The Naked Tour Guide

02/05/2020

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who purchased tickets for our Tour of Nowhere yesterday. We were really buoyed by the amount of support that we received. Your generosity will help our guides pay their bills during the months ahead. Thanks again, and we look forward to welcoming you to Prague in happier times.

P.S. Postcards will go into the post as soon the Czech Post starts accepting international mail once more.

29/04/2020

Here's some insight into how the Calamity has affected our business in Prague, along with some thoughts about the future of tourism in the city.

https://news.expats.cz/community/reader-story-border-closures-have-wiped-out-my-tour-business/

A Prague tour guide reacts to the pandemic's devastating effects on the tourism industry and the future of tourism in the Czech capital

06/04/2020

NIC2020 (Festival of Nothing 2020) is a festival that doesn’t exist. It’s an initiative that was launched in Prague this week to help cultural endeavours who do not receive any state support. You can buy Tickets for Nothing to help support galleries, theatres, performance venues, cinemas, and art spaces. This has inspired us to create our own Tour of Nowhere.

The Tour of Nowhere is a tour that cannot take place. We cannot give you the experience of a real tour of Prague at the moment, but you can show us your support nonetheless. The proceeds from the Tour of Nowhere will provide an income for our guides to enable them to live through this shutdown and to allow Naked Tour Guide to bounce back to life once the pandemic has passed. The symbolic tour of Nowhere will take place at 11am on 1 May, the Czech Day of Love.

Each ticket is valid for one place on the tour. The capacity of this Tour of Nowhere is unlimited, so everyone can join in. We’ll even send you a postcard from Nowhere!

Please consider supporting us today: www.nakedtourguideprague.com

Photo: Amos Chapple, Radio Free Europe

01/04/2020

Look down into the waters of the River Vltava today and there is a surprising sight – not just a clear view of the sandy bed, but you might even catch a glimpse of the giant freshwater whales which have reportedly returned to their old feeding grounds in the lower reaches of the Bohemian waterway.

The Czech government declared a State of Emergency on March 13 and closed the borders to all foreign visitors. This has resulted in the complete collapse of the local tourism industry, but it has allowed nature to reclaim some of Prague's historic city centre.

“The water is blue and clear,” said Jara Cimrman, who owns the celebrated Grand Hotel Prague, just a few steps from the Old Town Square and has a splendid view over the Charles Bridge. "I never thought I'd see whales back in these waters in my lifetime. I'm really delighted to have them back."

17/03/2020

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Marcus is going to be speaking on the Moncrieff radio show today about on Newstalk about the coronavirus situation in Prague, the Czech government's response, and the effect of the State of Emergency on the tourism sector. Tune in online from 2pm:

https://www.newstalk.com/shows/moncrieff-234861

Join Sean Moncrieff for a lively mix of phone-ins, insightful text messages and stories from around the world and down your street. Every weekday from 2pm - ...

15/03/2020

Czech Republic: State of Emergency

A State of Emergency currently exists in the territory of the Czech Republic. As of midnight this evening, our borders will be closed and foreigners will not be admitted into the Czech Republic.

Accordingly, there will be no tours operating between March 15, 2020 and April 12, 2020.

If you have purchased a ticket for a tour scheduled to take place during this time, then you will have the option of a full refund or rescheduling the tour for a later date.

As a small, independent business, we value the support of our customers, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to Prague, once the danger has passed and daily life resumes as normal.

Until then, stay safe.

22/02/2020

Airbnb is in the news again in Prague, for all the wrong reasons...

https://www.praguemorning.cz/stop-airbnb-activists-protest-in-the-center-of-prague/

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19/02/2020

It's so nice to read nice feedback about our tours. Thank you!

https://www.nakedtourguideprague.com/early-morning-tour-review/

Customer review of a small-group Prague history tour by the Naked Tour Guide walking tour company. Imogen was the guide on the day.

11/02/2020

Unsurprisingly, a Prague district has just featured on a list of the "10 coolest neighbourhoods in Europe". It's not the touristy Old Town though, but rather the Holešovice district (although the Žižkov, Vinohrady or Vršovice districts are also strong contenders).

