of the most reliable nutria-watching spots in Prague. Grab a bench, get a drink from the riverside bar, and give it a few minutes.
A few things worth knowing:
Don't feed them. Nutrias aren't originally from here. They were brought to Czechoslovakia in the 1920s for fur farming, and when the fur market collapsed, many were released or escaped. With no natural predators, they spread along the rivers and never left. Prague authorities actively discourage feeding them today. They can carry disease and have been known to snap if they feel cornered, so admire them from a distance.
Seeing them isn't guaranteed. They are wild animals. They roam freely, so they might simply be elsewhere along the Vltava River that day.
I've marked both spots, plus 200+ of the best places and hidden gems most tourists never discover, on the map in my Prague City Guide, which also includes ready-to-use itineraries so you're not stuck planning everything yourself.
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Until next time,
David
Time For Prague
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