Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. This magical city of bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes, has been mirrored in the surface of the swan-filled Vltava River for more than ten centuries. Almost undamaged by WWII, Prague's compact medieval centre remains a wonderful mixture of cobbled lanes, walled courtyards, cathedrals and countless church spires all in the shadow of her majestic 9th century castle that looks eastward as the sun sets behind her.
Prague is also a modern and vibrant city full of energy, music, cultural art, fine dining and special events catering to the independent traveller's thirst for adventure. It is regarded by many as one of Europe's most charming and beautiful cities, Prague has become the most popular travel destination in Central Europe along with Budapest and Krakow. Millions of tourists visit the city every year.
Prague was founded in the later 9th century, and soon became the seat of Bohemian kings, some of whom ruled as emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. The city thrived under the rule of Charles IV, who ordered the building of the New Town in the 14th century - many of the city's most important attractions date back to that age. The city also went under Habsburg rule and became the capital of a province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1918, after World War I, the city became the capital of Czechoslovakia. After 1989 many foreigners, especially young people, moved to Prague. In 1992, its historic centre was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into two countries and Prague became capital city of the new Czech Republic.
PLACE TO VISIT
Prague Castle The biggest ancient castle in the world, according to the Guinness World Records, which rises above the city offering beautiful views of the areas below. Also on site is the St. Vitus Cathedral with its lookout tower, the Castle Picture Gallery, several palaces and museums and the beautiful Royal Garden, among other attractions. You can also watch the Presidential Guard, and the changeover of the guards on duty on the hour. The entrance for St. Vitus Cathedral is free.
Charles Bridge— One of several bridges over the Vltava. Its construction started in the 14th Century and it is one of Prague's most beautiful attractions. Over the day it is a bustling place of trade and entertainment.
The Old Town (Staré město)— Prague's historic centre. Includes numerous historical buildings and monuments, most notably the famed Astronomical Clock (Orloj), the pure GothicTýn Church, the mural-covered Storch building, and the Jan Hus monument. Nearby, the Estate Theatre is a neoclassical theatre where Mozart's opera Don Giovanni was first performed. The old town features many historical churches (St. James Church, Church of Our Lady before Tnem among others) and some other interesting historical buildings like the Old Town Hall.
Josefov— The historical Jewish ghetto. Interesting for its well preserved historical synagogues, unique in the entire world. The Old New Synagogue (Czech: Staronová synagoga) is Europe's oldest active synagogue. It's rumoured to be the resting place of the famed Prague Golem. Another interesting synagogue is the Spanish Synagogue, a highly ornamented building of Moorish style. Other attractions are the old Jewish Cemetery, which is the oldest in Europe, and Kafka's house. The Old New Synagogue is NOT a part of the Jewish museum, so it's recommended to buy a combined pass to all Jewish attractions.
New Town (Nové město)— The new town was constructed as an extension of the old town at the 14th Century. Nonetheless, despite its oldness, most of it was modernized. The main attraction here is the Wenceslas Square, which has many stalls, shops and restaurants. At the top of the square is the National Museum which is well worth a look (see below). Midway down this historic Boulevard, one finds trendy discos and Art Nouveau hotels, as well as quaint parks and arcades, while just off the beaten path are some wonderful panoramic views (Henry Tower), romantic restaurants, Narodni, and the dazzling, Disney-colored Jubilee Synagogue.
The Lesser Town (Malá strana)— Across the Vltava from the city centre and leading to the castle, this quarter also offers beautiful streets and churches (of which St. Nicholas Church is the most renowned). The Lennon Wall which used to be a source of irritation to the communist regime is also found here, near a Venetian-like canal with water wheel and close to the Charles Bridge.
Loreta. A beautiful Baroque convent in the Lesser Town.
Strahov Monastery. A monastery on the mountain. Worth a visit for both its picture gallery and its notable Renaissance library.
Prague Dancing House (Fred and Ginger Building)— One of the most fascinating architectural expressions of Prague. Accessible from Karlovo náměstí metro station.
Vyšehrad. A nice castle well worth a visit.
Petřínská rozhledna— A smaller version of the Eiffel Tower on the top of a hill.
Prague Giant Metronome— It is a huge monument erected in order to replace the Stalinistic monument that preceded it.
Memorial to the 1989 Velvet Revolution— A simple brass plaque at 20 Narodni. From Cafe Louvre, walk toward the river. You will enter an archway in just a few meters, look on the wall to the left.
Czech National Gallery. Its most important collections are in the Sternberg Palace (up to to the Baroque), St George Convent (Czech Baroque and Mannerism) and Veletržní Palace (19th century and modern art). The first two are located near and in the castle respectively. Do not confuse them with the Castle Picture Gallery (see above) which is worth visiting on its own right.
Czech National Museum. An association of various museums. The main building is at the Wenceslas Square and is dedicated to natural history. Other branches include museums of the Czech composers Dvořák and Smetana, Czech Music Museum, Historical Pharmacy Museum, Prince Lobkovicz' Collection at the Prague Castle, Czech Ethnographical Museum and Naprstek Anthropological Museum.
