Best of Prague Private Walking Tour (Left and Right Riverbank)

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.

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.

St. Nicholas Church is the most beautiful Baroque church in Prague and dominant of the Liitle Quarter. W.A.Mozart liked to practise on the organ here because of excellent acustics.

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.

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. Charles Bridge provides some of the most beautiful views of Prague´s historical center.

Founded as a Jesuit collage the Klementinum is home to the National Library and many valuable collections of books can be found here.

Built in the 16th century the Pinkas Synagogue is part of the Jewish Museum and its walls are covered with names of Jews who perished during second world war. The synagogue also provides entrance to the famous Old Jewish Cemetery.

The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest serving synagogue in Europe. Completed in 1270 in gothic style, it was one of Prague's first gothic buildings.

The Old Town Square is probably the most famous square in Prague surrounded by ancient palaces and churches. Many decisive events of the country took place here.

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.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart enjoyed visiting Prague and he chose the Estates Theatre for the wold premier of his opera Don Giovanni which he conducted himself in October 1787.

The emperor Charles IV founded the Charles University in 1348. It is the oldest university in the country and one of the oldest universities in Europe.

Wenceslas Square is part of the New Town founded by emperor Charles IV in 1348. Originally called the Horse Market, the Wenceslas Square witnessed many decisive events, e.g. the Velvet revolution in 1989 which put down the Communist regime.

The Powder Tower, also known as Powder Gate, is a Gothic tower which serves as a gateway to the Medieval Royal Route, and is currently one of the most iconic buildings of Prague.

The Municipal House (Obecni dum) in Prague was built at the place of the former Royal Court in 1912 to celebrate the Czech nation. This representative building belongs, for its famous concert hall and beautiful decorations, among the jewels of Prague architecture.