podtour
Prague Castle: Kings, Astronomers and Prisoners
Prague Castle has been ruling from the hilltop for a thousand years, and this walk tells you what went on inside its walls.
Malá Strana: from the Charles Bridge to the Foot of the Castle: audio walk in Prague
Twelve stories from the bridge to Nerudova: an Armenian coffee house, a president who had breakfast with dissidents, the back-to-front church, the Infant Jesus of Prague, the fire of 1541, a conspiracy and Mozart's funeral with someone else's music.
What this walk is about
You come down off the bridge into the district that lived at the foot of the Castle and never stopped looking up at it. Here a craftsman sold feathers and an Armenian served coffee; here Havel had breakfast with the President of France. And from a tower, under the communist regime, the secret police kept watch on the embassies. You'll see the church that was turned round, hear where the Infant Jesus of Prague came from and the story of two friends who went to Jerusalem together and ended up on opposite sides, the fire of 1541 and the evening of the 1618 conspiracy. You finish in Nerudova, where houses had names before they had numbers.
- Start
- Three ostriches and a coffee
- Finish
- Houses before house numbers
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. A walk for devotees of the Infant Jesus of Prague, and the curious. A walk for anyone curious about the 20th century and espionage. You don’t need any prior knowledge.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in level. There are cobbles or uneven surfaces. The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
Three ostriches and a coffee
- 2
A half-built church and returning knights
- 3
Chalk against the regime
- 4
Breakfast with the wrong person
- 5
A church turned the other way round
- 6
The hands of the Infant Jesus
- 7
Two friends on opposite sides
- 8
The tower that kept watch
- 9
Two hours of fire
- 10
The afternoon before the fall
- 11
A requiem he didn't write
- 12
Houses before house numbers
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Prague, before you go
Prague is a city of cobbled squares, bridges and a hill your legs will notice. Group walks by riverbank and leave room to stop: looking is part of the journey.
More walks nearby
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
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A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.