Audio Guide: Prague Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Prague

Nicknamed the “City of a Hundred Spires,” Prague is a living gallery of history and architecture, home to world-class museums, eclectic galleries, numerous theaters, and a seemingly endless collection of historic landmarks.

The name Praha comes from the old Slavic word “práh”, which means “rapid”, nodding to the city's beginnings at a crossing on the Vltava River. Legend credits the city’s founding to the 8th-century duchess and seer Libuše, who stood on a cliff above the river and foresaw a great city whose fame would “touch the stars.” She ordered a castle and town to rise from that very spot.

Prague reached its cultural peak under Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor from 1346 to 1378, becoming the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Later, under Emperor Rudolf II-an eccentric ruler and patron of the arts-the city attracted some of Europe’s brightest minds: astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, the mystical John Dee and Edward Kelley, painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, and poet Elizabeth Jane Weston among them.

The city has also stood at the crossroads of pivotal events: the Bohemian Reformation, the Thirty Years’ War, and the sweeping transformations of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the 20th century, Prague bore witness to two world wars, decades of communism, and the peaceful Velvet Revolution. Since 1993, it has served as the capital of the newly-emerged Czech Republic.

Remarkably, much of the city’s historic core escaped the devastation that reshaped so much of Europe in the last century. Highlights include Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, Old Town Square with its fairytale facades, Gothic churches, and the Astronomical Clock’s whimsical procession that plays out every hour.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the heart of Prague invites you to wander, listen, and look up often. Take your time tracing its cobbled streets, pausing in hidden courtyards, and letting the layers of history unfold around you. Prague isn’t just a destination-it’s an experience waiting to be unraveled at your own pace.