Czeching out Prague
A few weeks ago I was in Prague and took a day out to visit this city, and more importantly the locations of many espionage related films. In preparing for my trip I was surprised to learn how many films were made in Prague. So join me in this adventure.
Prague Castle
To get to the castle I would highly recommend taking the 22 tram that snakes it’s way up to Prague Castle, and make sure you leave at the Prague Castle stop as the earlier stop will mean a bit of a steep walk.
The castle is free to enter, and it is a complex of buildings, and if you have the time do take advantage of the official tours of the different buildings that make up the castle.
The Courtyard
As soon as you enter the main complex a familiar courtyard presents itself. That is if you’ve seen Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, as this courtyard doubles for The Kremlin. It is a beautiful courtyard, and I wish I had more time to explore.
Amazing views of Prague
Do take the opportunity to head towards the Eastern entrance, and you get to see one of the best vistas of Prague.
Charles Bridge
I then took a 15 minute walk from the castle to visit the famous Charles Bridge and Kampa Island. Your mission should you choose to accept it…
The Mole Hunt begins
A lot of action took place in a small space between the Charles Bridge and the Liechtenstein Palace in the opening 20 minutes of Mission Impossible.
Starting at the Palace, the exit is unchanged from the film where Tom Cruise and Kristen Scott Thomas left. It is interesting about the geography of the area that the short walk that Golitsyn took is literally a 20 metre stroll from this exit. In the film it feels a little bit longer.
The Gate
The gate where Sarah Davies, Played by Kristen Scott Thomas and Golitsyn get stabbed is still there. It is currently being used as a garage, but it is an alley way that connects from the square on the other side to the shore.
Explosion
On the other side of the gate is where the BMW explodes. It is here we see the great staircase to the Charles bridge. Again the area is still the same as it was back in 1996, and it is a very picturesque area.
End of Jim?
When you ascend the bridge you are then following in Ethan’s footsteps (quite literally) trying to meet Jim Phelps (played by Jon Voight). However, Phelps has ‘fallen’ into the river.
Flashback
When we see the flashback of him triggering the car bomb, Phelps is resting on these wooden ice breaks. They look like spears, but their design is to stop the river freezing over.
Spiderman Fans
As you walk across the bridge, and if you are a Spiderman Far From Home fan, you will recognise this as where Peter Parker discloses he is Spiderman to his girlfriend. It is also a place seen in XXX where Samuel L Jackson discusses with Vin Diesel. Charles bridge has appeared in countless more films.
The bridge has an excellent array of statues lining the bridge, some with ornate designs. At the eastern end of the bridge is a gothic designed gate, and some great photo opportunities here.
The Restaurant
Continuing east, you get to the old square, and another film location for Mission Impossible, one of the highlights is the astronomical clock. However if you were to look at the street on your right, that is where the film crew “inserted” Akvarium restaurant. Here Kitteridge and Hunt have dinner and the mole hunt is revealed.
Max’s flat
If you were to continue following East you will get to the Prašná brána gate which is where Max’s flat is seen in the film. Her henchman played by Andreas Wisniewski goes out onto the balcony to see if the CIA team is approaching. If you pan to the left, you can see the entrance where the CIA team entered.
Job 314?
From the gate if you turn right and head due south, after about 3 minutes you will come to the intersection of Na Příkopě and Nekázanka where Ethan is instructed to meet following the message to Max@Job314.
Gotta match?
Nekázanka has this beautiful bridges that connect the buildings, and it is a great architectural design. Sadly the bench is no longer where it is, but it is a great location. If you are interested in doing some retail therapy Na Příkopě has quite a few designer shops and shopping centres.
Bourne begins
If you were to go and walk down Nekázanka, after 10 minutes you should reach the National Museum. Another location for Mission Impossible. However, I would recommend going down Politických vězňů and head towards the Opera House. This is the street where Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon) heads to the Swiss bank to get the safety deposit box. This building is the Ministry of Trade affairs and like all the other locations, hasn’t changed a bit from the film.
The National Museum
This is a must for any tourist to visit Prague. But especially for James Bond and Mission Impossible fans. The grand staircase evokes memories of the US Embassy party at the beginning of Mission Impossible, or the staircase and entrance of the Venice hotel where Bond and Vesper are staying.
The staircase is right and centre in the museum, and the museum itself has lots of exhibitions on natural history, architecture, minerals, and the history of the Czechia. It’s well worth the visit.
Bond’s second kill
The office complex where Bond kills Dryden is called Danube House, and it is at the north of the city. From the National Museum, take the Muzeum station, and take the C metro to Florenc. From there it is about a 10 minute walk to the business park.
Shoot in and out
At the time of visiting there was some scaffolding covering the entrance, but it is unmistakeable. I had to be discreet as there were guards around, but I did get a photo as best as I could to replicate that opening shot of Casino Royale.
Bodyworlds exhibition
To get to the Ministry of Transport building where the exterior was used for the Bodyworlds exhibition, continue towards the bicycle path next to Danube House and follow it going west for about 5 mins. You will walk through an underpass. At the other end you will see the car park for the building.
This car park was turned into the streets of Miami, and you can make out the doors are still there from filming. Again, there were a few guards around, and not wanting to make my stay in Prague any shorter than I wanted, I took some more discreet photos.
What’s my name?
Bourne escapes
From the Ministry of Transport, to get to the Carlos IV hotel which doubled for the US Embassy in Zurich. It is a 20 minute walk, but it is worth it. There’s a lot of great architecture, and you will walk past the main station which also appeared in The Bourne Identity.
The hotel has a grand façade, but just to the right is the trades entrance. There you can see the part of the building where Jason Bourne scaled down. I was really fortunate as the delivery driver just left and the gates were open for me to take a quick photo. The hotel interior was also used for Spider Far From Home.
End Credits
This then concludes my mammoth walking tour of Prague, and it does not disappoint. There were a few places that I missed, such as the monastery library that doubled for the House of Commons. Likewise I only found out about the Bond Prague café as I was leaving Prague. I would highly recommend visiting, and hope you enjoyed these ramblings from a movie fan.
Prague Article by
Z from Tie Another Day on Instagram. You can catch more articles by Z such as the most iconic ties in movies, here.
