We have arranged a number of walking tours for English-speaking expats, taking place throughout this fall. On these tours, you can explore the lower part of Žižkov and see the sumptuous residences of the Petschek family and Jewish citizens in the district of Bubeneč. All these tours are led by our tour guide Michal Šedivý.
“We deliberately focus on locations during our year-round walks that are not among the most popular tourist destinations, yet offer a deeply turbulent history and are enriched by stories that remain hidden even from most of Prague’s residents. We are convinced that Prague is a city full of fascinating fates and significant architectural achievements, which we are happy to introduce people to,” says festival director Klára Veselá.
Lower Žižkov & Bethlehem Chapel
On Sunday, October 20 at 4.30 p.m., we will take you to Žižkov, specifically its lower part. The guide will explain the urban development of this unique-spirited residential district and show some of the district’s oldest houses as well as the most valuable buildings in terms of history and culture. We will also visit the local Bethlehem Chapel, a low-key but nonetheless impressive modernist building with elements of cubist architecture, tucked away in an inner courtyard near the Žižkov town hall.
The Petschek Family Houses – How the Wealthy Lived
During another tour on Sunday, November 17 at 3 p.m., you can explore the villa neighborhood in Bubeneč, where you will see the opulent residences of the Petschek family, one of the wealthiest families of the era of the First Czechoslovak Republic. Aside from showing the houses, the guide will also share a number of interesting facts about the family, such as their marriage strategy or how they were compensated for the confiscation of their properties. On top of making stops by the family’s villas, we will enter the villa of Marianne Gellert-Petschek, which now houses the Museum of Literature.
Jewish Residents of Bubeneč Villa District I.
Finally, on Sunday, December 15 at 2.30 p.m., you can join another tour taking place in Bubeneč, this time focused on the villas of the neighborhood’s former Jewish residents. We will stop by the villa of Rudolf Slánský, a close associate of Klement Gottwald, who later ordered Slánský’s execution, the villa of Edvard Beneš, and also the famous Villa Bianca, designed by famous Czech architect Jan Kotěra. The guide will disclose the lives of the houses’ residents and reveal who was behind the foundation of the Holešovice Exhibition Grounds and the Museum of Decorative Arts.
More details can be found in our Events Calendar.
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