Prague Secrets and Symbols ( Dan Brown inspired ) Tour

5.0 (49 reviews) 3 h 33 min Free cancellation

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49 reviews

5.0

Prague Secrets and Symbols ( Dan Brown inspired ) Tour — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Prague Secrets and Symbols ( Dan Brown inspired ) Tour, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Inspired by Dan Brown's latest novel, The Secret of Secrets, this tour takes you on a walk from PRAGUE CASTLE, across CHARLES BRIDGE, and to the OLD TOWN Square, stopping at many of the locations mentioned in the book, while learning more about this magical city.

Passion, knowledge, and charisma, 10 years of experience as a guide in Prague, a vast awareness of European history, as well as friendly interaction and banter.

Half-day Tours Private and Luxury Cultural Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours Culture Small Group Excellent Quality

At a glance

Duration: 3 h 33 min
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 12 people
People per booking: 1–12
Guide: English
Written guide: English
Operated by: George

Ages: Infants (1–4 years) · Children (5–12 years) · Youth (13–18 years) · Adults (19–64 years) · Seniors (65–100 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Tour commentary from the guide

Itinerary

Prague Castle

30 min

The tour starts at Prague Castle, where we will cross a deep moat and walk through the courtyards. But what is the history of alchemy and symbology as it was once practised within these walls? Thereafter we will pause outside the main gates ( Matthias Gate ) and enjoy a breathtaking view of the city. Remember when Robert Langdon asked, ‟What is the most common religious symbol?”
St. Vitus Cathedral

15 min

Afterwards we will return to the castle complex ( the largest ancient castle in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records ) and admire St. Vitus Cathedral. You will see dozens of gargoyles, monsters perched along the higher levels of the Neo-Gothic cathedral, but do you know why these creatures were placed there?

Along its facade, you will see the reliefs of Christian figures, including the crucifiction. But there are four figures which are anachronistic to the others. Can you spot them? Do you know whom they represent?
Old Royal Palace

15 min

We will observe the Gothic facade of Vladislav Hall ( where Catherine Solomon made her groundbreaking presentation ). But what other precipitous historical event happened at this very place? What were its ramifications?
Nerudova

15 min

Exiting the castle complex, we will pause at another overlook with a view of the city, from where we will descend along the beautiful NERUDOVA street, and catch a glimpse of the ALCHEMIST HOTEL as well as the AMERICAN embassy.

the long and deep Old Castle Stairs, arriving at the Lesser Quarter - a metaphorical descent from the sphere of thoughts to the realm of reality.
St Nicholas Church

10 min

We will gaze aloft at St. Nicholas church, the most exquisite Baroque church in Prague, where once a congregation of music lovers gathered for the performance of a tear-jerking, heart-breaking Requiem ( a funeral mass ) written by a beloved young composer who died just before he could finish it. Do you know who this composer was?
Waldstein Garden

30 min

We will walk through this lush Baroque garden where we will be mesmerized by the beautiful peacocks who make it their home, and observe the eerie Dripstone Wall, which some say is the image of hell and, if one looks close enough, one might make out the faces of beasts and demons. How many will you spot?

Please note that the Waldstein garden is closed during winter, in which case we will walk an alternate route via the winding cobblestone streets of the Lesser Quarter.
Charles Bridge

25 min

Walking through the lively town square of the Lesser Town, we will arrive at Charles Bridge ( where Robert Langdon first saw the woman in black, who was wearing a spiked tiara and holding a silver spear ). But what was the mystical vision behind its construction by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV, and why did he move the capital to the city of Prague?

NOTE: March - October the tour crosses MANESUV bridge, which allows for a beautiful vista of the CHARLES BRIDGE, from a distance.
Stop 8

25 min

Crossing the river, we will walk through the courtyards of the Clementinum, where we will gaze up at the tower from where famed astronomers of the XVI century observed the stars ( and wherein is the Czech National Library, where Robert Langdon went to research ). Did you know there is a legend that tells of a treasure that is buried somewhere within the Clementinum?
Black Angel's Bar In Prague

5 min

The tour passes outside the Dark Angels cafe, another location from the novel, where the Golem descends to its underground Gothic foundations to search for information that he needs.
Old Town Hall with Astronomical Clock

15 min

Every hour, hundreds of visitors gather below this Gothic clock-tower to watch it come to life. But what is the symbolism of the moving statuettes? And what made this clockwork so cutting-edge? And what is the legend of the clock-smith who built this mechanism, who died of sorrow when he later destroyed it?
Kinsky Palace

10 min

Protruding into the Old Town square, this lavish Baroque palace was the scenario where Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon kissed for the first time. Across a narrow alley from Kinsky Palace, stands the fairy-tale evoking church of our Lady Before Tynska. Here, early in the XV century, Bohemians began to express their frustration with the Pope and the Catholic church, sowing the seeds of a disagreement that would lead to a betrayal, an execution, and a war that would ravage the land for fifteen years. But what is it that the Bohemians demanded? And what was the symbol of their demand, which can still be seen on the church’s facade to this day?
Prague Jewish Quarter

15 min

Walking into the Jewish Quarter, we will arrive at the Old New Synagogue, where it is said the remains of a man of clay, who had been brought to life with ancient spells, are buried within one of its walls, to this day. This was the Golem (after which, the mysterious villain of The Secret of Secrets named himself). Do you know how, in the legends, the rabbi who created the Golem, was able to undo what he had done, after the Golem had gone berserk?