The magical city of bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes, whose image has been mirrored in the surface of the Vltava river for more than ten centuries.
Prague is also a modern European metropolis full of energy, music, and art. It's a city of contrasts: Serene green isles in the river and peaceful parks draping the city's seven hills are just steps away from the architectural treasures and bustling street life of the city center. Prague's atmosphere is both intimate and romantic, and quite impossible to forget once you visit.
During the first walk through the city we will find out that here the development of the European architecture left splendid representatives of various style periods. We can admire Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque as well as classical buildings or various pseudo-style elements or Art Nouveau. Prague is also a green city. The hills under the Prague Castle, for example, have been presenting the aims of Baroque architecture to combine building of palaces with creating gardens full of pavilions and arbours.
Fifteen big bridges picture the countenance of Prague. Fourteen of them vault across the river Vltava, one of them runs across the Nusle valley. The eldest and the most precious one was built in 1357 and is named after its founder Charles IV. We cannot miss is if we take the Royal Route, the famous tourist route leading from the centre to the Prague Castle.
One of the breath taking and the most photogenic views at the Castle can be seen right at the bridgehead of the Charles Bridge. The effect of the Castle panorama is given by the diversity of probably all the historic styles. We will not exaggerate by saying that we are watching thousand years development of European architecture.
Different views at the city are offered on several islands, surrounded by the river Vltava. Although these small islands are not very interesting from the geographical point of view, they play an important role with their green. These are oases for relaxation in the middle of the noisy city.
The Czech metropolis abounds in theatres, concert and exhibition halls, museums and galleries. It is not vain to say that Prague is as diverse as one can wish. Every new comer will be shown one of Prague charming looks.
Prague’s first inhabitants arrived during the early Stone Age. The hills over the Vltava were first settled by members of an unknown tribe. Their descendants gradually settled the entire area around the Vltava meander, whose shape – that of the letter P – now seems to symbolize the place’s future name.
Archeological finds of jewels from the prehistoric era, whose style is similar to those from the Great Moravian Empire, confirm the existence of a Slavic settlement.
The foundation of the Prague Castle, the building of the Christian church of the Virgin Mary at its center, and the promotion of the Castle as the chief seat of the Přemyslid dynasty have all given the Prague basin settlements a new mission. The Prague Castle became the heart of the Czech Principality; the rise of the Přemyslid princes to power, along with an advantageous position at a crossroads of trading paths over the river, made Prague the most important place in the entire country.
The metamorphosis of the fragmented agglomeration below the castle into a fortified and privileged medieval city took three centuries. The “coming of age” period is historically called the Romanesque era. The importance of the Castle settlements was to a great extent the work of Prince Boøivoj, the first known Czech ruler. Prague became a city at the end of the 12th and 13th centuries. The Old Town of Prague came into existence in 1220 and joined with the Lesser Town at the end of the 13th century. At the beginning of the 14th century, another Prague town appeared: Hradčany (the Castle Quarter).
A period of great prosperity and growth came with the rule of Charles IV (1346-78), who made Prague the greatest center of the European empire. After Rome, it was the second Christian metropolis in Europe. Charles IV built the stone Chares Bridge (1357), founded Charles University (1348) and, during the same year, established Prague’s New Town. After his death, his son Wenceslas IV took over and Prague becomes one of the most beautiful and splendid towns in the whole world, fully deserving of its epithet, “Rome of the North”. Its appearance did not for another 200 years.
It was only during the Jagiellonian era that Prague completed its Gothic evolution. The rule of the Habsburgs brought to Prague the spirit of the Renaissance, and Emperor Rudolf II added to its luster by making it the imperial seat of the Holy Roman Empire. The series of heavy blows which fell on the Czech lands in the wake of the Protestant Czech estates’ defeat in the Battle of the White Mountain (1620), did not spare Prague. The Habsburg victory installed Ferdinand II on the Czech throne and the city became a provincial capital, without power or importance. Even the first woman on the Czech throne, Empress Maria Theresa (1740-80) didn’t do much to raise hopes for its revival. The rule of her son, Josef II, marked the beautiful city by its fervent abolition of convents, monasteries, and churches, as well as by intense national repression.
