Prague Historic Center Utility Underground Tour

Join us to see the engineering network under the Prague historic centre.

Our guide will pick you up at your hotel and walk you to the entry of the underground tunnel. You will ride the underground train about forty metres below the historic center viewing the engineering networks. The group can have maximum 16 persons inlcuding the guide. The tour must be booked in advance and is possible only on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The entrance fees are paid separately.
4 HOUR TOUR GUIDE ONLY

You will see collectors in which the majority of the engineering networks providing the day-to-day functions of a modern city are laid.
We will show you the technical construction of collectors and the means of laying engineering networks, the dispatching centre and one of the most modern and extensive means of monitoring in the world, also the passages where engineering networks lead directly into the basement of buildings. You will have the chance to view our underground train station and ride our underground train. Tour stops are as deep as forty metres below street level. Walks pass under historic sites such as the Prague Gate, the Municipal House, Old Town Square, the Tyn church and others. Experts worldwide come to see our technical underground.

Collectors are underground passageways in which engineering networks are laid. The majority of the networks essential for the day-to-day processes of the city – waterlines, canalization, hot-water lines, gas lines, energy, telephone and optical cables – are found in collectors.

At the present time, there are nearly ninety kilometres of collectors under the streets of Prague.

The basic tasks of Kolektory Praha include: the administration, operation and maintenance of collectors; uninterrupted dispatching service and monitoring; twenty-four hour emergency services ensuring the solution of extraordinary operational situations, system failures and breakdowns in the collector network. The network itself was funded by, and is the property of, the City of Prague.

Tours:

Route A: Centrum 1 Collector – Senovážné square

A short and non-physically demanding tour for less able-bodied tourists; 900 metres in length; Possibility to ride underground train.

The entrance to the collector is located on Senovážné square, where visitors travel by elevator to the Centrum 1 Collector, located approximately 30 metres below street level. The tour continues in the direction of Ovocný trh and back.

Route in Numbers 900 metre route; Max. 16 visitors; 30 metre depth; Tour time approx. 90 minutes

Tour Content
Overview of central dispatching activities; General information about collectors; Explanation of function of monitoring systém elements; Tour of underground train station and mechanisms; Presentation of collector engineering networks and components as well as construction of collectors. Both the tour and the presentation are geared towards those interested in extraordinary situations (alarm, siren, electrical failure and fire).

Route B: Senovážné square – Vodičkova
A tour of a newly-built collector equipped with the most modern technology; Suitable for technicians and specialists.

The entrance to the collector is located on Senovážné square. The tour begins at central dispatching, from which visitors travel by elevator to the C1 collector, approximately 30 metres below street level. A short train ride follows and the tour continues under Jindřišska street in the direction of Václavské (Wenceslas) square. The route ends at Vodičkova street, where the newest collector – the Vodičkova collector, operational since the end of 2007 – is presented to visitors. By agreement, it is possible to extend the tour to Karlovo square and exit at New City Hall; Only the final tour of any given day may include the tour to Karlovo square and New City Hall, due to time considerations.

Route in Numbers 1,3 kilometre route; tour time approx. 90 minutes to 2 hours; 15 to 30 metre depth; necessary to climb five ladders.délka trasy 900 m, počet návštěvníků max. 16, max. hloubka 30 m, čas prohlídky cca 1,5 hod.

Tour Content
Basic information about collectors; Presentation of engineering networks and construction; Viewing of the most modern collector construction technology and technical highlights of collector monitoring system; Presentation of extraordinary situations; Vodičkova collector as a unique construction built in extremely unfavourable geological conditions, which rates the collector as one of the most modern and best technically equipped underground constructions in Europe.

Route C: Centrum 1 Collector – Příkopě – Celetná(King’s Way)

An interesting route leading in part under the historical core of the city with exit via historic cellar; One of the most physically demanding tours, part of which may be taken by underground train

The tour begins on Senovážné square with entrance by elevator to the Centrum 1 collector, 30 metres below street level, and continues to the Příkopě collector. Along Senovážná street, the tour route continues in the direction of the Municipal House, where it branches off towards the Celetná collector. The tour continues along Králodvorská street and at the building of the Black Mother of God (Černé Matky Boží) into the Celetná collector. Approximately 300 metres further, visitors emerge from underground by means of a historic cellar in the basement of a building in Celetná street, not far from Týn church.

Route in Numbers
1200 metres route; Tour time 2 hours; Greatest depth approx. 30 metres; Necessary to climb seven ladders; Maximum 16 persons per tour.

Tour Content
Detailed technical information about collectors; Demonstration of activities performed by central dispatching; Presentation of technology and construction of collectors and engineering networks; Viewing of underground train station and facilities; Presentation of extraordinary situations; Viewing of passages with engineering networks leading into building basements; Exit by means of historic cellar in central Prague by Old Town square.

Route D: Senovážné square – Příkopy – Slovanský dům

Attractive 1000 metre route with a high number of points of technical interest; The most physically demanding route, geared towards specialized visitors; Part of the route may be covered in the underground train.

The tour begins on Senovážné square with entrance by elevator to the Centrum 1 collector, 30 metres below street level, and continues to the Příkopě collector, where it is necessary to climb five ladders totalling 19 metres. The tour continues at a depth of 12 metres along Senovážná street, in the direction of the Municipal House; Here it is necessary to climb a 5 metre ladder, and after an approximately 150 metre walk under Příkopě street the route ends by exiting through a switchroom by 8 metre ladder into Slovanský dům.

Route in Numbers
1000 metre route; Tour time approx. 2 hours; Maximum depth 30 metres; Necessary to climb 7 ladders; Maximum 16 persons per tour.

Tour Content
Technical information about collectors; Demonstration of activities performed by central dispatching; Explanation of monitoring systém elements; Presentation of technology and construction of collectors and engineering networks; Viewing of underground train station and facilities; Presentation of extraordinary situations.

Collectors may be toured at the following dates and times:
Group Tours (Maximum 16 persons)
Mondays 9.00 to 11.00am, 11.30 to 13.30pm
Wednesdays 8.30 to 10.30am, 11.00 to 13.00pm, 16.00 to 18.00pm
Individual Tours (1 to 16 persons)
Mondays 14.00 to 16.00pm
Wednesdays 13.30 to 15.30pm

Conditions of cancellation # 50% payment(including VAT) for cancellation of paid reservations seven days in advance of scheduled tour # Full payment for cancellations less than seven days prior to scheduled tour.