In the footsteps of Robert Langdon: Dan Brown’s new thriller inspires themed city tours
Dan Brown’s newest novel The Secret of Secrets that takes its main protagonist Robert Langdon to Prague has already inspired themed city tours tracing Langdon’s footsteps around the city.
Undoubtedly, Prague possesses a certain magic: narrow alleys, golden rooftops, hundreds of church towers, a rich tradition of alchemy, and age-old legends. Dan Brown says it is the perfect backdrop for one of Langdon’s adventures.
The novel is expected to bring thousands more tourists to Prague and Prague City Tourism, the agency, affiliated with the Prague City Council, has launched a campaign called “Prague - City of Secrets” inspired by the new thriller.
Jana Adamcová is the Vice-Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and explains the idea behind the new campaign:
“Five years ago, we moved away from mass tourism. The phenomenon that Dan Brown contributes to is what we call literary tourism—and it’s something that really interests us. It attracts visitors who come with a deeper appreciation for Prague’s history and culture. They are independent travellers, and we have created a complete package for them to explore Prague through Dan Brown’s story. This includes special city tours, themed souvenirs, and maps highlighting key locations featured in the book.”
Adamcová adds that, much like Florence, Prague captivates through its rich, multi-layered history -making it fascinating not only to Dan Brown, but to visitors from around the world.
Two of the three themed tours that will be offered by Prague City Tourism explore the historical heart of the city - one winds through the old Jewish quarter, the other around Prague Castle. But the third tour takes visitors to a lesser-known part of the city: the remnants of Prague’s Baroque fortifications in Folimanka Park, south of the city centre. Adamcová expresses appreciation for Dan Brown’s decision to spotlight areas beyond the traditional tourist paths:
“We’re looking to ease the pressure on Prague’s heritage zone, so the fact that Dan Brown chose to highlight places like the Bastion at the Folimanka park - and that we can now draw more visitors to Vyšehrad - is exactly the kind of shift that helps us redirect tourism away from the overcrowded areas.”
Tour guide Miloslava Nevolová knows the locations featured in the book down to the smallest detail. She created the first themed tour based on the novel for Prague City Tourism. To her, it’s a great honour that the world-renowned author has chosen Prague as the setting for his latest book.
One of the highlights of her tour is the Clementinum, home to the National Library of the Czech Republic and its famous Baroque library. Nevolová praises Dan Brown for the way he blends historical references with fast-paced fiction:
“We are standing in front of the Clementinum. An action-packed chase scene takes place here, as the two protagonists, Langdon and Katherine Solomon, are pursued by a sniper from the Czech secret service. He tracks them all the way to the Baroque library. A key element here is the world’s largest book—the Codex Gigas, also known as the Devil’s Bible. It’s featured in the novel, and Dan Brown describes it in truly remarkable detail.”
While the Devil’s Bible is currently on display in Stockholm, as it was moved from Prague in the 17th century, Dan Brown reminds his readers of the book’s historical connection to Prague, notes Nevolová with praise.
The journey continues to Prague’s Old Town Square, where a well-known chapter of the city’s history is brought to life. Here, tourists are introduced to the book’s character called Golem. The parallel to the clay figure said to have been created by the famous Prague Rabbi Löw at the end of the 16th century is no accident. However, in Brown’s story, the Golem is a modern-day person. He lives in the winding alleys surrounding the Old Town Square and passes daily by the statue of the preacher Jan Hus.
“Golem feels as though he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders - much like the legendary clay Golem who is said to have once saved the Jewish Quarter. In the novel, he becomes a protector of the character Sasha Vesna. He safeguards her relationships and helps her maintain a normal life despite everything that threatens to harm and destroy her. The Golem is the one who eliminates all her enemies.”
Since Dan Brown based his character on the old Prague legend of the Golem, it is no surprise that he frequently sends his characters to the city’s iconic Jewish Cemetery, enhancing the novel’s mystical atmosphere. While this famous site hardly needs more tourists, Brown’s story promises to breathe new life into ancient legends.
As Prague City Tourism hopes, The Secret of Secrets could spark renewed interest in the lesser-known corners of the city's rich history. But the agency does not focus solely on Dan Brown; as part of their literary tourism programme, they also offer walking tours inspired by other authors connected to Prague, as Adamcová explains:
“We offer many tours like this - focused on authors such as Franz Kafka or Guillaume Apollinaire, for example - and they can even be combined. We’re currently planning to film a promotional video celebrating Prague’s literary heritage, which we’ll use in our marketing campaigns next year. This will also support Czechia‘s role as Guest of Honour at the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair. So, the theme of literature will really come into full bloom for us this year and next.”
