Prague, which the locals colloquially call ‘Stovežatá’ or the City of a Hundred Spires, actually has almost 700 of them. But under those spires is a secret world waiting to be discovered. In fact, Prague could also be called the City of a Thousand Secrets, thanks to its history that is shrouded in mystery and magic. Emperor Rudolf II (1552–1612 AD) was the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, who turned Prague into a cultural and mystical capital by inviting scientists, magicians, and alchemists to study astrology and alchemy at his court. His fascination with these esoteric fields fuelled Prague’s reputation as a hub of secrets and magical experiments.
Perhaps making it the perfect setting for author Dan Brown’s latest novel, The Secret of Secrets, published by Penguin Random House! An author whose adventures from The Da Vinci Code to Inferno have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, Brown usually centres each thrilling tale around a historic city. The Secret of Secrets not only takes the reader on a rambunctious ride (think castles, cathedrals, crypts, and underground labyrinths!) through the world of ancient alchemy and cutting-edge science, but also showcases all the amazing things to do in Prague.
Dan Brown’s popular protagonist Robert Langdon, the fictional Professor of Religious Iconology and Symbology at Harvard University, makes a comeback eight years after his last foray in Origin in 2017. This time, as he is attempting to track down his new love interest – acclaimed academic Katherine Solomon (who made an appearance in The Lost Symbol), who seems to have disappeared without a trace – he unlocks a mind-bending theory that threatens to turn the world upside down through its completely unique perspective. The word ‘Prague’ literally means ‘threshold’, and Brown writes how “Langdon always felt like he crossed one each time he came here”. It’s time for you, too, to cross the threshold from casual tourist to immersive travel in Prague.
15 top ways of experiencing Prague through The Secret of Secrets
Brown writes, “Sensitive visitors can still sense this aura of the supernatural today.” His character Langdon discovers Prague as a city of magic, “frozen in the stream of time”, boasting a distinctive fusion of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and Neoclassical architecture. As the story unfolds, Brown guides readers through the Old Town, the enigmatic Jewish Quarter, and several other parts of Prague. The narrative also brings to life the Prague-born writer Franz Kafka, author of The Metamorphosis, alongside the legendary Golěm, which Brown reinterprets in a surprising and original manner. The city still lives these stories. From underground labs and secret tunnels to symbolic facades, living legends in the cemetery, and starlit towers, it truly feels like a place where history, magic, and myth all converge.
Here are some of the top things to do in Prague, so you get the best of the city as well as feel like you’re seeking out The Secret of Secrets along with Langdon…
Stroll along Charles Bridge
One of the city’s most well-known and iconic landmarks, this bridge, constructed of Bohemian sandstone, spans the Vltava River. Just over half a km long, it’s lined on both sides with 30 statues of Christian saints. It once served as a critical trade route between Eastern and Western Europe. Today, the pedestrian-only stretch is often called the most romantic bridge in the world! But this is also where Langdon encounters the frightening woman with the spiked headgear on the first morning that the narrative of The Secret of Secrets begins.
Immerse yourself in the Old Town
Signing up for a walking tour of the Old Town is one of the top things to do in Prague. It will bring you to interesting spots such as Republic Square, the House of the Black Madonna (Prague’s first Cubist building), the Baroque Church of St James, the Theatre Des Etats which is the oldest in the city where Mozart once performed, hidden medieval courtyards such as Tyn Yard – Ungelt, Staromestske namesti, Tyn Church, Statue of Jan Hus, Saint Nicholas Church, and of course the Old Town Hall with the Astronomical Clock, the Jewish quarter known as Josefov, and ending at Charles Bridge.
Appreciate the Old Town Square
Perhaps the most visited part of Prague, featuring the Church of Our Lady before Týn, the Baroque Saint Nicholas Church and, of course, the famous Astronomical Clock – Orloj – on the southern wall of the Old Town Hall. This is where tourists congregate every hour to watch mechanical figurines from medieval times enacting the Walk of the Apostles and a skeleton representing Death striking the time! In The Secret of Secrets, Langdon and the Golěm pass by the square quite often as the action unfolds, with the latter making note of the fragrance of roasting chestnuts filling the air along with the strains of a bock, a small Bohemian bagpipe which is a favourite of street musicians.