Prague City Gallery. A museum of modern Czech arts divided between several sites most of which are in the old town. Its main building is the House of the Golden Ring at the Old Town Square featuring 20th Century Czech art in a beautiful medievil edifice. 19th Century Czech art is exhibited at the Troja Castle.
Czech Museum of Fine Arts. 20th Century Czech art and changing exhibitions.
Museum of Decorative Arts. This 17th century palazzo-style building houses examples of historical and contemporary crafts, as well as applied arts and design.
National Technical Museum. Amazing collection of motorcycles, cars, aircraft and commercial vehicles, plus many examples of communist-era technological engineering
Military Museum. Showcases the uniforms, artefacts and maps relating to the Czechoslovak armed forces during World Wars I and II.
Jewish Museum. This covers six separate places (four synagogues, the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Memorial Hall) but does not include the Old-New Synagogue, although entrance tickets can either include or exclude the last named. The Old-New Synagogue is expensive in relation to the museum but in view of its age, it's worth including it. The Memorial Hall is particularly moving with exhibits of the writings of children in death camps.
Mozart and Dušek Museum. Dedicated to the works of Mozart.
Prague City Museum. An absolute must-see for the incredibly detailed cardboard model of nineteenth century Prague by Anton Langweil. The detail is amazing, even down to the colour of the doorways and the design of the windowsills.
Mucha Museum. A museum of the Czech artist and his contemporaries.
Kafka Museum. There is also a permanent exhibition at Kafka's house.
The Pedagogical Comenius Museum. A museum documenting the writings of the Czech Renaissance erudite.
The Mueller Villa. A work of art of the well known Viennese architect Loos from the beginning of the 20th Century.
Jaroslav Fragner Gallery. Jaroslav Fragner Gallery is oriented in temporary architecture. You can find here profiles of influential people and groups, retrospective exhibitions, thematic exhibitions, recent movement in architecture. Gallery provides lectures, seminars and publishing, regarding central Prague the JFG became a centre for architects, professional and general public, students of architecture and construction companies.
Museum Kampa. A museum of modern Central European art.
Museum of Communism in Czechoslovakia. Interesting exhibits on how Communism changed Czechoslavakia.
There are plenty of smaller museums. Among them are the Miniature Museum at the Stahnov Monastery, Toys Museum and Musical Automata Museum at the Prague Castle, Wax Museum, Torture Museum, Postal Museum and Brewery Museum at the Old Town and the Aviation Museum at Kbely.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Ruzyně International Airport, (IATA: PRG), Located 20km northwest of the city centre, it generally takes about 30 minutes to reach the city centre by car. Czech Airlines (ČSA) is the national carrier operating to many European and some international destinations, including New York and Toronto. There are also many cheap direct flights operated by easyJet, Ryanair and BMIbaby from UK, by SmartWings from Continental Europe & Turkey, Aer Lingus from the Irish cities of Dublin & Cork, by SkyEurope from assorted destinations and by Sterling from Scandinavia. Starting on May 2nd, 2007, Delta Air Lines will start flights to Prague from Atlanta in the United States.
By train - Prague has two international train stations: Hlavní Nádraží (the central station, also known as Praha hl.n.) and Praha Holešovice. Both have connections with metro line C.
The park in front of the main train station is a haunt for some of the cities undesirable elements and should be avoided after dark. If you do have to come through on foot, it's best to avoid coming through the park and approach from the Southeast along Washingtonova. As you get to the corner of the park there's a police station, so the likelihood of running into problems from this direction is minimalised. The station is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, alas the 70s style will be lost, but the toilets might be cleaned up once in a while.
By car - Prague has highway connections from five major directions. Unfortunately, the highway network in the Czech Republic is quite incomplete and some highways are old and in poor condition. Thus, the highway connection from Prague to the border of the Czech Republic is available only in two directions - southeast and southwest. The south-western highway (D5; international E50) leads through Pilsen (Plzeň) to Germany. The D5 highway continues in Germany as A6, until the connection with A93 (the remaining of A6 through to Nurnberg is under construction). Riding from the state border to Prague takes about an hour and a half (160 km). The south-eastern highway (D1) is the Czech Republic's oldest and most used highway - as such it's in a rather poor condition. It leads through Brno to Bratislava in Slovakia. It offers a good connection to Vienna, Budapest and all traffic from the east.
By bus - The main bus station for international buses in Prague is Florenc, Křižíkova (metro lines B and C). It is located east of the city centre.
Eurolines and Student Agency connect Prague to major European cities, some services depart from Nádraží Holešovice (metro C) or Dejvická (metro A) but the majority leave from the main bus terminal at Florenc (metro B and C).
By boat - You can travel down the famous Vltava River (Moldau, in German), which inspired writers and composers such as Smetana and Dvorak.
