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.
Upper Hradčany: from Strahov to Castle Square: audio walk in Prague
Eleven stories at the top of Prague: the saint who came from Magdeburg, the neighbourhood whose name means "burnt", a 140-metre palace that an emperor called a barn, Jan Masaryk's window, the little house from Nazareth that has reached 400 years, the Loreto bells and the poorest street with the most golden names.
What this walk is about
Above the Castle there's another Prague, a quieter one. You start at Strahov Monastery, where a saint who came from the north in the middle of a war lies at rest, and you walk down through a neighbourhood that carries fire in its name. You stand before a palace so long that an emperor made fun of it, and where, centuries later, a minister fell from a window in a way nobody has yet been able to explain. I'll tell you about the bells of Loreto (and, if you're there on the hour, you'll hear them), you'll hear the legend of a Virgin who went back to her friary on her own, and you'll stroll through Nový Svět, where poor families called their houses "golden". You finish in front of the house of a man who survived the window of 1618, a stone's throw from the Castle.
- Start
- The saint who came from the north
- Finish
- The house of the man who fell from a window
- Who it is for
- For another visit, when you want to look beyond the familiar sights. For anyone looking for quiet corners. A walk for anyone curious about twentieth-century history and legends. 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
The saint who came from the north
- 2
A plague church without plague burials
- 3
The neighbourhood called Burnt
- 4
A granary without a door
- 5
The windows of Černín Palace
- 6
The legend of the flying house
- 7
The bells from Amsterdam
- 8
A stubborn Madonna and a letter from the SS
- 9
The house of the crayfish
- 10
A golden street for people without gold
- 11
The house of the man who fell from a window
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
Malá Strana: from the Charles Bridge to the Foot of the Castle
You come down off the bridge into the district that lived at the foot of the Castle and never stopped looking up at it.
Josefov, Prague's Jewish Quarter: the Golem, Memory and Kafka
Josefov was a city within the city, and it very nearly vanished.
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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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.