Prague is the capital and the largest city of the Czech Republic. The city has an area of 496 square km (192 square miles). Prague is situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia. In this city live more than 1.2 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 1.9 million.

Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Prague's short history.

Prague's story goes back to the distant days of the Celtic tribes, as early as 400BC.

The Arab-Jewish merchant Ibrahim Jakub Ibn, who visited Prague in 965 or 966, was the first to leave a written record of the existence of a busy commercial center and settlement below Prague Castle, he described it as a town "built of stone and mortar".  During the first half of the 11th century another castle called Vysehrad was founded on the opposite bank of Vltava.  Judith's bridge was the first stone bridge. It was built in 1172 and named after the queen Judith. It collapsed in a flood in 1342.

Prague became a town during 13th century and the Old Town and the Little Quarter were founded by colonization.

In 1346 Charles IV of Bohemia was elected Holy Roman Emperor. At that time the city's real golden age commenced. The ambitious gothic building program transformed the city into one of the greatest and most powerful in Europe. St Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge, the University, and the New Town were built at that period.

After WWI, in 1918, Czechoslovakia became a republic. Tomáš Garrique Masaryk became its first president.

At the end of 1930's, on 15th March 1939 Hitler's armies occupied Prague.  The anti-fascist resistance of the people of Prague lasted more than six years.

After 1945 Prague's role, size, structure and social importance were decided even more emphatically by national aspects imposed on it, without taking much account of the city's own development needs.  With the Cold War in full swing the Stalinization of Czechoslovakian society was quick to follow.

In the year 1968 movement demanding "socialism with a human face" reached its climax. This events of the, so-called "Prague Spring", lead to the invasion of Czechoslovakia. On 21st August 1968 five countries of the Warsaw Pact occupied Prague.

In 1989 Václav Havel became the president. It brought democracy to the country.

On January 1st 1993, after the split of Czechoslovakia, Prague became the capital of the Czech Republic.

During 2003 the people of the country voted to become a member of the European Union.  This has taken effect on May 1, 2004.

Transport

Prague has an excellent public transport system. It consists of an integrated transport system of Prague Metro (with 57 stations in total), Prague Tram System (including the "nostalgic tram" no. 91), buses, the Petřín funicular to Petřín Hill, and five ferries. All services have a common ticketing system.

The city forms the hub of the Czech railway system, with services to all parts of the Czech Republic and abroad. There is also a commuter rail system known as Esko Prague which serves the Prague metropolitan area. Prague has two international railway stations, Hlavní nádraží and Praha-Holešovice. Intercity services also stop at the main stations Praha-Smíchov and Masarykovo nádraží. In addition to these, there are a number of smaller suburban stations. In the future rail should play a greater role in Prague Public Transport System.

Prague is served by Ruzyně International Airport, the biggest airport in the Czech Republic and one of the busiest in Central and Eastern Europe. It is the hub of the flag carrier, Czech Airlines and of the low-cost airlines SkyEurope and Smart Wings operating throughout Europe.

Sightseeing Overview

One of the most enjoyable aspects of visiting Prague is that much of the compact old core is accessible on foot, with plenty of bars and cafes to provide relief along the way.

Wenceslas Square is the most famous square in Prague.

Just to the northwest is a far more cohesive and appealing public space, the Old Town Square - the throbbing heart of tourist Prague.

Karluv Most (Charles Bridge) is located head west towards the river. The bridge links Malá Strana (Little or Lesser Town) and the Castle above with the Old and New Towns.

Hradčany is the Castle district, which also includes St Vitus Cathedral and St George's Convent. Malá Strana is at the castle's foot.

Back east across Karluv Most lies Staré Město (Old Town), with its winding narrow streets, Old Town Square and Old Town Hall. To the north of the old town lies Josefov (the Jewish Quarter) while Nové Město (New Town) is to the south.

While the Castle district and the Old Town are the real tourist centres of the city, there is plenty waiting elsewhere in Prague and further afield. Green spaces include Letná Park, Karlovo Namesti and Petrin Hill.

There are plentiful half and full day trip options, with the chance to visit the UNESCO World Heritage town of Cesky Krumlov, one of Central Europe's most charming escapes.
Old Town Square (Staromestske Namesti)

The Old Town Square (Staromestske Namesti) is one of two main squares in the city center (the other is Wenceslas Square, only 5 minutes walk away). It is the oldest square in Prague and considered the center of the city.With its ancient buildings, magnificent churches, cobble stones, horse drawn carriages, restaurants and cafes, this is one of the most beautiful historical sights in Europe.