Make sure that you take some time to get out of the medieval centre during your next trip to Prague.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/feb/08/10-of-the-coolest-neighbourhoods-in-europe-paris-berlin-rome?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Gmail

There are must-sees, of course, but to really get under the skin of Europe’s great cities go for our pick of less-touristy districts

02/02/2020

We believe in responsible tourism which is why we agree with the major of Prague that Airbnb must be regulated and the city of Prague must be given the power to do it.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/01/overwhelmed-prague-tries-to-limit-airbnb-to-curb-tourism

Joining a battle already being waged by many other cities, the Czech capital’s mayor wants new laws to limit the lettings website

30/01/2020

Radio Prague International has just compiled a list of great books by Czech authors, that have been translated into other languages and that are widely available at bookshops around the world. First up, of course, is the Good Soldier Švejk, by Jaroslav Hašek, which holds the title of the most translated piece of Czech literature in the world today.

https://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/the-czech-books-you-must-read

Kafka, Čapek, Kundera and Havel, these are all world renowned names, but what about all the others? How well are Czech authors actually known abroad? Can you find a bookshop in Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, Paris or New York that aside from classics such as The Good Soldier Švejk also sell the works of ...

27/01/2020

It's January, so it's cold and dark in Prague at the moment. John and Suzanne are from Scotland, so they are familiar with cold and dark.

Accordingly, they were perfectly dressed (lots of lots of LAYERS) for a sub-zero Prague Castle at Night Tour on Friday. It was cold and dark, but the Castle as deserted, and we really enjoyed having it to ourselves in the quiet of a January evening.

24/01/2020

The saga continues... The replica column has just received backing from a group of councilors in Prague city hall. The question remains though - should the secular administration of the city give the go-ahead for the er****on of large and intrusive religious structure in a public place?

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20/01/2020

We had such great fun welcoming NC State students to Prague this past week. Here's a group in front of the Astronomical Clock, moments before the top of the hour.

13/01/2020

Our Prague Castle at Night Tour returns this January, now with extra midweek dates. Between now and March, you can enjoy a nighttime tour of Prague Castle on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, in addition to our regular Friday, Saturday and Sunday tours.

Dan will be leading the tours on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, so why not wrap up well and join him for a fascinating insight into 1000 years of Bohemian history at Prague Castle, and enjoy the special atmosphere of having Prague Castle to yourself on a winter's evening!

www.naked.guide/castleatnight

10/01/2020

Here is a fascinating opinion piece by the Washington Post by Mayor of Prague, Zdeněk Hřib.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/23/why-we-fly-tibetan-flag-over-prague-city-hall/

China is trying to impose its views on our society. We should stick to our values.

26/11/2019

Here's a very interesting article from the New York Times about how Beijing's instance on a particular clause in the Prague-Beijing twin cities agreement has led to a diplomatic incident and the abandoning of plans for a panda pavilion at Prague Zoo.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/23/world/europe/china-prague-taiwan.html

When a new mayor of the Czech capital refused to toe the line on Taiwan, Beijing severed its sister-city relationship. Broader repercussions followed.

25/11/2019

Our "Not Just Black Friday" sale has just begun. 20% off all tours booked this week.

Enjoy 20% off your tour in 2020. The discount is applied automatically at checkout. www.nakedtourguideprague.com

18/11/2019

Yesterday we celebrated 30 years since the start of the Velvet Revolution - a remarkable period of peaceful protest that collapsed an authoritarian and totalitarian communist regime. Uncountable numbers of people made their way to Národní Třída and Václavské Náměstí, following the footsteps of those brave people who walked the same streets thirty years ago. Throughout the day and into the night, thousands of candles were placed on Národní Třída, at the place where the police brutally attacked the student protest on the evening of 17 November 1989. Tens of thousands of people piled into Wenceslas Square last night and on cue, they jingled their keys together - as people had done in the same place thirty years ago. The sound was incredible. It was much softer than I had expected it to be. It was the sound of a gentle revolution - a velvet revolution.

17/10/2019

During our early morning tours, we are often asked by visitors about the bridal photoshoots that we frequently encounter on the Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square. The answer to this common question is both interesting and surprising...

These brides aren't actually married yet! They are having their pre-wedding photos taken. Pre-wedding photos are particularly popular in certain parts of Asia, where they are shown on the day of the wedding itself. The photos are used as a way of signaling how well-traveled and well-cultured (read: wealthy) the happy couple are.

