Capital city Prague

The capital city of the Czech Republic is located on both banks of river Vltava and has 1 170 000 inhabitants. Since its founding, Prague has played an important role in the history of the nation, the country and the whole Europe and since the medieval ages it is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The unique historical city center together with the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge and numerous churches, palaces and gardens present diversity of architectural styles - Romanesque rotundas and basilicas, Gothic churches, Renaissance palaces, a vast collection of the Prague's Baroque and Art noveau buildings. The historical part of the city has been listed in the UNESCO World Curtural and Natural Heritage Register.

Prague Castle

Praha 1, Hradčany - www.hrad.cz

The dominant feature of the most attractive Prague's monument is the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral - the spiritual symbol of teh Czech state, with a tomb of Czech Kings, the decorated St. Wencelas Chapel and the beautiful Golden Gate. The sightseeing tour of the castle also includes the old royal palace with the impressive Vladislav's Hall, a basilica and the Curch of St. George, the Golden Street with Daliborka, a picture gallery, the Queen Anna's Summerhouse and casltle gardens.

Loreta

Loretánské náměstí, 118 00 Praha 1 - Hradčany - www.loreta.cz

It is a famous Czech pilgrim place, which heart is the replica of Svatá Chýše (Saint Cottage) - a house, which is said to have belonged to the Virgin Mary. The Saint Cottage is sourrounded by ambits with several chapels and completed with an extraordinary Baroque facade, part of the area is also the Church of the Birth of Our Lord and the Loreta's treasure - a unique collection a liturgical objects. The Loreta's chime plays Marian songs every hour.

Petřín Lookout Tower and Labyrint

Petřínské sady, 110 00 Praha 1 - Malá Strana

It is 60 m high. located on the highest peak of Prague (327 m) in the city center and it was built in 1891 on teh occasion of the Jubilee Exhibition. It is a 5 times smaller replica of teh Eiffel Tower. In the same period also originates a nearby building, where you can go through a mirror labyrint, see fights with Sweedish soldiers on the Carles Bridge during the 30 Year War and have fun in the funny hall of twisted mirrors. A funicural will take to the top of Petřín.

Kampa

110 00 Praha 1 - Malá Strana

A romantic island with picturesque houses and the central oval square, seperated from Čertovka by a blind shoulder of Vltava from Malá Strana (Lesser Town). A couple of houses, among with Čertovka river flows, is known as the Prague's Venice.

Charles Bridge

110 00 Praha 1 - Staré Město, Malá Strana

One of the oldest stone bridges in Europe, built in the 14th. century, was till the half of the 19th. century the only bridge in Prague over Vltava river. It is 516 m long and almost 10 m wide, built of sand-stone blocks on 19 pillars, decorated by a beutiful baroque statues. On both ends there are bridge towers, the Old Town Tower is said to be most beautiful gate of the Gothic Europe.

Old Town and Old Town Square

110 00 Praha 1 - Staré Město, Malá Strana

Historical city centre of Prague with irregural street system, a unique atmosphere and numerous beautiful corners and imressive monuments. The heart of Malá Stara (Lesser Town) is the Old Town Square, with the Town Hall, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Roccoco Kinsky Palace, Dům U Kamenného zvonu (The Stone Bell House) and the Monument of Jan Hus. In the paving of the square you can see a sign of a place, where 27 Czech lords were publicly executed on the 21st. June 1621 and also the Prague meridian.

Powder Gate

between the streets Celetná and Na Příkopě, 110 00 Praha 1 - Staré Město

Since the 15th century, this 65 m high Gothic tower with a rich sculpture decoration has been a monumental entrance to the Old Town. The Royal Yard, once the seat of Czech Kings, is situated in the near neighbourhood, in the place of the present Municipal House. The gate got its name in the course of the 18th. century, because it was used as a storage of gunpowder. Spiral stairways with 186 degrees lead to a sightseeing galery, located in the height of 44 m.

Municipal House

Náměstí Republiky 5, 111 21 Praha 1 - www.obecnidum.cz

An Art-Noveau representative building built in 1905-1911 in the place of a former royal yard, which had been there from the end of the 14th. century till 1903. Famous Czech artists participated on its decoration, single rooms are suposed to celebrate the Czech nation. The most important is the Smetana Hall, holding annual concerts and important cultural happenings.

Josefov and Jewish Museum

Židovské muzeum, U Staré školy 1,
110 00 Praha 1 - Staré Město - www.jewishmuseum.cz

A preserved complex of important Jewish monuments of European importance. It is a mystical place, where many legends were born, such as the one about Golem, a clay giant, made by medieval rabbi Löw. The Jewish Museum administrates the Old Jewish Cemetery from the 15th. century with 12 000 Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque tombstones and other historical objects - Maisel and Spanish Synagogues with permanent exhibitions about the history of Jewish in Bohemia and Moravia, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Klaus Synyagogue and the Ceremonial Hall with an exhibition dedicated to Jewish traditions and customs.

Old-new Synagogue

between the streets Červená, Maiselova and Pařížská,
110 00 Praha 1 - Josefov - www.jewishmuseum.cz

It is the oldest synagogue of the Jewish town and of the Central Europe and the second biggest in the whole Europe (the biggest one is in Toledo). This early Gothic synagogue with rich stone decoration was built in the 13th. century and up th present it is used as an oratory and the main synagogue of the Prague's Jewish Community.

Vyšehrad

V Pevnosti 159/5b, 128 00 Praha 2 - www.praha-vysehrad.cz

According to legends, Vyšehrad is the oldest seat of Czech princes. In the area there is the Romanesque rotunda of St. Martin from the 11th. century, the Gothic Curch of St. Peter and Paul, underground casemates containing originals of some of the Baroque sculptures from the Charles Bridge and the Vyšehrad cemetery which used as a burial site of many Czech outstanding personalities since 1869 with a common tomb called Slavín.

National Theatre

Národní třída 2, 110 00 Praha 1 - www.narodni-divadlo.cz

The Neo-Renaissance building of the prominent Czech theatre scene was built thanks to national collection of money; but right before the ceremonial opening the building burned down and it had to be rebuilt. The second ceremonial opening took place in 1883. The interior and exterior decorations were done by top Czech artists.

National Museum

Václavské náměstí 68, 110 00 Praha 1 - www.nm.cz

The biggest and the oldest Czech museum, founded in 1818, is locared in a famous Neo-Renaissance building, which is a dominant feature of Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square). The museum contains prehistoric, historical-archeological, theatre, mineralogical, geological-paleontological and zoological collections and also holds exhibitions, lectures and other cultural happenings.

Source: Hotel Guide 2006