In 12th century the Old Town Square was the central marketplace for Prague. Over the next few centuries, many buildings of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic styles were erected around the market, each bringing with them stories of wealthy merchants, intrigue and even legends of ghosts!

The Old Town Square's most notable sights are the “Church of Our Lady before Tyn”, the “Old Town Hall" with the Astronomical Tower and Clock (Orloj) and the beautiful St. Nicholas Church.

At the center of the Old Town Square is the Jan Hus statue, erected on the 6th July 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of the reformer’s death.

The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague. Many historical events occurred there, and it is a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings. The square is named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia.

Formerly known as Koňský trh (English: Horse Market), for its periodical accommodation of horse markets during the Middle Ages, it was renamed Svatováclavské náměstí (English: Saint Wenceslas square) in 1848 on the proposal of Karel Havlíček Borovský.

Less a square than a boulevard, Wenceslas Square has a shape of a very long (750 meters long - total area 45,000 m²) rectangle. The street slopes upward to the southeast side. On that end, the street is dominated by the grand neoclassical Czech National Museum. The northwest end runs up against the border between the New Town and the Old Town.

Charles Bridge is a stone Gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and the Little Quarter (Mala Strana). It was called the Stone Bridge during the first several centuries. Its construction was commissioned by Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.   The king himself stood on the construction site on July 9, 1357 at 5:31 in the morning to set the first stone.  Writing the date down in numerical sequence, you will get - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1 - which was carefully chosen by Charles’ numerologist. In charge of the construction was architect Petr Parler. He was also the architect of  St.  Vitus Cathedral  at  the Prague Castle.  It is said that egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to strengthen the construction of the bridge.

Charles Bridge has survived many floods, most recently in August 2002 when the country experienced the worst flood in the past 100 years - so the egg yolks and numerology must not have been such a bad idea.

There is a tower standing on each end of the bridge. Both the "Staromestska Vez" on the Old Town end and the "Malostranska Vez" on the Little Quarter side can be climbed for a view of Prague and the bridge from above. 

There are 31 Baroque statues on the bridge. They began to be placed on either side of Charles Bridge in the 17th century. Now many of them are copies and the originals can be seen in the Lapidarium and other museums. The most popular statue is probably the one of St. John of Nepomuk, a Czech martyr saint who was tortured and killed during the reign of Wenceslas IV and then trown into the river from  the  bridge.  The  plaque on the statue has been polished to a shine by countless people having touched it over the centuries. Touching the statue is supposed to bring good luck and ensure your return to Prague.

The bridge is also popular with Czech artists, musicians and souvenir vendors. They are standing along both sides of the bridge all the year round. At sunset one can enjoy a breathtaking view of the fully lit Prague Castle against the evening sky. The bridge is now a pedestrian zone.

The Prague Castle (Prazsky Hrad) is a collection of buildings that came together to be the seat of royalty.  It was built on a hill overlooking the Vltava river valley.   From the 9th century it has grown to the largest royal palace complex in Europe with about 2000 rooms.  It houses a permanent picture gallery, timed exhibitions, several churches, the office of the president of the Czech Republic. It is the site of the ritual “changing of the guards”, state visits and more.  The royal chambers are accessible only to special visitors, one day a year for everyone (with long lines) and visitors that pay a very large (CZK 3000 and up) fee for the privilege.  These rooms contain period furnishings and are considered special due to some prominent guests that have visited or even stayed here as state visitors to the country.

The most visited sites are the St. Vitus Cathedral (the most important church in Prague), St. George Basilica (the oldest remaining church here - a Romanesque masterpiece), the Royal Palace (the former seat of the kings), the Golden Lane (some of the smallest houses in Prague) and the Lobkowicz Palace (the home of the Princely Art Collection).

Part of Prague's charm is that it is a rewarding place to visit at any time of year. Winters can be long, harsh and dark, but spring and autumn are often idyllic with summer bringing some very warm central European temperatures.

Whether boating on a rowing boat on a balmy summer evening or enjoying a glass of mulled wine at the Christmas Market the Czech capital seldom disappoints.