The Plague Doctor of Prague
1h 30m
Max 30 people
Prague, Czech Republic
About this activity
Good news: the Black Death is no longer airborne. Mostly. Prague's plague doctor walking tour - rated 4.9/5. History was never this fun.
Highlights
- As seen by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Forbes - now available to experience in person on the streets of Prague
- Learn why the plague doctor’s beaked mask smelled of garlic, lavender and rosemary - and why that actually worked
- Taste an anti-plague pill (it’s candy - we promise) and meet the only plague bacterium that’s vegan-friendly
- Pass by Prague’s oldest active hospital in Central Europe, still running since the 16th century - and hear the story of the surgery that almost went perfectly
- Discover five different theories on what caused the plague - from angry gods to suspicious star constellations
Full description
Good news: the Black Death is no longer airborne. Mostly.
Follow the footsteps of Alexandr Schamsky - a 28-year-old doctor who stayed in Prague when the plague arrived in 1713 and everyone else suddenly remembered urgent appointments elsewhere. Discover five competing theories on where the plague came from, taste an anti-plague pill, sniff lavender oil, and hear the avocado analogy that will ruin your next trip to the supermarket forever. You’ve been warned. Twice now.
Regularly booked by doctors, nurses and medical students - who arrive curious and leave slightly worried about squirrels.
Rated 4.9/5 | Recommended by 97% of travellers | As seen in NYT, Forbes & Vogue - which did not exist in 1713, but Alexandr Schamsky would have been pleased.
Available in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Czech
Follow the footsteps of Alexandr Schamsky - a 28-year-old doctor who stayed in Prague when the plague arrived in 1713 and everyone else suddenly remembered urgent appointments elsewhere. Discover five competing theories on where the plague came from, taste an anti-plague pill, sniff lavender oil, and hear the avocado analogy that will ruin your next trip to the supermarket forever. You’ve been warned. Twice now.
Regularly booked by doctors, nurses and medical students - who arrive curious and leave slightly worried about squirrels.
Rated 4.9/5 | Recommended by 97% of travellers | As seen in NYT, Forbes & Vogue - which did not exist in 1713, but Alexandr Schamsky would have been pleased.
Available in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Czech
Good news: the Black Death is no longer airborne. Mostly.
Join Prague’s very own plague doctor – in full 17th century costume, beaked mask and mysterious leather bag – for a 90-minute journey through the dark, fascinating and occasionally disgusting history of the bubonic plague in Prague. Think less “dry history lecture”, more “time travel with a man who recommends drinking three litres of garlic beer a day for your health.”
Our online version of this tour caught the attention of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Forbes. Now we’ve taken it to the streets of Prague’s Old Town – and it’s even better in person.
Part history tour. Part medical lecture. Zero boring bits.
Following the footsteps of the forgotten hero Alexandr Schamsky – a real plague doctor who fought the Black Death in Prague in 1713 – you’ll wander through streets that Google Maps hasn’t spoiled yet, learning why the rich fled the city (spoiler: they always do), how quarantine was enforced at sword point, and why some communities survived the plague significantly better than others (hint: it involves washing hands, a concept many Praguers found deeply suspicious at the time).
Along the way you’ll discover five competing theories on where the plague actually came from – from divine punishment to poisonous star constellations – taste an anti-plague pill, sniff lavender oil, and hear the avocado analogy that will ruin your next trip to the supermarket forever.
This is also a genuinely medical tour – regularly booked by doctors, nurses, bacteriologists and medical students who come for the history and leave slightly concerned about squirrels in New Mexico.
This tour is for you if:
• You enjoy history that doesn’t pull its punches • You’re curious why a medieval doctor’s bag smells of garlic and rosemary • You think a 95% mortality rate deserves more than a Wikipedia article • You’d like to pass by Prague’s oldest active hospital without being admitted
This tour is not for you if:
• You came to Prague exclusively for the Kafka Museum • You are currently experiencing swollen lymph nodes the size of a tennis ball The tour runs rain or shine – much like the plague itself. Ends at the peaceful St Agnes Convent, where you’ll receive your group photo with the plague doctor, a summary of humanity’s greatest medical disaster, and the news that yes, we still have the plague. But on the bright side: antibiotics exist now.
Duration: 90 minutes | Available in English, German and Spanish | Suitable for all ages | Dogs welcome (on a leash — fleas are already taken care of)
Join Prague’s very own plague doctor – in full 17th century costume, beaked mask and mysterious leather bag – for a 90-minute journey through the dark, fascinating and occasionally disgusting history of the bubonic plague in Prague. Think less “dry history lecture”, more “time travel with a man who recommends drinking three litres of garlic beer a day for your health.”
