A magnet for generations of artists, writers, scientists, and composers, Prague is famous for its dynamic energy and elegant ambiance (and the beers here are pretty amazing too). A thousand years of architecture, from ornate Gothic to fanciful postmodern, has been beautifully preserved.
Choose between:
Prague Old Town & Castle District
After breakfast, begin a magical tour of the city of Prague. Prague enjoyed a golden age in the 14th century, under the rule of Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, and many of the buildings in the UNESCO-designated city core date to that era.
Prague Castle dates back even earlier. Construction on the oldest parts of the complex began in the 9th century. A drive across the Vltava River (you might know the Vltava as the Moldau, the namesake of the beautiful tone poem by beloved Czech composer Bedřich Smetana) brings you to the sprawling complex of towers, halls, cathedrals, courtyards, and houses, where kings, emperors, and presidents have had their offices for almost a millennium. Step down from the motorcoach and walk inside the castle's protective walls, taking in the Gothic structure of St. Vitus Cathedral, which took 600 years to build, and Vladislav Hall, whose intricate stone-vaulting system was one of the most advanced engineering feats of the late Middle Ages.
After visiting St. Vitus Cathedral and the Old Royal Palace, you can choose between re-boarding the motorcoach for a ride back to the hotel or continuing your guided walk through the picturesque Lesser Quarter to Charles Bridge, one of the city's most famous landmarks. The walking tour ends in Old Town Square, which is surrounded by majestic buildings, including the Church of Our Lady before Týn and Prague's City Hall, which boasts a famous medieval astronomical clock.
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Hradčany Castle Visit
Get an overview of the city with a panoramic tour that carries you along the banks of the Vltava River past such sites as Prague Castle, Queen Anne’s Summer Palace, and the St. Agnes Convent.
Step off the coach to see the lofty St. Vitus Cathedral, which took 600 years to finish, and Vladislav Hall, whose complex stone-vaulting system was one of the most advanced engineering feats of the late Middle Ages. Then take a stroll through Golden Lane, a street of quaint cottages where Prague's 17th-century goldsmiths lived (alas, there's no truth to the legend that it was named for the royal alchemists).
Here you may reboard the motorcoach for a ride back to the hotel or head out for some free time in the Old Town Square. This was the original market square; the buildings that surround it form a case study in Prague's architectural history. You'll find Prague's most famous Gothic church, Our Lady Before Týn, there, along with the 14th century Old Town Hall (which boasts a famous medieval astronomical clock), the beautiful baroque St. Nicholas, the rococo Kinský Palace and a group of Renaissance houses.
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Prague's Old Jewish Quarter
Situated amid Prague’s Old Town is the best-preserved complex of historical Jewish monuments in all of Europe. The site of the former Jewish ghetto, the Jewish Quarter is home to the Jewish Museum in Prague, comprised of six synagogues, as well as the Jewish Ceremonial Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery. This area escaped destruction during the Holocaust by becoming the planned site of a Nazi museum, and consequently also housed stolen Jewish artifacts from all over Europe. Visit this district with your guide to see some of the oldest preserved Jewish monuments on the continent and learn about the community’s turbulent past.