Delve into the Jewish Quarter of Josefov
Tales of the Golěm are especially rife here. This walled area within the Old Town was a Jewish ghetto from the 11th century onwards. While most of the original buildings of the quarter were demolished between 1893 and 1913 as part of a remodel, six synagogues, the old cemetery, and the Old Jewish Town Hall still survive. Especially worth seeing are the 13th-century Old New Synagogue, Europe’s oldest surviving Jewish cemetery, and Franz Kafka’s birthplace. The Pinkas Synagogue features the names of approximately 80,000 Czech and Moravian Jews who died during the Holocaust.
Be amazed at the Speculum Alchemiae
Rumoured to be a recreation of Rudolf II’s alchemical laboratory from the 16th century, which miraculously survived the demolition of the Jewish quarter. The underground location of this modern-day museum was rediscovered during the reconstruction of one of Prague’s oldest historical buildings, located at Haštalská Street 1, following a flood. The UNESCO-listed building houses medieval equipment like crucibles, and clues to the Philosopher’s Stone (which is said to have been the catalyst that turned lead into gold) and the elixir of eternal youth (which was most sought after by Indian and Chinese alchemists). The atmospherics are quite spooky, albeit not quite authentically occult. But it will put you into the mood of analysing the human consciousness and other mysteries unfolding in The Secret of Secrets.
Explore Prague Castle
Said to be the world’s largest castle complex, it encloses six gardens, four palaces, and four churches, including the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral, which safeguards the Crown jewels of Bohemia, including the crown of Saint Wenceslas (remember him from the Christmas carol?!). Langdon seems quite enthralled by its 100-metre-high bell tower and the 17-tonne Zikmund bell, one of the largest in Europe. I spent an entire day in the castle and could easily go back for more, especially if I were invited to attend a lecture by an eminent noetic scientist with pathbreaking discoveries about human consciousness in the grand Vladislav Hall, as Solomon delivered in The Secrets of Secrets! Besides, the Crown jewels are displayed only on rare occasions, so if you’re in the city between September 18 and 29, 2025, you will get a chance to see these arrayed in this ceremonial hall.
Visit the Vyšehrad Fort
Slightly over three kilometres from Prague Castle, this 10th-century fort features important churches, including the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, the 11th-century Rotunda of St Martin, and the historic Vyšehrad Cemetery.
See the Klementinum Baroque Library and Astronomical Tower
This ancient library, with over 27,000 volumes of theological literature in multiple languages, is one of the most beautiful Baroque libraries in the world and has hosted notable figures, including Mozart and Einstein, in person. The main hall features large, historically valuable globes and beautiful fresco decorations by Josef Hiebel, which depict themes of science and art. The Klementinum Library was completed in 1727. Constructed a couple of decades later, its 68-metre-tall Astronomical Tower stands in the centre of the courtyard. At the top of the tower, which began to be used for astronomical and climatic measurements and observations in 1750 AD, is topped with a lead statue of Atlas carrying a celestial sphere on his shoulders. If you enjoy birds’ eye views, you can reach the circular viewing balcony at a height of 52 metres by climbing 172 steps.
Pop up the Petřín Tower
Speaking of heights, whether you’re being hunted down like Langdon or are just visiting Prague on an Instagrammable honeymoon like the Indian couple he meets at the top of this 200-foot Petřín Tower built atop Petřín Hill in The Secret of Secrets, you will still enjoy ascending to the top. A funicular brings you up the steep hill, which has a rich and macabre history of virgin sacrifices. There’s a lift that takes you up (if you aren’t claustrophobic like Brown’s hero), and stairs as well that can be accessed when the weather is fine.
