Our guide was extremely knowledgeable & presented a great tour. The best things about this trip was how we were able to dodge the long lines by knowing back ways into the gardens, being able to customize out trip by buying tram tickets to start at the top & work our way down & to find a charming, non-touristy cafe for some water, pastries & a brief respite off of our feet. I would highly recommend this trip to see Prague.
Jordaan Walking Tour: Worker's District to Cultural Hotspot
3-Hour Tour
The Largest Castle Complex in the World
Architectural Details Revealing Centuries of History
Discover the longtime working-class neighborhood that has become a hotspot for Amsterdam’s cultural tastemakers. We’ll explore the centuries-long history of this neighborhood, starting in the 17th century, when the Jordaan was built immediately following the famous canal area. Your guide, a local historian, will show you some of the few surviving buildings in the Jordaan from Amsterdam’s Golden Age, and explain how the era wasn’t so golden for local residents. You’ll learn about the living conditions and urban planning fiascoes that led to the Jordaan becoming a slum, as well as its revival in 1965, with more contemporary struggles against gentrification.
Visit the 17th-century Noorderkerk (Northern Church), a Protestant church designed for the working-class, and Noordermarkt, a bustling market that became a symbol of working-class struggles after a city-wide riot in 1934.
Discover the remnants of 17th-century warehouses along the canals, once central to Amsterdam's booming trade during the Tulip Mania economic bubble.
Peek into hidden hofjes (little courtyards) that are part of former almshouses, privately-funded shelters that served widows and elderly women in the 17th century, and which still house primarily elderly residents today.
View the Anne Frank House, where the Frank family hid from persecution, and learn how the Second World War affected the neighborhood, which became a refuge for many Jews.
Stop by Johnny Jordaan Square, dedicated to the famous Dutch folk singer, and hear stories about the Jordaan's cultural influence and working-class heritage.
Learn about the Jordaan's recent transformations since the 1960s, and how the neighborhood reckons with its multifaceted identity today.
Tour Details
Price
$480
Departure time
Daily, 9:30 AM and 2:00 PM
Meeting point
Winkel 43, Noordermarkt 43, 1015 NA Amsterdam, Netherlands or personal pickup at your central hotel or holiday flat
Availability
Year-round
Duration
3 hours
Group size
1-10 persons
Groups of over 10 should contact us at info@insightcities.com in order to get a special rate for their party.
Participation requirements
As this is a walking tour, please contact us if you have any mobility issues or concerns
Not Included
Entrance to the Castle:
- Adult: CZK 450
- Students & seniors: CZK 300
What to bring
Comfortable walking shoes
About your guide
Read about our Amsterdam guides
Cancellation policy
For cancellations 48 hours prior to your scheduled tour, Insight Cities offers a full refund. We cannot refund cancellations within 48 hours of a scheduled tour as we need to pay our guide.
Overview of Your Tour
Prague Castle: Seat of Kings, Emperors, and Regents
Over the 1,100 years that Prague Castle has presided over Prague from atop Hradčany Hill, it has been the seat of Bohemian kings, holy Roman emperors, and the Hapsburgs’ regents (including the regents famously thrown out of the castle windows by enraged Hussites). The largest castle complex in the world, it has imparted prestige not only on the presidents of the first Czechoslovak Republic but also, more ominously, on the Nazi Reichsprotektors and to the Communist Party chairmen of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. During the Velvet Revolution of 1989, demonstrators filled Prague’s streets with the chant “Havel na Hrad!” (“Vaclav Havel to the Castle!”), a call to reclaim the traditional home of Czech leadership for a new era of democratic governance.
To start your 3-hour Prague Castle walking tour, meet your guide in central Prague for the enjoyable tram ride up to the top of Hradčany Hill – where this imposing castle’s amazing story began.
A Thousand Years of Architectural Change
Constructed and reconstructed in every architectural style, Prague Castle incorporates Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Rococo, Renaissance, and Neoclassical monuments and architecture. Over the centuries, the mighty castle walls have been bombarded by artillery, plundered by marauding armies, and left to deteriorate by indifferent Austrian Emperors.
During phases of feverish reconstruction, the castle’s older structures were renovated according to newer architectural sensibilities, resulting in anachronistic combinations such as the 12th-century St. George Basilica – whose original Romanesque towers loom over an elaborate 17th-century Baroque façade.
At the height of its prominence in the 16th century, Prague Castle was transformed into a cultural center by the eccentric Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II, who amassed the largest collection of fine art in Europe and attracted the leading scientists of the day, Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, to his court (along with assorted frauds and alchemists).
St. Vitus Cathedral, Saint Wenceslas Chapel, and Vladislav Hall: highlights of your tour
Highlights of this Prague Castle walking tour include a detailed visit to the glorious St. Vitus Cathedral, founded by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, and full of treasures including its bejeweled Saint Wenceslas Chapel and the Art Nouveau window by Alphonse Mucha.
Children will enjoy our stroll through the Golden Lane, where a number of quaint shops served the castle in eras past. We also take in the Vladislav Hall, which was built to host indoor jousting tournaments. Since 1995, parts of the castle have been brilliantly illuminated by lighting paid for by The Rolling Stones as a gift to their friend and former President of Czechoslovakia, Vaclav Havel!
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See What Our Guests are Saying
This is an amazing tour. Our guide was knowledgeable, early and very enthusiastic. By far one of the best tours we have ever taken.
Thanks to Vadim’s extensive knowledge of history, art and architecture we were able travel back in time and see Prague grow from a small settlement to the cultural center and a capital of Roman Empire. Prague gave birth to many artists, poets, and composers. Prague has a lot of amazing history and secrets to share, but only Vadim knows how present it to you.
