Before street numbering, Prague houses were identified by signs: a golden well, three violins, two suns, a black eagle. Dozens of those signs are still fixed to facades in the old town and Malá Strana, painted or carved above the doorways, and almost nobody looks up at them.
That is a ready-made puzzle system, which is why Prague suits a quest as well as it does. A quest is a route on your phone, played in teams, where each stop holds a question you can only answer by standing there and looking. A city that labelled itself in pictures makes that easy.
What to look for
The house signs. Start noticing them on Nerudova, the steep street up to the castle, where they survive in numbers. Once you have seen five, you see them everywhere.
The Astronomical Clock. Everyone watches the figures move at the hour. Almost nobody reads the dial, which shows the position of the sun and moon, the zodiac, and the time in three different systems at once.
Charles Bridge. Thirty statues, most of them replicas, each with a story attached. Cross it at seven in the morning rather than at two in the afternoon.
The Jewish Quarter. Josefov holds several synagogues and an old cemetery where the graves are stacked because there was no room to expand. It is a heavy visit, and worth it.
The flood markers. Small plaques on walls near the river record how high the water reached, most recently in 2002.
How a quest runs
You choose the start point and time. The story loads on one phone per team and sends you to the first location, where the app asks something the place answers: the symbol on a house sign, a date on a facade, the number of figures on a statue base.
Correct answer, next stop unlocks. Wrong answer costs points, not the game. Two hours later everyone reaches the same finish with a score. Details on the how it works page.
Playing around the crowds
Prague’s old town between the square and the bridge is one of the busiest few hundred metres in Europe in season. A route through it at midday in July is a slow shuffle.
Play early. Before nine, the same streets are empty enough to hear yourself.
Or play in Malá Strana or Vinohrady. Across the river or out to the east, both have the architecture without the volume.
Or play in winter. Cold, but the city is beautiful in it and the old town is walkable again.
Practical notes
The cobbles are uneven and worn smooth in places. Sensible shoes, particularly in the wet.
The castle side is uphill. Plan a route that comes down from it rather than up to it, or use the tram.
For a group, split into teams of four to six all playing the same route. Our groups and companies page covers larger bookings, and our piece on group activities has more on choosing by size.
Frequently asked questions
What is a quest in Prague?
A self-guided route through the city played on a phone in teams, where each location holds a puzzle that must be solved on the spot before the next unlocks. No guide, no fixed departure, and you set the pace.
How long does it take?
Around two hours of play covering two to four kilometres. Allow three hours in total including gathering and a finish.
When should you play to avoid the crowds?
Before nine in the morning, or in the quarters away from the old town square. The stretch between the square and Charles Bridge is the pinch point.
Do you need to speak Czech?
No. Games are available in several languages, and the answers are visual.
Is it suitable for children?
From about eight years old with an adult in the team. The house signs are ideal for children, because the answers are pictures – a fish, a key, a bear.
Is it hilly?
The old town is flat. The castle side is not. Choose a route that stays on one side of that divide, or take the tram up and walk down.
Playing in Prague
See what is currently running on our locations page, or tell us about your group through the contact page.
