James Bond's Prague

A couple of years ago I had a bit of a shock when IPrague and somewhere I occasionally deliver
was carrying out my standard Prague airport to citypassengers to, stands in for Montenegro. The
route, I turned to go down to the Karolinska and camespectacular Grandhotel Pupp stands in for the Hotel
face-to-face with Daniel Craig, who was shootingSplendide, where Vesper and Bond stay before the
scenes for his first Bond movie 'Casino Royale'. I latercompetition. You may also recognise this hotel as the
watched the film and discovered that Danube Houseplace Queen Latifah stayed in the film 'Last Holiday'.
on the Karolinska is where Bond first earned hisThe Casino Royale itself is actually the Kaiserbad Spa
license to kill.and the town Bond meets his contact Matthias is the
After Bond killed Mollaka, M got a bit of a dressingsmall town of Loket.
down from her superiors in the House of Commons.Supposedly Bond and Vesper then head over to
However, I instantly recognised the committee roomVenice and check into a luxurious hotel with stunning
as not in London, but rather as the library of Strahovviews of the Piazza San Marco. However, this grand
Monastery. This historical library is open daily for ahotel is a place that many of my passengers ask to
small charge and I often recommend that Bond fanssee on their Prague airport to city transfers - Prague's
take a visit. If the place looked strangely familiar, evenNational History Museum. Strangely most of the people
before Casino Royale this may be because thethat I take there aren't as interested in the history as
Johnny Depp film 'From Hell' was also filmed in parts inthe fact that this place was the scene of the
this library.disastrous operation at the beginning of Tom Cruise's
I also recognised the so-called Miami Airport asMission Impossible. The museum is located on
Prague's Ruzyne Airport, and I should know - I visit itWenceslas Square and contains several million items,
almost every day on my Prague airport to city jaunts.which are definitely worth looking around. Many other
Prague also stood in for Miami when Bond visited Thescenes in Prague where shot in the Barrandov Studios,
Bodyworlds Exhibition. This exhibition was actually heldwhich is one of the most sought after studios in
in Vitkov Park in the Vitkov Monument, which affordsEurope.
spectacular views all over Prague. Occasionally theIf you have the chance whilst in Prague, make like
Vitkov Monument is open for special events and if thisJames Bond and try your luck in the Casino
coincides with your visit then I definitely recommendAmbassador. We can't promise that you'll win quite as
checking it out.much as Bond, but if you're lucky you may come
James Bond must have loved the Czech Republic, asaway something of a Miss Moneypenny.
the town of Karlovy Vary, located on the outskirts of