What is the cancellation policy for this tour?

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

How long does this tour take?

Please check the tour page for the exact duration.

World Wars, Communism and Liberation: Audio Tour of Prague

Q: Where does this tour start?

This tour starts at: This tour starts at Republic Square. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading..

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Overview

The 1900s in Prague were defined by extraordinary upheaval: Nazi occupation, Soviet tanks, and a peaceful revolution that brought it all to an end. On this self-guided audio tour, you’ll find out how totalitarianism, resistance, and an unlikely transformation shaped one of Europe’s most architecturally rich capitals. The tour begins at Republic Square, where the Art Nouveau Municipal House marks the spot where Czechoslovakia declared independence in 1918. You’ll walk through Celetná Street into the Old Town Square, passing buildings that survived war and communist neglect. You’ll find out how the city’s famous café culture was deliberately suppressed. I’ll tell you the story of František Stadler, whose fashion store was one of many private enterprises that was confiscated – first after the Nazi takeover, and later by the communist government. The tour ends at the statue of Saint Wenceslas, where playwright-turned-president Václav Havel addressed 200,000 people in the square.

Gallery

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What's Included

✓ Included

Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
App for Android and iOS
Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start

✗ Not Included

Smartphone and headphones
Transportation
Food and drink
Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour

Itinerary

Stop 1

Stand before one of Prague's most celebrated Art Nouveau buildings, its mosaic-covered facade and grand dome announcing the ambitions of a city on the verge of independence. Step closer to explore the ornate details that made this the chosen stage for Czechoslovakia's declaration of independence in 1918.

Stop 2

Marvel at this striking Cubist building rising unexpectedly from the medieval streetscape of Celetná Street, its angular geometry a bold statement from a city that embraced modernism even as it fought to preserve its past. Pause here to consider the conservation battle that was lost — and what Prague's streets might have looked like if it had been won.

Stop 3

Walk into one of Europe's most storied public spaces, ringed by Gothic churches, Baroque palaces, and the famous Astronomical Clock that has marked the hours since 1410. Look beyond the beauty to find the layers beneath — this square has witnessed executions, Nazi rallies, and the euphoria of liberation.

Stop 4

Pass the elegant facade of one of Prague's oldest surviving coffeehouses, a place where Einstein, Kafka, and the city's intellectual circle once gathered to argue and create. Learn how the communist regime deliberately shuttered spaces like this, cutting off a centuries-old tradition of free thought and civic conversation.

Stop 5

Stop at the quiet but powerful memorial on Národní Street, where a cluster of bronze hands reaching upward marks the spot where a student march in November 1989 met police batons — and changed the course of history. Run your fingers across the relief and consider how quickly a single night of protest became a revolution.

Stop 6

Watch as forty-two polished stainless steel layers shift and spin to form — and dissolve — the face of Prague's most famous literary son. Černý's monumental kinetic sculpture captures something essential about Kafka himself: an identity constantly in motion, never quite resolving into something fixed.

Stop 7

Stroll through the grand arcaded interior of this early 20th-century entertainment complex, built by entrepreneur Václav Havel Sr. — grandfather of the playwright who would one day become president. Notice Černý's absurdist sculpture of a horse hanging upside down from the ceiling, a sardonic nod to the equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslas visible just up the square.

Stop 8

Admire the clean lines of this Socialist Realist building on Wenceslas Square, completed in 1958 as a showcase of communist prestige — and concealing a remarkable secret beneath it. Descend, if you choose, into the Cold War nuclear bunker built to shelter Party officials, now open as a museum and one of Prague's most unexpected attractions.

Stop 9

Arrive at the broad, sloping boulevard that has served as Prague's stage for its most defining moments — Nazi occupation, Soviet invasion, and the Velvet Revolution. Look up toward the National Museum and the statue of Saint Wenceslas, where Václav Havel addressed 200,000 people as a dictatorship ended and a new chapter began.

Stop 10

Approach the neoclassical grandeur of this 19th-century landmark anchoring the top of Wenceslas Square, its facade still bearing faint scars from Soviet tank fire in 1968. Seek out the small cross near its base marking the spot where student Jan Palach set himself alight in January 1969 — a solitary, shattering act of protest against occupation that Prague has never forgotten.

Meeting & End Point

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Meeting Point

This tour starts at Republic Square. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

🏁

End Point

Tour ends at Saint Wenceslas and National Museum.

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Good to Know

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Known For:

Private Sightseeing Tours in Prague, Historical Tours in Prague, Walking Tours in Prague, Cultural Tours in Prague, Audio Guides in Prague, Private and Luxury in Prague

Special Instructions

VOICEMAP CODE
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Please check your email at the address you provided when you made this booking. You've been sent an eight character code you'll need to redeem your tour.

This code can be used by every member of your party. If you've booked for three people, for example, three people can download this tour using the same code.

DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS

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Once you've received your code, please follow these steps:

Install the VoiceMap Audio Tours mobile app

Create an account

Select Tour Codes from the menu, then select Enter Codes

Enter your code then select Download Now

PLEASE NOTE
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You can download the tour at any time, before or after your booking date. It’s best to download the tour before you set off for the starting point.

This tour follows a set route and includes turn-by-turn directions. It works best if you start it in the right place and follow the directions from one location to the next.

When the download completes, you’ll see a screen with a photo of the starting point and directions to it. The red start button will become active when you are at the starting point.

Remember to bring your own headphones, unless you have booked a driving tour.

SUPPORT
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For technical support and other queries, please email support@voicemap.me