Spreading re-catholicization brought with it the construction of new churches, convents and monasteries in the Baroque style. In the new fashion, a number of palaces were also built, many of which still help define the appearance of the city. After 1784, in the tumultuous period following the unification of Prague’s many municipalities, a new style, that of burgher-like Classicism, appeared. The Romantic era blew a breath of fresh air into Prague’s gardens and parks. Mid-19th century brought with it a revival of previous styles, which left its mark all over Europe, Prague not excepting. The Neo-Renaissance style symbolized the rebirth of the Czech nation and found most use in the construction of buildings closely associated with Czech national culture (e.g., the National Museum, the National Theater, the Rudolfinum.) At the same time, Prague said farewell to its old fortifications.Around the year 1900, Prague’s population approached 200,000, and the prevailing style was Art Nouveau; the city then was among the largest in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
On October 28, 1918, Prague became the capital of the newly independent Czechoslovakia.
With the dawn of a new era, new styles also arrived: functionalism and constructivism. A unique group of Cubist houses can still be seen at the foot of the Vyšehrad cliff near the river.
The development of the Czech metropolis was halted by World War II and the Nazi occupation. The country’s new-found freedom was quickly suppressed by the nascent Communism, which proceeded to inflict on Prague five decades of “building Socialism”.
At the end of the last century, Prague’s historical center was included in the prestigious UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage. The city entered the new millennium as a self-assured, proud metropolis, blessed with its ancient heritage as well as new, exciting works of architecture.
Prague, the Czech capital, is among the fastest-developing and most dynamic regions in all of Europe. Over the past fifteen years, the city has transformed itself from a dreary East Bloc capital to a modern European metropolis, and the metamorphosis continues.
No longer the cheap paradise for bohemians and slackers it was in the early 1990s, Prague nonetheless maintains its hip factor and continues to attract young people from across the world, who arrive by air, train, or long-distance bus. The Prague airport has become a busy Central European hub and is now served by all major European carriers (and their trans-Atlantic code-share partners) as well as dozens of new, low-cost airlines. There are international express trains arriving at Prague's historic Hlavní nádrazí train station every hour, and international coaches pull into the Florenc central bus terminal practically every few minutes.
Prague is easy to get around thanks to its excellent public transit system. Three metro lines represent its backbone, while connecting trams, city and suburban buses make up the network’s flesh. Even more distant parts of the city are well connected with the center, day and night.
Prague is never bored, or boring. Every day there's something new: trendy bars, restaurants and clubs to check out, cozy pubs with excellent beer, and plenty of funky, offbeat art exhibits, concerts, and theatre performances. If you venture out of the historical center, whether to hipster-central Zizkov, urban Vinohrady or Holesovice, futuristic Smichov or fast-changing, industrial Karlin, you'll get a chance to experience the city as most Praguers do. A quick ride on the subway or tram is all that's needed. Prague can be fun no matter what the season, although the biggest party happens only once a year in its very center, on December 31st.
Prague is an affordable place for young visitors, who will be happy to find a number of budget-priced accommodation options. After arrival, many offices located at larger traffic hubs offer accommodations in private apartments, hostels, pensions, and hotels, both in Prague and on its outskirts.
Prague also offers a wide range of affordable food staples and other essential products for daily use, as well as plenty of inexpensive fast food options of a good European standard. Although the main tourist routes are dotted with Czech and international restaurants, we recommend that you leave the hustle and bustle of the main streets behind and immerse yourself in the quiet side streets of the Old or New Town, or even more distant parts which, as if forgotten, will be happy to welcome the chance visitor in their restaurant, pub, bar, or and tearoom. You might be surprised how much lower the prices are once you leave the beaten track.
Students will find a wide range of discounts. International student identity cards are recognized by many museums, galleries, theaters, and movie multiplexes.
A few ideas to whet your appetite...
The 1.3 million-strong capital is among the most visited cities in central Europe and, understandably, the most popular Czech destination. Prague is a living textbook of different architectural styles, where Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque structures stand side by side with examples of Art Nouveau, Cubist, and functionalist architecture.
Prague’s architectural heritage is also reflected in a number of adventurous modern structures.Since time immemorial, the city was a garden of Czech, German, and Jewish cultures. Their mutual symbiosis was torn apart by the events of World War II – the Holocaust, the post-war transfer of ethnic Germans into Germany, and the Cold War, which for a long time isolated the city and the country from the democratic world.
Since 1989, Prague once again enjoys a vibrant cultural and social life. The city hosts many international cultural and sports events. Dozens of galleries and museums attract visitors to their permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, displaying artistic and craft treasures of all periods and places of origin. Prague is also a major centre of higher learning, with the illustrious Charles University (founded in 1348) ranking among the oldest universities on the Continent.
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