Enjoy walks through the streets of Prague lined with Baroque architecture
Prague’s buildings are beautiful and filled with the mystique of times gone by. Celetná Street, one of the oldest in Prague, was once part of the Royal Route, with the kings of Bohemia using it on the way to their coronations. Today, you can enjoy pastel-hued Baroque buildings, Gothic cornices, and Romanesque foundations as you stroll between the Powder Tower and the Old Town Square.
Look out for secret symbols as Langdon would do. From a white peacock to an eight-pointed black star, from three entwined golden rings to a black bear with a golden chain around its neck… each of these has a prosaic meaning attached to the owners of the houses on whose façades we see them. But there are also alchemical and mystical meanings to each. They say that in Prague’s town centre, 264 buildings display such secret symbols, many dating back to the 13th century. Don’t miss the patterned cobblestones in the streets either. Not only are the designs particularly stunning in Prague, but a darker side to them has been recently revealed, which imbues them with deeper meaning. Many of them were made from the headstones of Jewish people during World War II. The city is now in the process of creating a fitting memorial for those whose lives were taken at the time, and whose graves were ignominiously treated.
Explore the Sex Machines Museum in Prague
On a less sombre note, duck into this amusing one-of-a-kind museum. It’s an impressive collection of more than 350 exhibits spanning three floors, all dedicated to human pleasure. Visitors 18 and up will enjoy this quirky take on all that mankind has been experimenting with since time immemorial, from a vintage-style erotic theatre, sex aids that have been developed over the centuries in various parts of the world, and objects created to incite or increase arousal. While you may giggle in embarrassment at some of the exhibits or be gobsmacked by the ingenuity of some, like I did, it’s certainly worth a visit for adults. And now, with Brown mentioning this museum in his writing, it’s enough to pique the curiosity of the traveller.
Check out the more modern side of Prague
Contrasting with the bright yellow Neo-Renaissance Žofín Palace on Slovanský Island in the middle of the river is the Dancing House, Prague’s most famous ultra-modern structure. Its two small towers lean into each other as if they are dancing with each other. It is said that their architect, Frank Gehry, referred to them as Fred and Ginger (after Astair and Rogers!). Avant-garde art is also one of Prague’s passions, and some of the world’s most progressive collections are housed at the DOX Center, Trade Fair Palace, and Museum Kampa. Don’t miss amateur ‘pop-up’ installations that routinely materialise around the city and, like Langdon observes in The Secret of Secrets, the “few lucky ones like The Lennon Wall and The Hanging Umbrella People that were so admired as to be adopted permanently”!
Storm The Bastion
Well, not quite the way it’s done in the story, but walking along the Baroque-era fortifications of the Bastion U Božích muk – and peering over the original Gothic walls to get a spectacular view of Folimanka Park beneath might be well worth your time. Even if you don’t discover any secret laboratory!
Stop at a café or bar
Brown’s book recommends the Týnská Literary Café is best for writers and intellectuals, the Anonymous Bar for hackers and intrigue seekers, and the Hemingway Bar for sophisticates and cocktail connoisseurs. Try Czech specialities such as tlačenka, a traditional meat terrine, and Kofola, a popular Czech cola, at local eateries. Black Angel’s Bar, in an underground stone cavern, is said to mix cocktails and elixirs based on ancient recipes from a treasure chest of diaries belonging to a man named Alois Krcha. The bar’s promise of ‘Here is impossible possible’ seems irresistible to tourists.
Book the Royal Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel in Prague
While there are many luxury hotels in the city, and the choice of this one could seem like one of the many product placements in Brown’s latest book, its location is certainly quite perfect. In Prague’s historic centre, perched on a bank of the Vltava River, it offers panoramic views of the sprawling Prague Castle and beyond. Langdon extols the virtues of the hotel as he and Katherine share the expansive Royal Suite, usually reserved for visiting dignitaries and celebrities. When you check into the most expensive suite here, don’t forget to check whether your bath slippers are monogrammed too!
Courtesy: travelandleisure.com
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful hoque
