There are walking tours and then there are New York Times inspired Urban Adventures by Intrepid Travel. Wherever possible, opt for the latter.
Prague Urban Adventures Walking Tours
In Prague, this intimate half-day stroll through the real Old Town, ending in a charming museum cafe on the banks of the Vltava River, comes complete with scrumptious stops for chlebíčky, enthralling history and quirky anecdotes, and even chats about the current political climate, if you’re so inclined. Plenty of time is set aside for lunch at one of the city’s hot new restaurants (La Bottega Linka – chat with head chef included), points of interest you’d easily miss unguided, and answers to just about any question you may have.
New York Times Urban Adventures are walking tours loosely based on articles published by the acclaimed news giant. Intrepid Travel’s dynamic local guides then bring these stories to life, delicately folding them into the tour itinerary. Here, the articles discussed Prague’s pre and post-war architecture, modern design and style, Czech wine, and even a famous cartooned mole from the 50s, Krtek, the communist response to Disney’s famous mouse.
The most famous attraction visited was the more than 600-year old Astronomical Clock, ticking again, as the NYT pointed out, where herds of visitors gather well before the top of every hour, the start of the show.
Intrepid’s Next-Level Guides
Janica (or Jana) is a Prague native, well-educated, warm and worldly, her English near perfect. On a beautiful summer day, our morning tour went out with just Jana, my partner and I, feeling more like three friends out for a walk than a pre-fab tourist moment.
We reached our first scheduled stop, the Convent of St. Agnes, only to find it unexpectedly closed. Without a flinch, Jana calmly explained its importance before seamlessly moving on to swap the stop for something just as interesting, just minutes away.
We visited one of her favourite downtown buildings, now the Municipal Savings Bank of Prague, and its exquisitely reborn interior. We took a quick ride on a paternoster (an always-moving doorless elevator). We dipped underground at the metro station, Můstek, to witness the exposed remnants of the original moat that circled the Old Town, history many locals don’t even know about today.
Beer & Bites, Coffee & Cake
Our dietary restrictions were accounted for at Špejle, a clever new eatery that charges by the toothpick, serving tapas-sized plates of speared schnitzel, goulash, and other Czech staples, along with their very own lager and house-made sodas.
Later for lunch, we shared a green pea risotto with shrimp at the aforementioned La Bottega Linka, wine included. After inspecting the cozy Werichova Villa, our tour ended at the IF Cafe, enjoying a lemon tartlet and other house-made pastries, all chased with world-class coffee.
Time flew by. It felt like we weren’t touring at all, merely moving about town with the help of a chatty local. If you’re truly looking to experience a city like a local, even a city you’ve visited before, explore it on an Urban Adventures walking tour. And if you happen to come across one inspired by the New York Times, book it immediately.