Czech Republic

Description

On this guided tour, you'll visit the impressive Prague castle at the top of Hradčany Hill and learn about the intriguing 1,100-year-old history of this massive castle and explore its moat and gardens.

The age-old buildings have been designed time and time again using elements from different styles of architecture: Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Rococo, Renaissance, and Neoclassical. Your guide will recount the numerous attacks on the castle structures, from marauding armies to artillery bombardments, or simple deterioration from negligent Austrian Emperors. Their stories will bring the castle to life and engulf you in the country's tumultuous past.

Your tour will also include the more peaceful sections of the estate, such as the Renaissance Ball Game Hall, where active aristocrats played tennis, or the huge Vladislav Hall, designed for indoor jousting tournaments! Walk outside through the Hradčany (Royal Town) and see important historical buildings such as the Domeček (“Little House”), a place where the Gestapo and Communist StB (Secret Police) locked up political opposition, or the Strahov Monastery, which contains an ancient library with over 200,000 works. Your tour ends at the monastic brewery where you can enjoy a rare St. Norbert’s microbrew and revel in a panoramic view of the city and its 100 spires below.