Prague - Historical city

Historic monuments of Prague

The historic Prague is incomparable to any of the other significant cities and towns in the Czech Republic. During the 1100 years of its evolution the city has been marked and changed by all architectural styles. The historic center is inscribed in the UNESCO Register of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The historic center of Prague includes the Prague Castle, Hradčany, Lesser Town and Charles Bridge, Old Town and Josefov (The preserved part of the Jewish Town), New Town and Vyšehrad.

The Prague Castle

The Prague Castle, which had been the seat of the Czech sovereigns for centuries and which is now the seat of the Czech president. With the Gothic St.Vitus cathedral it is the most beautiful castle complex in the Czech Republic. You can see the Royal Palace with the Vladislav Hall, the Imperial Stables, now used for exhibitions, Dalibor's Tower, the Golden Lane, Queen Anne's Folly, St.George Basilica founded in the year 921 and many other sights.

Hradčany

An amazing view of the roofrops of Lesser Town and the rest of the city opens in front of you from the teracce in front of the Prague Castle. You can also see the Strahov Monastery and if you want to experience times long gone, take a walk through the streets of Nový svět (New World).

Lesser Town

The Prague quarter of Lesser Town is located below the Prague Castle, with its many palaces, burgher houses, churches and quaint little streets. Among the oldest streets is Nerudova ulice, which connects Lesser Town and Hradčany. On Lesser Town Square there is an impressive baroque church, dedicated to St.Nicholas, a dominant feature of Lesser Town.

Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge, the oldest standing bridge in Prague, crosses the Vltava river to the Old Town. The bridge was built by king Charles IV in place of the older Judith Bridge, which had been damaged by a flood in 1342. Not everybody knows that an auspicious date and time was chosen for the laying of the foundation stone of the bridge, based on astrology and numeral mysticism. It can be written as an ascending and descending sequence of odd (auspicious) numbers, i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1: in the year 1357 on the 9th of June (the 7th month) at 5:31. The date can be read both ways. The bridge is almost 10 meters wide and 520 meters long. There are thirty statues and sculptural groups on the bridge.

Old Town

Do Starého města vejdeme z Náměstí Republiky Prašnou bránou.Celetnou ulicí pak dojdeme na Prague Old Town begins near Náměstí Republiky (the Square of the Republic) at Prašná brána (Gunpowder Tower). If we go along Celetná Street, we come to the Old Town Square, a significant place of the history of the city. Most visitors are captivated by the Old Town Hall and its world-famous astronomical clock from the year 1410.

Jewish Town

The Jewish Town is located near Old Town Square. It was established in the 13th century and the history of the Prague Jewish community is written in its streets. You can visit Staronová synagoga (New-and-Old Synagogue) or other synagogues, the Jewish Cemetery and the Jewish Museum. Public transport: From Hostivice take bus no.306 or 336 to the terminal of Metro line B Zličín, at Metro station Můstek change to line A and go to Staroměstská Total time: 40 min. Or 25.min by car from Hostivice.

New Town

New Town is the last of the towns that was joined to Prague before the end of the Middle Ages. It was founded by king Charles IV in the year 1348. Among the things to see in the New Town is the Art-nouveau Obecní dům (Municipal House), Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square) with the National Museum, Charles Square and the National Theatre on the bank of the river Vltava. The shopping center of the New Town is Václavské náměstí.

Vyšehrad

The most dominant feature of Vyšehrad is the Church of St.Peter and Paul. The near-by cemetery is the final resting place of many significant figures of the Czech nation, e.g. the painter Mikoláš Aleš, the writers Karel Čapek and Božena Němcová, the composer Antonín Dvořák, the poet František Hrubín, dr. Milada Horáková and many others. You can also visit the Romanesque style basilica of St.Lawrence.