DAY 1

ROYAL ROUTE

Prague Castle - Nerudova Street – Lesser Quarter Square – Charles Bridge – Old Town Square – Powder Gate

Prague Castle – long tour

Prague Castle has been the seat of Czech princes, kings, and also presidents in the modern history of the state, since the end of the 9th century. The long tour of Prague’s most significant monument will present to visitors not only the history and structural development of Prague Castle, but also the personalities connected with the castle, and other interesting things. The tour comprises all courtyards, leads around the St Vitus, St Wenceslas and St Adalbert Cathedrals and the Old Royal Palace to Jiřské Square, from where it continues to the Golden Lane and to Opyš. It is also possible to see some of the buildings’ interiors (St Vitus, St Wenceslas and St Adalbert Cathedrals, St George’s Basilica, the Old Royal Palace and others).

Charles Bridge

A walk on the Charles Bridge will present the interesting history of this oldest preserved connecting line between both Prague embankments. Special attention will be given not only to its beautiful sculptural decoration, but also to the Old Town and Lesser Quarter bridge towers.

Old Town Square

Old Town City Hall, the Church of Our Lady before Týn, House at the Stone Bell, Kinský Palace, St Nicholas Church the Jan Hus Memorial can all be found on the square.

Old Town City Hall – seat of Old Town local government

The Old Town City Hall offers two tours. You can climb up the stairs to the Town Hall Tower and enjoy a beautiful view of Prague’s historical centre from a height of almost 70 metres. The second tour will take you through the city hall’s interior (a chapel with apostles, historical halls and a Romanesque-Gothic underground). No less interesting is the city hall’s exterior, dominated by the remarkable Old Town Astronomical Clock.

Powder Gate

A monumental gate leading into the Old Town. The Gothic building dating from 1475 was designed by Matěj Rejsek. It was used as a gunpowder storage facility. At the end of the nineteenth century it was rebuilt into its present form by J. Mocker.

DAY 2

Vyšehrad

Vyšehrad is the very first seat of Czech princes and kings, since the first coronated Czech king, Vratislaus I, lived here. Also Charles IV paid close attention to Vyšehrad as a place connected with the Přemyslid tradition. In the nineteenth century, the Czech National Revival movement sparked interest in this place surrounded with myths. A tour will guide you through all the interesting moments in the history of Vyšehrad, the history and decoration of the capitular Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, significant personalities buried at the Vyšehrad cemetery and other interesting buildings at Vyšehrad. It is also possible to visit casemates, vaults built in the fortification, where the originals of statues from the Charles Bridge are currently being deposited. Several viewing points offer astonishing views over Prague.

Charles Square

The square is surrounded by New Town Hall, the Church of St Ignatius and the Jesuit College, the Faust House and a Czech Technical University building. There are also numerous monuments on the square itself.

Emauzy – The Monastery of Slavic Benedictines

The monastery was founded in 1347 by Charles IV as a part of his plans to unify the Greek Byzantine and Roman Catholic Churches. Benedictines got permission from the Pope to use Old Church Slavonic in Roman liturgical services, and consequently Prague had a monastery with Slavonic liturgy. On a tour through this unique place you can see a cloister with Gothic paintings, a Baroque refectory, imperial chapel and Church of Our Lady.

Evening walk on Petřín

The walk starts at the funicular that will transport you to the top of Petřín hill. An evening atmosphere may inspire you to visit the local mirror maze or the Petřín observation tower from which you can enjoy unforgettable views of our capital.

DAY 3

Strahov Monastery

A large complex of monastery buildings belonging to the religious order of Premonstratensians was established by prince Vladislav II and Olomouc bishop Jindřich Zdík in 1140. The monastery acquired its current form during early Gothic and especially Baroque reconstructions. Places of interest in the monastery include the Convent (Cloister, Romanesque Halls, Chapter Hall, Winter Refectory), Strahov Gallery (a collection of Czech and European paintings from Gothic to Romanticism), the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady and historical halls of Strahov Library.

Martinic Palace and its surroundings

The tour will tell you more about this exceptionally well-preserved monument of Renaissance architecture, its original sgraffiti decoration, late Renaissance painted ceilings and frescos. In the palace, there is a museum of musical machines, a unique collection of orchestrions, barrel organs, gramophones, musical boxes and other rare items from the 1870-1940 period.

St Nicholas Cathedral in Lesser Quarter

The cathedral, whose robust dome and slim tower form an indispensable part of the Prague panorama, is one of Europe’s foremost Baroque buildings. It was built in the first half of the eighteenth century and was designed by architects Christoph and Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer with the contribution of many other outstanding Baroque artists.

Troja Castle with garden

The Troja Castle is one of the most significant Baroque castles of the seventeenth century. The Count of Sternberg invited excellent European artists to build and decorate the castle. The main hall is connected to the garden with a monumental staircase with statues of antique gods fighting the Titans. The castle is surrounded by a large French garden.