Speculum Alchemiae Museum
Speculum Alchemiae Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Our museum called Speculum Alchemiae, is situated in one of the oldest houses in Prague. There are secret alchemical laboratories from the 16th century in the museum underground that were built for the king Rudolf II. The alchemists of that time used to prepare elixirs in there. The museum building also includes a shop, where equal elixirs can be bought. These elixirs are prepared under strict conditions according to their original recipes which have been found here. Newly, we also offer a unique tour of magical places in Prague which are connected with the Speculum Alchemiae museum. The guided tour includes the Prague Castle, Vysehrad, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, and the museum. At these places you learn about many amazing legends and mythological stories associated with the so-called Prague Magical Triangle.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Stare Mesto (Old Town)
One of the oldest neighbourhoods in town represents the medieval heart of Prague. It’s no surprise it is bustling with tourists every time of day. Križovnický square, overlooking Charles Bridge with Prague Castle in the background, is probably the most beautiful square in the city. Its unique historical atmosphere of gothic houses and churches, cobblestone streets and squares, and stone towers blend together with the modern era. A vast array of bars, restaurants, dance clubs, international brand shops, galleries and hotels bring life to the old city. With its charming and picturesque cobblestone streets, the nightlife and parties will surely be unforgettable.
How to get there
- Old Town • 7 min walk
- Republic square • 10 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
- ZedDubaiDubai, United Arab Emirates232 contributionsNot to be missed!We were actually hesitating whether to go or not, but this turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip to Prague that we tell everyone about. What we quite enjoyed is the authenticity of the place, the extremely proper organization, and the knowledge of the tour guides! Once you book, you will be assigned a time slot part of a guided tour, and then taken from room to room in this well preserved maze! Really quite a memorable tour!Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten 5 October 2023
- Tähvo 'Ghost' RobertsBath, United Kingdom32 contributionsWorth the visit!A quirky and well laid out shop front with a fun and interesting hidden tour that delves into the history surrounding alchemy and hidden tunnels in Prague. Our tour guide was very friendly, informative, and professional. Great experience and gained a lot of knowledge from our trip.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 15 November 2023
- JeremyH_UKDurham, United Kingdom35 contributionsThe best new museum in Prague!Really amazing place that I can't recommend enough. This basement was discovered during the 2002 floods and houses alchemists' laboratories from the 17th century. It houses an alchemists' laboratory, complete with furnaces and the remnants of their researches on the transmutation of elements and manufacture of elixirs for consumption by the rich (including the holy Roman Emperor). We had a wonderfully knowledgeable guide for our tour. Our specific tour is not listed, but we just went to the location during opening hours and paid cash at the door. They don't take credit cards, at least in summer 2023.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 3 January 2024
- Jeremy Y2 contributionsFun, Interesting TourFun, interesting tour through previous alchemist labs and tunnels. Some of the items in the labs are recreations, but it still felt very authentic. High recommend. Note: the museum only accepts cash so ensure you have Korunas or Euros availableVisited December 2023Travelled with familyWritten 12 January 2024
- The Czech Advisor2 contributionsSpeculum Alchemiae Museum (Muzeum Speculum Alchemiae) The Czech Advisoren, It was amazing. We recommend. Just be careful so you dont fall there a lot of rocks on the ground. cz, Bylo to hezké. Doporučujeme. Jenom buďte opatrný ať nespadnete je tam hodně kamenů na zemi.Visited May 2024Travelled with familyWritten 8 May 2024
- Gary MLeeds, United Kingdom539 contributionsA really interesting tour!A fascinating tour about alchemy, I would recommend it to anyone who visits Prague. The tours are led by a knowledgeable guide and last about 30 mins. Feedback regarding the positions! Make some tiny ones, maybe less than 100ml so we can take them home in our carry on!Visited April 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 14 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
1,035 reviews
Excellent
698
Very good
237
Average
54
Poor
26
Terrible
20
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Chris.al
6 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
The tour was excellent and if you want to learn about the history of alchemy in Prague in a genuine setting it is definitely the place to go. However, taking into account you can get a three hours tour in town (tip based) for more or less the same, one should be aware it is only a tour of half an hour. I would've loved to hear a little more about the art of alchemy, what people believed etc. Maybe including that a tour could take a little longer.
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marcela P
33 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
This place was very cool!
They have even one original elixir in exhibition.
And they sell newly brewed ones.
The guide was great, she knew a lot of facts outside from the planned story during the tours.
I absolutely recommend it.
But call/email beforehand, because they only have guided tours and in several languages, so you need to know when one in your language will happen.
They have even one original elixir in exhibition.
And they sell newly brewed ones.
The guide was great, she knew a lot of facts outside from the planned story during the tours.
I absolutely recommend it.
But call/email beforehand, because they only have guided tours and in several languages, so you need to know when one in your language will happen.
Written 28 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
joanne
Poulton Le Fylde, UK49 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
My husband was keen to go on this visit and tour and it was one of the best things we did during our three day stay in Prague. The tour guide was superb and so knowledgeable but it was so interesting to hear the history of the building and to discover the secret tunnels and various underground rooms. Brilliant!
Written 16 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Victoria S
Kokkola, Finland24 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
Very atmospheric and definitely worth a visit, just remember to check ahead at what times the guided tours start as you're not allowed to enter on your own. What we thought was missing in the presentation given by our guide was information about the actual practices of alchemists and the uses of different tools displayed. Our guide also spoke very fast which sometimes made it difficult to keep up, but we appreciated that there was time for questions after each segment. All in all, the tour is more for entertainment than educational purposes. An addition I would like to suggest for the gift shop is more literature about the subject for those wishing to really dive into it.