Our online version of this tour caught the attention of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Forbes. Now we’ve taken it to the streets of Prague’s Old Town – and it’s even better in person.
Part history tour. Part medical lecture. Zero boring bits.
Following the footsteps of the forgotten hero Alexandr Schamsky – a real plague doctor who fought the Black Death in Prague in 1713 – you’ll wander through streets that Google Maps hasn’t spoiled yet, learning why the rich fled the city (spoiler: they always do), how quarantine was enforced at sword point, and why some communities survived the plague significantly better than others (hint: it involves washing hands, a concept many Praguers found deeply suspicious at the time).
Along the way you’ll discover five competing theories on where the plague actually came from – from divine punishment to poisonous star constellations – taste an anti-plague pill, sniff lavender oil, and hear the avocado analogy that will ruin your next trip to the supermarket forever.
This is also a genuinely medical tour – regularly booked by doctors, nurses, bacteriologists and medical students who come for the history and leave slightly concerned about squirrels in New Mexico.
This tour is for you if:
• You enjoy history that doesn’t pull its punches • You’re curious why a medieval doctor’s bag smells of garlic and rosemary • You think a 95% mortality rate deserves more than a Wikipedia article • You’d like to pass by Prague’s oldest active hospital without being admitted
This tour is not for you if:
• You came to Prague exclusively for the Kafka Museum • You are currently experiencing swollen lymph nodes the size of a tennis ball The tour runs rain or shine – much like the plague itself. Ends at the peaceful St Agnes Convent, where you’ll receive your group photo with the plague doctor, a summary of humanity’s greatest medical disaster, and the news that yes, we still have the plague. But on the bright side: antibiotics exist now.
Duration: 90 minutes | Available in English, German and Spanish | Suitable for all ages | Dogs welcome (on a leash — fleas are already taken care of)
Included / Excluded
- 90 minutes of time travel with your personal plague doctor in full authentic historical costume
- A professional, licensed guide who is genuinely enthusiastic about medieval medical disasters
- Five root causes of the plague, explained with props, pictures and questionable medical advice
- A tasting of the legendary anti-plague pill (sugar-based, vegan, and significantly safer than the original recipe)
- A sniff of lavender oil used by nobles to prevent the plague - and to cover up the smell of not bathing for a year
- A group photo with your plague doctor at the end of the tour
- Garlic beer
- Leeches
- Bloodletting
- Personal visit from Yersinia Pestis
Itinerary
1
Haus zum Goldenen Brunnen
Treffen Sie Ihren Pestarzt vor dem wunderschön dekorierten Haus zum Goldenen Brunnen, das 1715 zum Ende der Pest erbaut wurde. Machen Sie die Bekanntschaft von Alexandr Schamsky, erfahren Sie mehr über die Pestpatrone St. Sebastian und St. Rochus und entdecken Sie, warum drei Liter Knoblauchbier täglich als solider medizinischer Rat galt.
Duration: 10 min
3 min
2
Klementinum
Betreten Sie einen der stimmungsvollsten Innenhöfe Prags – nur 20 Meter von den Touristenmassen entfernt, aber wie aus einem anderen Jahrhundert. Erfahren Sie, wie die Reichen der Pest entkamen (das tun sie immer), wie gewöhnliche Familien von bewaffneten Nachtwächtern in ihren eigenen Häusern eingesperrt wurden und wie Schamsky gegen alle Widrigkeiten Arzt wurde.
Duration: 10 min
Meeting point
Start Location
Seminářská 2, Old Town, Czechia
Operating hours
- Sunday09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
- Monday09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
- Tuesday09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
- Wednesday09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
- Thursday09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
- Friday09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
- Saturday09:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Important information
Know before you book
- Family-friendly and suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied by a parent - no exceptions, not even in a plague.
- Well-behaved dogs welcome on a leash. Bring water and waste bags. Fleas are strictly not welcome.
- Our tour is stroller and wheelchair accessible and we can avoid stairs. Please let us know in advance if you require any special assistance, and we’ll be happy to accommodate you.
Know before you go
- Bring comfortable shoes and a sense of adventure
- Bring weather-appropriate clothing - we survived the plague, we can handle a bit of drizzle
- Bring a camera - for your group photo with the plague doctor at the end
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity starts
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Stroller Accessible
- Service Animals Allowed
- Easy Public Transport
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
Additional information
Your plague doctor will be waiting at Seminářská 2 (House of the "Golden Well"), next to the entrance of Hotel Aurus, near Klementinum in Old Town. Arrive five minutes early - in 1713 being late could cost you your life. Today it will just cost you the beginning of the tour.