Prague walking tours pdf

The fountain was added to the square in , but was replaced with a replica in after the original fell into disrepair. The picture-perfect scene in Little Square is a great preview what you will see later on this Old Town Prague walking tour. Little Square is said to be the oldest inhabited part of Prague with homes going back to the s. The square gained its final layout in the s ringed with narrow Gothic houses which grew into larger Renaissance buildings over years later.

To this day, many of the building still have Romanesque cellars dating back to the early Middle Ages. Our favorite building on Little Square is the stunning V. Rott House which boasts a beautiful full building mural facade depicting various Medieval tradespeople. The 4-story home was built in by Ladislav Rott who along with his brother Julius started a successful iron working and construction company.

Previous to the Rott House, the lot was the site of an older home from the s called At the Three White Roses, which was named after the 3 wealthy sisters that once lived there.

The blue White Lion building next to the Rott House is also from the s, but has an excellent Gothic doorway dating back to the s. There has been a formal fountain above the well since the s and the well preserved gilded iron gate wrapping around it was handmade in For another look into the past, make sure to look at some of the icons above the doorways which were used to identify the building of Little Square in Medieval times.

The figures were significant at the time because not many people could read. These Medieval icons will be a reoccurring theme on this free Prague walking tour. In a third floor was added to the house, and it received a complete Renaissance makeover including the fantastic Sgraffito etchings. Back then the building was known as the White Lion House and later served as a pharmacy until By the late s, the beautiful Lion statue holding a shield placed on the corner of the home which still survives today.

The shield once displayed the Habsburg coats of arts, however, any painting on it has long since faded. Minute, in this case, means very small as in My-Nute not the measure of time Minute. At some point after the name change, the Sgraffito etchings were covered up with plaster and were not re-discovered until renovations in While the facade is the main attraction today, the House At The Minute is most famous for being the childhood home to local author Franz Kafka and his family from ages of 6 to 13 to These types of characters were easy for people to identify with changing the landscape of early 20th Century writing and leading to the term Kafkaesque for roles like this.

Today the bottom floor of the former mansion holds the Ristorante Italiano Al Minuto website. On the opposite side of the road from the House At the Minute is a row of other interesting homes with Medieval names we will touch on at the end of this free Prague walking tour. While it can be tempting to trot right to the center of the square like a moth to a light, make sure to take the time to take in the classic view.

Old Town Square has been the heart and soul of Prague long before the city was officially founded in AD. For maybe the most unique perspective of the the entrance to Old Town Square, consider visiting the street-level patio or rooftop terrace restaurant website of the fancy Hotel U Prince website. During the evenings and weekends, you will want to make a reservation for the terrace as the views over the rooftops is amazing.

The hotel also has a famous underground cave-like bar called the Black Angel website which is worth a visit. The historic bar is only open from 5pm-3am, must dress in smart casual attire no hats , and reservations are highly suggested. The main building and foot-tall bell tower were finished relatively quickly, but the real gem is the Astronomical Clock which was added to the in Surprisingly the beautiful clock still works making it the oldest operational clock in the World and overall the 3rd oldest astronomical clock.

Local folklore says that the city ordered the original clock maker blinded so the beauty of the clock could never be copied anywhere else. The elements of the Astronomical Clock may look confusing, but each one has a particular function. The main part added in was the Astronomical Dial which shows the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky with a mechanical clock in the center of it.

This dial will let you tell the current time modern hour clock , ancient Bohemian time, sunrise, sunset, and much more. The 2nd element added to the clock was The Walk of the Apostles in the s which is filled with animated statues replaced in that come alive once an hour peeking through the window.

This hourly show also features a few side statues including Vanity staring at himself in the mirror, a miser with gold representing greed, a Turkish man bringing entertainment, and Death is represented by a skeleton chiming his bell with the sounds from the tower. The last major element on the Astronomical Clock is the Calendar Dial added in The center of the dial has the crest of Old Town Prague surrounded by the 12 Zodiac symbols pre version lining up with the days they fall on laying on the outer ring with has marks for each day of the year.

These individual days are each marked as Name Days and on your day you are given gifts similar to celebrating a birthday. One of the biggest treats is going to the top of the foot-tall Bell Tower for an unbeatable view of Old Town Prague. Even if you take the stairs, make sure to check out the modern looking Space Elevator going right up the middle of the bell tower. You can also tour the surprisingly vast Underground of Old Town Hall for a totally different perspective on the building.

Here you will find previous Town Hall foundations that have been built over and even a Romanesque Hall room from the s. Cost is CZK. Underground Hours : Monday 11ampm; Tuesday-Sunday 9ampm. Cost is 50 CZK. The original split was largely due to Jan Hus protesting the church to preach in the local language instead of Latin.

Major conflicts started to arise in the s when the Catholic Church tried to conquer much of Europe during the 30 Years War. Ferdinand even moved the capital of the Holy Roman Empire from Vienna to Prague and started to crack down on religious freedom.

Empowered by a growing citizens revolt in , forty-seven Czech Noblemen gathered their forces of over 30, men to fight off Emperor Ferdinand II.

In the aftermath of the Battle of White Mountain the region was put under tighter Hapsburg rule, forced to return to Catholicism, and the 47 rebel noblemen we put on trial.