Written 7 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arnie
5 contributions
Apr 2022
The Speculum Alchemiae Museum is a perfect mix of thorough scholarship and campy displays! A must-see for history buffs and creatures of the night. The tour guide was especially knowledgeable and funny. You could spend an hour reading all the signage or just skip to the 20-minute guided tour of their hilarious tableaux.
Written 20 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Toblje
Zurich, Switzerland8,418 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
This museum can only be visited as part of a guided tour. During opening hours, tours start approximately every 30 minutes. On the short tour through the underground laboratories, you can learn some interesting facts about alchemy, which flourished in Prague, especially under Emperor Rudolf II (1552 - 1612). Unfortunately, there is not much to see other than a few old ovens and empty bottles. After the tour, you can buy overpriced, alcoholic "healing potions" as souvenirs in the entrance area. It's a shame, because with a little imagination, there is still a lot of tourist potential to be gained, especially when it comes to topics related to magic and occultism. For EUR 10 per person, we were offered too little here compared to other attractions in Prague. We would therefore not visit the museum a second time.
Important: No credit/debit cards are accepted. Tickets can only be purchased with cash.
Important: No credit/debit cards are accepted. Tickets can only be purchased with cash.
Written 15 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeremy Y
2 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
Fun, interesting tour through previous alchemist labs and tunnels. Some of the items in the labs are recreations, but it still felt very authentic. High recommend. Note: the museum only accepts cash so ensure you have Korunas or Euros available
Written 12 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Corinne W
Amsterdam, The Netherlands116 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
We found this on Atlas Obscura and were so happy... definitely recommended for the whole family. Tours starts every 30 min on the hour/half hour. We were the only ones visiting at the time so had a private tour with a guide who was a great storyteller. She walks you through some of the history of alchemy in Prague which helps understand why this house is special. You then go down a few steps to look at the labs underground. I won't write all the fun til bits we learned but we all loved it. And we were happy we visited this museum over the other options dotted around the city. Definitely visit here!!
Written 10 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nadav B
3 contributions
Sept 2022
Extremely atmospheric, old-world vibes, even by Prague standards! An absolute must for anyone who has even a passing interest in the occult.
The tour was concise and reasonably priced, and the back rooms and catacombs were absolutely incredible. Bear in mind the museum can only be accessed by guide, once an hour. Our guide was excellent and informative. The gift shop was to die for!
The tour was concise and reasonably priced, and the back rooms and catacombs were absolutely incredible. Bear in mind the museum can only be accessed by guide, once an hour. Our guide was excellent and informative. The gift shop was to die for!
Written 14 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
geord359
High Spen, UK15 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
This museum essentially showcases a number of underground rooms and tunnels that were discovered about 20 years ago. Because they had been sealed off and forgotten about you effectively get a time capsule containings relics from bohemian history. The various contents of the site range from chemistry equipment to the tools that were used to attempt to make gold. All in all, its a very interesting place to visit and provides insight into a little known side of Prague.
Written 23 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Onde encontro esse tour? Quero visitar o Speculum Alchemiae Museum, mas não acho ingresso para comprar.
Written 3 September 2022
Prohlidka 15:00 18.1.2020 Mela by obsluha u kasy nabizet dame ve strednim veku vyber mezi vstupenkou dospely vs. senior, jen proto, ze ma prosedivele vlasy?! Trocha taktu by bylo na miste a zamyslet se, jestli obarvene vlasy opravdu vypovidaji o mladi...
Written 18 January 2020
Dobrý den,
děkujeme za otázku.
Výběr ze vstupenek naši zaměstnanci většinou říkají automaticky, protože se nám již několikrát stalo, že jsme našim návštěvníkům nabídli pouze základní nezlevněné vstupné, a oni se poté zpětně dožadovali slevy a kritizovali za to, že jsme jim automaticky nenabídli co nejlevnější vstupenku. Nemůžeme bohužel ohlídat každou jednotlivou situaci, a někdy se stane že vzhled může zavádět.
Omlouvám se za celé muzeum pokud došlo k nedorozumění, ale rozhodně nikoho úmyslně neurážíme kvůli vzhledu.
S přáním hezkého dne,
Ing. Daniela Zádová, manažerka komunikace
Written 22 January 2020
No habría ningún problema. El tour es corto seguro y muy interesante.
Written 29 September 2018
I can't remember exactly how much. About 10 -15 pounds sterling I think.
Written 12 September 2018
Hi, I have mobility issues, is the floor uneven and if yes, how much?
Are there stairs and how much?
Thank you
Written 9 September 2018
As I remember there was no elevator. Just an old stair. The floor downstairs is not flat but stoned. It is a medieval basement conserved as it was.
Written 9 September 2018
Are there any signs on thebexibit in english? If I don't speak czech and want to stay for longer than the tour is it possible?
Written 25 December 2016
The tour is in english, and all the signs/exhibits have czech and english. 👍
Written 30 December 2016
CHARLYGS
Valencian Community, Spain
Hola, el tour en el museo hay guías que hablen el idioma Español?
Written 18 September 2016
Hi
I want to know which hours English tour starts in a day.
Plan to visit in September.
Written 3 September 2016
Hi Georgian, the English tours are upon request. The ladies are pretty flexible. Sorry for late reply. It did skip my attention. Hope you had fun anyway
Written 10 October 2016
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