Golden Prague
Once, Prague was the capital of Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire, the Czechoslovak Republic, the Nazi Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and now is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic.
Situated on the Vltava River in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural and economic center of the Czech state for more than 1100 years. In 1992 the extensive historic center of Prague, covering 866 hectares, was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register, making the city one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, receiving more than 4.1 million international visitors annually, as of 2009.
Prague is an ideal destination for spending an entire holiday or simply a pleasant trip of a few days. Some people say that Prague is the most exciting city in Central Europe, with wonderful restaurants, shopping malls, nightlife, music and film festivals, sightseeing & opera. Visitors can also enjoy its architecture, historical monuments and wonderful nature.
Besides cultural treasures, Prague offers a precious commodity: Bohemian beer. In fact Czech breweries produce the finest beers in the world.
If you don’t see them, you went in vain!!!
So grab yourself a map of the city and join the crowd, eager to discover a city with an epic history, full of rich and opulent beauty.
Prague Castle
The Castle is Prague’s number one tourist attraction. You’ll see it across the Vltava River, situated atop a large hill. At the entrance you will encounter two titans, and beyond the gates, St. George’s Basilica is waiting for you, so the enormous St. Vitus Cathedral. It is the most important cathedral in all of the Czech Republic. On one side of the cathedral hall is a door leading to a secret room, where the kings of Holy Roman Empire were crowned. The door is opening with seven golden keys, kept by the members of Parliament. You can also visit the princess rooms who once lived here and look through the window where the Twenty Years War “sparked”, to see the gardens below, with perfectly placed banks so you can have a nice view of the city.
Charles Bridge
The bridge was originally called the “Stone Bridge” or the “Prague Bridge” but has been the “Charles Bridge” since 1870. This bridge, spanning the Vltava River, is one of the main attractions of Prague. It was founded in 1357 by Charles IV and was finished in the beginning of the 15th century. The bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. On either end of the bridge are beautiful Gothic towers (the Lesser Town Bridge Tower and the Old Town Bridge Tower) because it was part of the defensive system of Prague. Since 1683 a unique street with 30 statues and statuettes (most of them baroque-style) developed along the bridge. The statuary group of “St. Cyrillic and St. Methodius” was carved in 1928 by Dvorak. Statue of “St. Luitgard” is the most valuable, while the statue “Sf. John Nepomuk” is the only bronze sculpture. Beginning in 1965, all of the statues have been systematically replaced by replicas, and the originals have been exhibited in the lapidarium of the National Museum.
During the day, the Charles Bridge is a very busy place, with painters, musicians, owners of kiosks and other traders alongside numerous tourists from all parts of the world. Instead, during the night, it lays a charming quiet, ideal to contemplate the bright waters of the Vltava River.
Wenceslas Square
Wenceslas Square is the largest square in Prague (total area 45,000 m²) and the center of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague. Less a square than a boulevard, it has the shape of a very long rectangle, in a northwest–southeast direction and it was built over six centuries ago, during the reign of Charles IV.
Many historical events occurred there, including Nazi occupation and communist takeover. Also, the Velvet Revolution started here. Now it’s a trendy and lively place, lined by shops and cafes, restaurants, hotels, and clubs. You should try a traditional fried cheese sandwich from the food market stalls, it’s delicious!
At the top of Wenceslas Square, the statue of St. Wenceslas on his horse cuts a striking figure and behind St. Wenceslas is the monumental National Museum, designed by Czech architect Josef Schulz.
Being a very popular place, Wenceslas Square attracts numerous visitors every day, both locals and tourists.
Dancing House
It is a masterpiece of modern architecture inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (the house resembles a pair of dancers). Constructed between 1992-1996 this stunning building is a mixture of glass and steel that seems to move, surrounded by the Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings for which Prague is famous. On the roof is a French restaurant with views of the city.
Old Town Square
Is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague, located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge. With its ancient buildings and magnificent churches, this is one of the most beautiful historical sights in Europe. The square is full of exciting attractions: the Gothic Týn Cathedral with its golden bell towers, a unique building in Prague; the stunning St. Nicholas Church; also tourists may find the Astronomical Clock on this square, while the tower of the Old Town Hall offers a panoramic view of Old Town. In the square’s center is the statue of Jan Hus, one of the most important Czech reformers and nationalists, who burned at the stake for his beliefs, in Middle Ages.
A popular place, the Old Town Square is filled with tourists, terraces, restaurants, cafés, souvenir shops and galleries. On occasion, ice-hockey and football (soccer) games are shown on huge screens, drawing large crowds of fans.
The Žižkov Television Tower is the tallest structure in town, built during the Communist (between 1985 and 1992), as a show of force and technology of the Communist Bloc. Like many examples of communist-era architecture in Central and Eastern Europe, the TV tower used to be generally resented by the local inhabitants.
In 2000, sculptures of crawling babies were temporarily attached to the tower’s pillars. The sculptures were admired by many and were returned in 2001 as a permanent installation. The construction is a little too modern for the Prague’s medieval atmosphere, but, thanks to it (216 m height), the tourists can enjoy a wonderful view. A cafe and a bar are at approx. 65 m high and the cabin where tourists can have exquisite views of the city lies slightly higher, at 97 m.
Vyshehrad
It is the oldest fortress of the city and the birthplace of Prague; it was the site of the original Prague Castle around the 10th century. Behind thick stone walls are old buildings and shops, the beautiful St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral,
National Cemetery and Slavín a Pantheon, the burial site where over 600 prominent figures of Czech culture are buried.
Among the tourist attractions not to be missed in Prague are: the Museum of Decorative Arts, the New Jewish Cemetery, the Metronome, Josefov (the old Jewish quarter), the Franz Kafka Museum, the Prague Zoo elected as the 7th best zoo in the world.
What else can you do?
After several hours of walking on streets paved with stone, when your eyes can still admire the beauty of this city but your legs are tired and you are tired too of places full of tourists, relax for a while in the green and peaceful Vyšehrad park, or take the funicular up to Petrin hill where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the city. In the evening try a concert of classical music or, if you can hold your feet, go to a club and have fun!
