Medieval Prague Through a Nightwatchman’s Eyes
Description
Prague, 1633. The gates lock at dusk. The streets belong to one man with a halberd, a lantern, and zero patience for curfew breakers. Three centuries later, he's still out there — and tonight, he's letting you tag along. Walk Prague's Old Town after dark with a guide in full 17th-century nightwatchman costume. Over 90 minutes, hear the true story of 27 executions on Old Town Square in 1621, stand where Mozart's Don Giovanni had its world premiere, and learn medieval fire safety rules that somehow involve mandatory beer. The tour ends with the nightwatchman's traditional horn call — loud, sudden, and unforgettable. This is history with character, not a guidebook recited aloud. Real stories, real locations, real cobblestones underfoot, and a guide who takes his 400-year-old job disturbingly seriously. Small groups. Available in English, German and Portuguese. Suitable for all ages.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your Nightwatchman outside one of Prague’s 13 original city gates. Learn about the halberd (two metres, multipurpose: boars, intruders, Habsburgers - as needed), the duties of the night watch, and why Prague’s city walls were 10—12 metres high with a killing ground in between. Also: a brief but sincere warning about cutpurses, pickpockets and electric scooters - the unholy trinity of Old Town hazards, then and now.
Prague’s oldest market, trading since the 13th century. Find out why being called a “Pfeffersack” was a compliment and what medieval food actually tasted like (answer: commitment).
Find out why a young composer from Salzburg chose Prague for the premiere of his greatest work. The Estates Theatre has barely changed since 1787. Our nightwatchman’s opinion of Mozart has also barely changed.
We pass by the first middle european university.
One of Europe’s most stunning squares - and in 1633, the city’s main meat market. Learn why Prague was known as the City of the Hanged, then stand at the crosses in the cobblestones - the exact spot where 27 Protestant leaders met a very bad morning on 21 June 1621. Full account of how a public execution worked in 17th century Prague. Informative. Detailed. Not for the faint-hearted.
Meet the man who challenged papal authority, gathered thousands of followers, refused to recant - and was burned at the stake in 1415 for his trouble. Martin Luther later said “we were all Hussites without knowing it.” Our nightwatchman has a survival tip. It involves breathing.
We introduce one of the oldest churches we can find nowadays, the Tyn church from 1368.
Step into the shadow of one of Prague’s most atmospheric landmarks - and meet Alexandr Schamsky, the 28-year-old doctor who stayed when the plague arrived in 1713 and almost everyone else fled. Hear who left first, who left second, and what the official plague survival advice of 1713 actually was. Garlic features prominently.
End at Prague’s most iconic landmark. Hear the full story of Karl IV, receive your plague survival guidance, and witness the ceremonial blowing of the horn - as nightwatchmen once used to warn the entire city of danger. Tonight it will warn Charles Bridge. Group photo with Prague Castle glowing across the river or the statue of Charles IV watching over proceedings. Just as he always has.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Reviews(311)
The best night watchman tour I have attended so far. Night watchman David showed us the city with a lot of humor and told us many interesting things. Next time, I would like to do the tour with the plague doctor.
Gott zum Gruße, Vielen Dank für diese tolle Bewertung. Wir freuen uns, euch demnächst bei unserer Tour mit dem Pestarzt besuchen zu dürfen. Eure Nachtwächter und Pestärzte von Prag.
Tom rocks, a natural actor. He really drew us into the history and period as we walked the magical streets during golden hour until sundown.
Hi John, Thansk so much for your kind review. Glad to hear that you enjoyed the emdieval walk through old twon with your nightwatchman Thomas. Your plague doctors and nightwatchmen of Prague
A nice way to learn about the history of Prague. The tour guide was very friendly and helpful. We would do it again
Hello Brent, thank you! We are grateful to hear you enjoyed the history of Prague with us and would do it again. We hope to welcome you back one day, perhaps on our Plague Doctor tour too. Warm regards from Prague, The Nightwatchmen & Plague Doctors of Prague
The information is unique and the experience is fun! My friends loved the funny way he presented the stories.
Hello Darlene, thank you! We are pleased your friends had such a fun and unique experience on our Prague storytelling tour. We would be grateful to welcome you back for our Plague Doctor tour as well. Warm regards from Prague, The Nightwatchmen & Plague Doctors of Prague
Tomáš was a great tour guide… humorous and patient. His English was very good and he was willing to answer any questions about the tour, and about Prague in general. Surprisingly the Plague Tour was fascinating. (The Nightwatchman was unavailable so I switched tours). A pretty easy stroll, over the Old Town westside. Good information/reminders beforehand.
Hello, Thanks a lot for your awesome and detailed review. We are glad that you had such a good time with Tomáš . Your plague doctors and nightwatchmen of Prague
David provided a lot of interesting information about Prague, it's history and the area we were walking through. It was very interesting!
Hi Sven, Thanks a lot for your kind review. Pleased to hear that you enjoyed our medieval walk through Prague with your nightwatchman, Eure Nachtwächter und Pestärzte von Prag.
It's a very unique and immersive experience. We loved it. Our guide is very funny and sweet. We recommend it!
Hello Wang, Thanks so much for your kind review. We would be grateful if you could spread the word of the nightwatchman and their almost forgotten tradition. Your plague doctors and nightwatchmen of Prague
We chose this tour because of all the positive reviews. We were not disappointed. Thomas, our Night Watchman, staryed in character and gave the most interesting, informative and sometimes humorous narative, visiting many sites, some quite obscure. It lasted about 1.5 hours. We covered quite a bit of ground but it did not seem rushed. Prague is a very busy city and this kind of tour is a great way to see it through a historical lens.
Hi David, Thanks for the kind and detailed review. Prague can be busy at times, hence we hope you enjoyed the mix of historical places and walking off the beaten tracks. Your plague doctors and nightwatchmen of Prague
The night watchman tour with David was a real highlight. You can immediately tell that he not only brings extensive historical knowledge but also conveys it in a lively and exciting way. The mix of facts, stories, and little anecdotes made the tour very entertaining and provided a great insight into the past. Particularly noteworthy is David's friendly and attentive manner. He answered all questions in detail and even actively inquired if there were any uncertainties. As a result, one always felt well taken care of. Overall, a thoroughly successful tour that I can definitely recommend.
Hallo Daniel, Herzlichen Dank für diese detaillierte und hervorragende Bewertung. Wir freuen uns, dass Ihr eine spannende Tour mit dem Nachtwächter von Prag hattet. Beste Grüße aus der Stadt an der Moldau, Eure Nachtwächter und Pestärzte von Prag
After a hectic day, it was really great to have this evening stroll and hear about the medieval period in Prague. Very fascinating. I enjoyed this very much.
Dear Kathleen, Great to hear that you enjoyed the evening stroll when tourists slowly disappeared. Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Your plague doctors and nightwatchmen of Prague
