Prague Secrets and Symbols Tour

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?”

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?

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?

Exiting the castle complex, we will pause at another overlook with a view of the city, from where we will descend 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.

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.

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

We finish the tour 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. Feel free to enter the cafe after the tour and enjoy a beverage or a meal, either inside within its medieval stonework or outside at its patio with a view of the Old Town Square.