With the Protestant noblemen out of the way, the Habsburgs took greater control of Prague and most of the surrounding farmland. The Habsburg rule over Prague lasted almost years , but with the influence waning, a Memorial Park was created in the Old Town Square honoring the 27 executed noblemen in The Memorial holds a plaque with the names of the noblemen, as well as white crosses in the pavement for each one of them.

The entirety of the more traditional tree-filled park next to the crosses was where the massive main hall of the Medieval Old Town Hall sat before it was bombed in WW2. The older of the two churches is in the heart of Lesser Town below Prague Castle, and the slightly younger one was constructed here as part of the Benedictine Monastery in The Krenn House built in was torn down in opening up views of the green dome and twin towers of the large Church of Saint Nicolas.

While it is impressive on the outside, the once grand interior of the Old Town Saint Nicholas Church is now a little boring. The original Baroque interior elements were stripped when the Jesuits were forced out of Prague in the s and today is full of a series of painted murals.

In contrast, the Saint Nicholas Church in Lesser Town has retained much of its original glorious Baroque interior and is far more impressive inside. If you are into the Jewish history of Prague, make sure the check of the Kafka Cafe next to the church which was once the home and birthplace of author Franz Kafka. Franz wrote a number of successful short stories while living in Prague about characters living under oppression and was considered one of the most influential authors of the 20th century.

We also have a very helpful Jewish Quarter walking tour map which you can follow for a deeper look into the history of the nearby Jewish Neighborhood after you are done in Old Town. Born in , Jan Hus quickly became a local religious leader in Prague. He started butting heads with the Vatican in Rome when he began doing Catholic mass in the local language instead of in Latin which started the Protestant movement in Prague called the Hussite Movement in his honor.

Finding him guilty of being a heretic by the Catholic church in , Jan Hus was burned alive at the steak and the Protestants were sent on exile from Prague which lasted over years. Roughly years after his death, Jan Hus helped to inspire Martin Luther as he broke his group of followers off into the Lutheran sect of Protestantism. The memorial has a statue of an anonymous young woman representing the rebirth of the Czech Nation. The other statue on the monument is of Jan Hus representing moral authority as he chose to give his life rather than give up his beliefs.

Hus became a symbol of standing up to the powerful Vatican and by the earlys young people of Prague really began to embrace him again as they were standing up to their oppressive Habsburgs rulers. The fancy looking pink mansion was built by Count J. Goltz on the foundation of an older Medieval building in The original foundation can be seen in the Romanesque and Gothic cellars which have been restored and opened to the public. In exchange for the peace, locals had to accept Catholicism and give up some religious freedoms.

Capped with a statue of the Virgin Mary, the column was so tall that it was quickly turned into a large sundial. As part of this dial, foot-long line in the pavement called the Prague Meridian was added from the base of the Mary Column toward the North and was tipped with a golden marker.

The concept of celestial noon may seem foreign now, but back in Medieval times, people kept track of time more by the daylight hours instead of a standardized clock. Both the night time and daylight hours were divided into 12 hours, but the length of those hours was adjusted based on the season. No matter the time for year, Noon always fell halfway through daylight and Midnight was actually at midnight. Local citizens became frustrated by almost years of Habsburg rule and viewed the column as a symbol of oppression.

The situation boiled over in when demonstrators tore the Mary Column down, but an outline of the base and the Meridian line can still be seen in the pavement of Old Town Square. Built in the well preserved 12th Century cellars of the former Golden Unicorn House, the atmosphere of the restaurant is awesome.

This contribution allows our guides to continue doing what they love. During our tours, the professional guides will show you all the important monuments and the history behind them. We will also take the time to show you some of the more local side of the city so you can have a glimpse into the life of a local living in Prague. A free tour is a tour for which we charge you nothing upfront. Yes, tours can get fully booked.

We keep our tours at a reasonable size so that the tour is enjoyable for all travelers. The sooner the better! Most people like to join the tour early in their stay. This gives you the chance to ask your guide for further recommendations, so you can find out about all of the best things to do in Prague.

On the steps of the Rudolfinum, on Jan Palach Square. Prague in One Day Sightseeing Tour. Tourists flock to Prague for its storybook flair and Bohemian allure; they stay in the city for its colorful history, striking architecture, thriving nightlife, fascinating festivals, welcoming people, and the famous Czech beer. Thanks to its highly efficient public transport system, Prague is one of the most navigable cities in Europe. The Prague Metro covers all areas in the city center and parts of the suburbs.

It is easy to get around the famous attractions of the city, especially if you have the Prague metro map. Find the best routes to your desired destination using the Prague Transport Map. This map allows you to discover the city at your pace. Dedicate an entire day wandering the Prague Castle, admire the medieval buildings and the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Hall, or unwind at the spa town of Carlsbad. Plan your trip well with the help of the Prague Tourist Sightseeing Map, so you can fully enjoy your stay in the city.

Prague is crisscrossed by narrow cobbled lanes that may lead to hidden courtyards, quaint cafes, or old-fashioned pubs. It is these unexpected treasures that make Prague a wonderland for the purposeless wanderer. Take out your walking shoes and roam around the city to get a feel of the local life. Whatever you fancy, the Prague Walking Tour Maps have something to offer you.