Černý Most is one of the most important transport hubs in Prague. It is the terminus of metro line B (see Černý Most Metro Station) and one of the busiest bus stations in Prague for long distance, regional as well as local traffic. There are also park and ride (P+R) facilities and several large stores.
Location and Directions
Černý Most is situated on the north-eastern edge of the city, near the junctions of Prague’s circular motorway (D0) with two other motorways (D10/E65 to Liberec and D11/E67 to Hradec Králové). Černý Most is also the name of the district which lies mostly to the south and south-west from the station. You can see the station’s location on the map below.
Getting from City Centre to Černý Most
When travelling from the centre to Černý Most, the directions are very easy – you just need to get onto the yellow metro line (B) and make sure you go in the right direction. Černý Most is the terminus. Some trains may terminate earlier (usually Českomoravská station) – if this happens, just wait for the next train, which will almost always go all the way to Černý Most.
Getting from Černý Most to City Centre
The travel from Černý Most to Prague city centre (Florenc, Wenceslas Square, Old Town) takes approximately 20-25 minutes. Intervals between trains range from 2 minutes in the morning and afternoon peaks to 10 minutes late in the evening and on weekends.
The next station after Černý Most is Rajská Zahrada (which means Paradise Garden – basically lots of concrete high rise buildings). Unlike in the city centre and most other parts of Prague, the metro goes on the surface between these two stations, although it is hidden in a tube. There is a publicly accessible pathway on the top of the metro tube, which you can use to walk from one station to the other.
Černý Most Bus Station
Černý Most bus station is primarily designed for buses to destinations to the north and east of Prague. It benefits from the location directly at start of two major motorways – the D10 to Liberec and the D11 to Hradec Králové. Both cities are among the most important bus destinations, besides smaller cities and towns like Mladá Boleslav (the headquarters of Škoda Auto car manufacturer), Jičín or Trutnov.
From a tourist’s perspective Černý Most is the bus station for travel to Krkonoše (the highest Czech mountains with several ski resorts), Jizerské hory (the area where the famous Jizerská 50 skiing race takes place), or Český ráj (which means Czech Paradise – a beautiful area full of sandstone rocks and castle ruins).
Platform Locations
The platforms for bus departures are situated one level below the metro arrivals platform, right in front of the metro exit. There are numbered bus stands, with the main destinations listed on big signs at each stand, plus on a large summary information panel.
The arrivals stand is on the other side of the metro tracks, so you exit the bus and the metro departure platform is right in front of you. There are vending machines to buy metro tickets at the entrance.
Bus Timetables
Detailed bus timetables can also be found at individual bus stands, but the best way to search domestic bus connections (as well as trains and local city transport) is on this website:
https://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlakyautobusymhdvse/spojeni/
(the English language link is in the bottom right corner of the search block)
Bus Tickets
Note that some buses from Černý Most can be overcrowded or fully booked at busy times, particularly on Friday afternoons and on lines to the mountains. Some will take passenger for standing, but some won’t. While advance booking is usually not needed on most domestic Czech buses (you pay to the driver), it is advisable to make an advance reservation when travelling out of Prague on Friday afternoons. You can buy tickets for most long-distance services directly at Černý Most or other Prague bus stations (Florenc, Na Knížecí, Roztyly, Zličín), or online:
amsbus.cz – covers most bus companies
jizdenky.regiojet.cz – for the yellow Regiojet (Student Agency) buses from Černý Most to Liberec or Hradec Králové (as well as other Regiojet services)
Černý Most Shopping Centre
Černý Most is also one of Prague’s largest shopping areas. The flagship shopping centre is Centrum Černý Most, which has a large supermarket and a variety of fashion, electronics and other stores. But this shopping centre is only a small part of the stores in the immediate surroundings of Černý Most station. One of Prague’s two IKEA stores is here, as well as relatively newer XXX Lutz, which is a similar, perhaps somehow less cheap concept. There are also several home and garden stores, mostly located on the other side, across the wide road opposite the bus arrivals platform.
If you are waiting for a bus from Černý Most and want to kill some time, the best place is probably Centrum Černý Most, which also has a number of restaurants. The path may not be obvious immediately, because it is behind another building. Basically, when you exit the metro (arrival) platform, turn left and you will see the store shortly. Or ask someone. Alternatively, if you want to visit the IKEA, there is a free shuttle bus from the bus station (departures stand number 12).
Černý Most Housing Estate
Besides being a regional and long-distance bus hub, the metro station serves a densely populated area, primarily the Černý Most housing estate. From the station you can see lots of concrete high rise buildings, the kind that is typical for Prague and other Czech (and east European) cities. They are called panelák in Czech (panel means the same as in English, here it refers to concrete panels). That said, the paneláky in Černý Most are younger than in most similar areas in Prague. The first part of the housing estate was established in late 1970’s, but the last was not finished until 1992 – three years after the communist regime ended. The metro station was only opened in 1998.
Name and Pronunciation
Černý Most, which means Black Bridge in Czech, is pronounced like cher-nee most. The “che” is pronounced like in the English word “Czech”. The “nee” is pronounced like the English word “knee”. The “most” is not pronounced long like in the English word “most”, but short like in the word “lost” or “cost”.
When travelling through the bus and metro station, you won’t see an actual bridge here, although the origin of the name relates to one – a nearby railway bridge, which had gradually turned black from the smoke from passing trains.
Hotels near Černý Most Station
Černý Most is mainly a residential (and shopping) area, which besides the bus station is not targeted at tourists. Accommodation options are very limited here and most people will prefer to stay closer to the city centre. Good areas to stay on metro line B between the centre and Černý Most are particularly around Vysočanská, Českomoravská and Palmovka metro stations (approximately halfway), and then of course Florenc (9 metro stops from Černý Most, which is a very popular hotel district with everything from hostels to 5 star hotels.