The size of the production varies from couple to couple, but it's not unusual to encounter couples with multiple photographers and flunkies in tow, sometimes with more than one dress! We came across this couple on Monday morning as we were starting our 8am tour. We caught them alighting from their horse and carriage, just as the clock began to chime. It seems that the bar for Prague pre-wedding photos has just been raised to a new level!

Are there any bizarre wedding customs in your country? If so, please let us know below.

23/09/2019

September means back to school, and that means lots of new study-abroad students in Prague. Last week, we ran two Survival Tours for incoming students of North Carolina State University. As well as a historical walkabout, we focused on some of the practicalities of living in Prague for the next few months - how to avoid large fees at a bankomat, where to find a supermarket, how to use the public transport and other insider tips. It was a lot of fun, and it helped the students acclimatize to their new home.

Photo: Aneal Symůnková

04/09/2019

9 museums in 5 days!

The newly renovated National Museum in Prague is offering a new multi-day multiple entrance ticket.

The ticket costs 260czk and includes one admission to each of the following museums over a five day period:

Historical Building of the National Museum
New Building of the National Museum
Náprstek Museum
Ethnographic Museum of the National Museum
National Memorial of the Vítkov Hill
Lapidarium of the National Museum
Czech Museum of Music
Antonín Dvořák Museum
Bedřich Smetana Museum

This ticket represents great value and encourages visitors to explore museums that they may not otherwise see.

03/09/2019

Sunset in Prague, as seen from Riegrovy Sady park in the Vinohrady district. Riegrovy Sady is very popular with locals, who flock there in the warm evenings of late summer to watch the sun disappear behind Prague Castle.

Where's your favourite sunset spot?

02/09/2019

Cori joined me for an early morning private tour last week. We had just arrived at Charles Bridge when she whipped a piece of needlepoint from her bag and lined it up for a photo. She explained that she is an experienced stitcher and that she enjoys making embroidered Christmas tree ornaments that are inspired by her travels. It struck me as a wonderful idea, and a great way to create special momentoes of holidays that can bring joy again and again. Do you have a special way of remembering your holidays?

30/08/2019

It looks like the fake "old cars" have had their day - not a day too soon before they cause an accident.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/30/prague-vows-to-force-dangerous--imitation-vintage-cars-off-the-road

Czech officials shocked by the ‘cobbled together’ vehicles offered to tourists for sightseeing rides

30/08/2019

Aer Lingus are having a flash sale. Fly from Dublin to Prague for 48 euro. Great for a weekend trip this autumn!

https://www.aerlingus.com/plan-and-book/latest-offers/flights-from-ireland/september-cities/?mi_u=144737760&rrid=144737760&rmid=20190830_ROI_Newsletter&utm_source=general_offers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=19week35_30082019_roi&utm_term=ireland

Check out the latest flight deals from Ireland with Aer Lingus. Find a cheap flight from Ireland to Europe and book online today.

26/08/2019

This weekend, a special Observer report looked at the effects of over-tourism in Prague. The picture that it painted was a distressing one. This is something that we have been aware for a long time, and this is why we structure our tours in the way that we do - avoiding the busiest places at the busiest times and staying away from the tourist traps.

At Naked Tour Guide, we promote responsible tourism. That means keeping our groups small, encouraging questions and conversations on tour, and treating the local people and the places that we meet on tour with respect.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/25/prague-drunk-tourists-conquer-our-city?fbclid=IwAR0gmf7pABUBmyEt_uCn9nwGeRG237j3k3ReaVTD18F6MfVaulix873Dcqg

As the Czech Republic capital launches a crackdown, the Observer joins one of the organised pub crawls that are blighting residents’ lives

30/07/2019

This is the Gate of Infinity. It's a memorial by sculptor Aleš Veselý at Prague's Bubny train station. Bubny is a small station, just north of the city centre, in an area that's now described as "up and coming". This rather unprepossessing station was the site of the Jewish deportations from Prague, which began in the autumn of 1941. In total, more than 40,000 Jewish people would be loaded on to trains at Bubny, where most of them would disappear into the concentration camp system, never to return.

29/07/2019

You often don't have to go very far to find movie-making in Prague. In this case, we just had to step outside the front door of our office, to find that Politických vězňů street had transformed into a checkpoint in Cold War-era Berlin. Note the sign, "You're now leaving the American sector". Do you know any famous movies that were made in Prague?

23/07/2019

Not a big fan of huge crowds? Then stay away from the Astronomical Clock during the day and join our 8am Early Morning Tour instead!