Alchemy and Mysteries of Prague Castle Walking Tour
Description
During this 3-hour night walking tour you will have the chance to see Prague Castle and its surroundings in quiet without the crowds. Hear how scientists and magicians were attracted to Bohemia during the unique reign of Rudolf II, and how alchemy, magic and astronomy have placed an important part in history. Wander through streets filled with legends, including the stories of the Golem and the Devil’s Bible (Codex Gigas) – both featured in Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets. Enjoy the castle grounds and famous ‘Golden Lane’ as you avoid the daytime crowds and distractions, and as night falls enjoy the spectacular views the city has to offer from the largest castle complex in the world. This tour is a mixture of legends and historical facts, taking you to one of Prague’s most enchanting areas.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The tour begins in front of the building Tynska 627/7, Prague 1
Hear about Prague’s alchemists and their noble discipline.
One of the most impressive Prague churches
Rococo building of National Gallery in Prague
One of the most important Czech monuments. Jan Hus became a symbol of dissidence and a symbol of strength against oppressive regimes.
Enjoy the narative about the wasteful lifestyle at the glorious court of Rudolph II. Who financed the extravagant life full of luxury?
Hear the legend of Golem - one of the most famous Prague's legends, a mythical figure that inspired the story of Dan Brown's ''The Secret of Secrets''
Pass by the most impressive part of Jewish Ghetto
See one of the original four faculties of Charles University in Prague and its historical building.
Neo-renaissance Czech culture center
Admire the Charles Bridge by twilight. Top astrologers were consulted by Charles IV. to make the bridge survive centuries. Enjoy the most beautiful panoramic view of Prague Castle, the best location to take a photo of the entire Prague Castle.
Take a tram to the Prague Castle District.
Hear the story of two famous astronomers Jan Kepler and Tycho Brahe. What brought them to Prague during the reign of Rudolf II? Was Tycho Brahe murdered?
Visit the Strahov Monastery, the Library and a brewery where the monks were brewing “Holy beer” devoted to their patron St. Norbert. Listen to dark stories of the Devil´s bible (Codex Gigas) and a stolen treasure by the Swedish army.
The 12th century monastic brewery. You can buy the “Holy beer”
Current Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the history of the building. In front of the building is a place, supposedly the former gate to Hell - is it still accessible? Where are the roots of this legend?
See the exterior of this pilgrimage destination with its precious treasure and listen to the legend of Santa Casa where baby Jesus was born.
The oldest Capuchin monastery in the Czech Republic. The monastery was a thorn in the side of Prague´s Protestants from the start, including Tycho Brahe, whose observatory lay not far from the monastery. What happened next?
See the remainders of baroque ramparts and the only preserved timbered house in the historical part of Prague. Pass by the house where Tycho Brahe lived and worked in the year 1600.
See the monumental Prague Castle at night!
Go and climb up to the centre and stand in the middle… It is possible to project one’s voice like never before.
It is one of the most important buildings besides the Summer Palace for alchemists in Emperor Rudolf’s era.
The highlight of the tour - St. Vitus Cathedral and its construction that lasted 1000 years.
The basilica is the final resting place of St. Ludmila, one of the first Christian martyrs in Bohemia.
See the Golden Lane with its picturesque houses, painted in bright colours, without tourists! Hear the legends of alchemists or famous prisoners residing in here.
Here we can see the late gothic tower, and it’s called Daliborka. It was built as a prison. According to legend, there was once imprisoned a knight named Dalibor of Kozojedy who had revolted against serfdom.
Walk through the oldest vineyards in Prague that was reputedly cultivated by the patron saint of the Czech nation, Duke Wenceslas. The area is exceptional because it is a piece of land in the middle of the city that has been preserved in its original appearance.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This tour does not enter the interior
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Children up to 6 years of age are free of charge
Reviews(250)
I highly recommend the walking tour led by Max, through some very interesting and picturesque sites of Old Prague. Max provided a fascinating account of the history of this beautiful city, and told some riveting stories of alchemists and local legends.
Oliver from Essen was our guide, and he was very knowledgeable of all the history and stories. He did an excellent job! The content of the tour was great. If I had to make any suggestions it would be to build more history of alchemy into the tour so people understand how it shaped Prague, particularly in the time of Brahe and Kepler.
After This Tour I Saw many ghosts and now im scared of Prager.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! It seems our ghosts did their job a little too well. 👻 We appreciate you joining the tour and hope there were plenty of moments you enjoyed along the way. Safe travels, and don't worry—the ghosts usually stay in Prague!
Martin does a great job of delivering entertaining Prague stories that tie into the theme. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. Highly recommend!
Thank you for your kind review! We're delighted to hear that you thoroughly enjoyed the tour and Martin's storytelling!
David was a great guide. He talked about some interesting historical topics, interspersed with top-of-the-head jokes and funny commentary.
Many thanks for your review! We are happy to hear that you had a good time on the tour with David.
Pablo was extremely knowledgeable and very nice. Seeing Prague at the golden hour with no crowds and someone who knew it so well was a real highlight of our trip and his broader insights on Czechia were a major bonus.
Thank you for your feedback :)
Such an amazing tour! A perfect view of some of Prague’s coolest history in only three hours. It ended up as a private tour but Oliver, our guide, was awesome. His stories were well thought out and obviously well researched and his knowledge of the city was impressive. I would definitely recommend this one, especially for lovers of history and evening walks.
Thank you, we are glad you enjoyed the tour with Oliver!
We thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Pavel was knowledgeable not only on the tour subject but any questions we had on prague. We had lots of fun and would recommend it to anyone - whether youve visited prague before or not, you should definitely give this a go! Thankyou again Pavel.
Thank you, we are glad you enjoyed the tour with Pavel!
Paval was a wonderful tour guide and the trip itself was beautiful and informative. Would recommend!
Thank you for your review and recommendation!
We had the pleasure of having Allen as our guide for this 3-hour tour from the Old Town up to the castle. We had problems with the tram and had to slightly modify the tour but this didn’t take anything away from the experience or prevent us from enjoying Allen’s wonderful storytelling. On the contrary, Allen treated us to a slightly longer tour to compensate. Prague castle as the sun sets and with no crowds is simply amazing and the stories mixing historical facts and alchemical legends come alive in such a setting. Definitely recommend! Thanks Allen!
Many thanks for the review, we are glad that you had a great time and enjoyed this tour with Allen!
