Prague Full-Day Private Walking Tour with Lunch and Boat Trip

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Prague Castle, Hradcany, Prague 11908 Czech Republic

Prague Castle, the largest castle complex in the world, is a highlight of any tour of Prague. This stunning architectural achievement, which took centuries to complete, reigns supreme from a hill above the rest of the city. The Castle, founded in 870, is also the seat of the Czech president. Dominating the complex is the breathtaking, mostly Gothic Saint Vitus’ Cathedral, which took a staggering 1,000 years to build. Under Emperor Charles IV, Prague Castle was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. During darker days, Adolf Hitler occupied it.In rosier times, first democratic president Tomáš G. Masaryk and dissident-playwright-turned president Václav Havel ran the country from here.

Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Charles Bridge, Karluv Most, Prague 11000 Czech Republic

The Charles Bridge is arguably the most beautiful gothic bridge in the world. Commissioned by King Charles IV, Holy Roman Emporer and King of Bohemia, the bridge has served as an essential link between Prague’s Old Town and the Lesser Quarter and Prague Castle, for hundreds of years. The bridge features 30 saintly Baroque statues, mostly made of sandstone and added in the 18th century. Most of the statues you see today are replicas. The first statue to be erected on the Charles Bridge is made of bronze. This is the statue of St. John of Nepomuk, the patron saint of Bohemia. According to legend John of Nepomuk refused to reveal the confessions of the wife of King Wenceslas IV, and was thrown off the side of the bridge to his death. On that same night, five stars appeared in the sky above the place of his death, which is why there is always a five-starred halo above any statue of St. John of Nepomuk.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Old Town Hall with Astronomical Clock, StaromEstske NamEsti 1/3, Prague 110 00 Czech Republic

The impressive Old Town Hall, with a 60-meter tower at one end, was built in 1338. On its earthy orange façade stand out a Renaissance window from 1520, the inscription Praga Caput Regni and the Old Town coat-of-arms. Crowds gather on the hour to watch the 15th century astronomical clock, as Death tips an hour glass and rings a bell before the 12 apostles march by, the cock crows and another bell rings. Notice Apostle Paul’s sword and book. The complex works also show the time of sunrise and sunset, the position of the moon and the distance of the Earth from the Sun.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: New Town, Prague Czech Republic

History seeps through the New Town, as many of the country’s most significant events happened in this district that was almost three times as big as the Old Town at its creation, then measuring about 620 acres in area. Founded by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV in 1348, the New Town was supposed to be the Jerusalem of Eastern Europe. Perhaps the most famous sight is the 820-yard long Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square), which now flaunts businesses, shops and hotels. Established as a horse market in the 14th century, the square crosses the total width of the New Town and boasts Classicist, Art Nouveau and Neo-Gothic facades, to name a few of the many styles represented there. Wenceslas Square has been the site of many significant events in Czech history. Imagine philosophy student Jan Palach setting fire to himself in January of 1969 on the steps of the National Museum. Listen to the rumble of the Soviet tanks passing through the square as the Soviets crush the Prague Spring in August of 1968. Try to envision the crowds that gathered here during the large demonstration on the 20th anniversary of Palach’s death. Go back in time, when the square was bursting with 300,000 demonstrators every evening during the November 1989 Velvet Revolution.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Lesser Town, Malostranske Namesti Praha 1, Prague 11800 Czech Republic

Prague’s Lesser Quarter has had an interesting past. The area, located below Prague Castle and extending along the Vltava River, was originally a series of small settlements outside the castle fortifications. At that time, the population was mostly ethnic German, merchants who had been invited by King Přemysl Otakar II. The town was ravaged by fire in a Hussite battle in 1419, then again in the fire of 1541, which also damaged St. Vitus’ Cathedral. In the year 1257, these settlements were consolidated, and a separate royal town was formed. Originally called Malé Město Pražské (Prague Lesser Town), the name eventually changed to Malá Strana (Lesser Quarter). The quarter houses many magnificent buildings once owned by the nobility, such as Valdštejn (Wallenstein) palace.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: John Lennon Wall, Velkoprevorske namesti Mala Strana, Prague 11800 Czech Republic

The visitor to Prague who wanders the small streets near the river in the Malá Strana district may turn a corner and discover a long wall covered in graffiti. These days, it can be difficult to tell at first what the purpose is. Upon closer examination, the scrawls and paintings come together, and it is clear that this is a tribute to John Lennon. Graffiti started appearing on this wall (the property of the Knights of the Maltese Cross) during the Communist era. The Beatles, and Lennon, had a wide following in the former Czechoslovakia, and when news of Lennon’s death in 1980 reached the country, some of these fans were determined to pay tribute to him. This was no small task; Western music was banned at the time, and the fans risked imprisonment for openly stating their admiration for John Lennon.

Duration: 10 minutes