Plague Doctor History Walking Tour in Prague Old Town

Follow a licensed guide in plague doctor dress through Prague's Old Town on a shared walking tour. Explore how people understood illness and tried to survive epidemics through interactive storytelling and performance. Expect real history rather than legends or ghost stories.

• Ask your own questions about disease, medicine, and survival as the stories unfold
• Taste an "anti-plague pill" made of candy

Itinerary

1. Meet in front of the entrance to Hotel Aurus at Seminarska 2 in Old Town. Departures are at 16:00, 18:00, and 20:00. Look for your guide dressed as a plague doctor.

2. Begin with a 10-minute guided introduction at Hotel Aurus, also known as the "House of the Golden Well." Step back to 1715 and discover the story of Prague's plague doctor, Alexander Schamsky.

3. Spend 10 minutes at New City Hall learning about the different types of the Black Death, how wealthy and ordinary people suffered and escaped, and life in quarantine.

4. Explore Old Town Square during a 10-minute guided stop, including the Hussite Church, Tyn Church, and Old Town Hall. Discover how merchants lived during the plague.

5. Stop at the Franz Kafka Monument for 10 minutes to learn about Jewish life during the plague in Prague and Europe, then enter the Jewish Quarter. Hear about Albert Camus's novel "La Peste."

6. Continue to the Church of St. Simon and St. Jude (Kostel svatého Šimona a Judy) and visit the old Na Frantisku hospital during a 10-minute stop. Explore historical healing methods and the medical background of a disease that killed approximately 200 million people worldwide.

7. End your 1-hour 30-minute tour at the National Gallery Prague – Convent of St. Agnes. Hear a summary of the plague in Prague and Europe, learn about the disease today, and finish with a group photo with the plague doctor.

What's Included

• English- or Spanish-speaking professional guide
• "Anti-plague pill" candy

Important details

• Children aged 0–3 join free
• The tour is wheelchair- and stroller-accessible
• You may be refused participation without a refund if you appear intoxicated
• Pets are allowed
• The tour runs rain or shine
• Arrive 5 minutes before departure