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Prague · Mysteries & legends

Golems, Alchemists and a Hanging Arm

Prague is the city of the Golem, the blinded clockmaker and the saint thrown into the river. This walk visits the real places where those stories were born and, at every stop, separates what the documents say from what tradition tells.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.2 km
  • 1 h 50 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Crowded gravestones of the Old Jewish Cemetery in front of the former Ceremonial Hall

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Old Jewish CemeterySome twelve thousand gravestones crammed over layers of earth, and the tomb of the rabbi tradition credits with the Golem.
  2. 2 Old-New SynagogueSeven centuries of prayer under one roof and, according to legend, a clay giant asleep in the attic.
  3. 3 Basilica of St JamesA Baroque church where, beside the door, a mummified human arm has hung for centuries.
  4. 4 Church of Our Lady before TýnTwo fairy-tale black spires, a chalice that vanished by night and the tomb of the astronomer whose death set tongues wagging for four centuries.
  5. 5 Astronomical ClockMore than six hundred years of telling time, and a cruel legend about the clockmaker who was blinded.
  6. 6 St John of Nepomuk on Charles BridgeThe oldest statue on the bridge, the saint thrown into the Vltava and a relief polished bright by countless hands.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Golems, Alchemists and a Hanging Arm

Legends with an exact address

Each tale is tied to a roof, a gravestone, a clock or a statue you can see with your own eyes.

Record versus tradition

We clearly separate what is proven from what is told, so you can enjoy the mystery without being misled.

Details almost nobody notices

Iron rungs, a mummified arm, a cross with five stars: we tell you exactly where to look.

Keep exploring

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