Prague (CHECH REPUBLIC / EUROPE)

Prague, Czech Praha, is the capital of the Chech Republic. Lying at the heart of Europe, it is one of the continent’s finest cities and the major Czech economic and cultural centre. The city has a rich architectural heritage that reflects both the uncertain currents of history in Bohemia and an urban life extending back more than 1,000 years.

The physical attractions and landmarks of Prague are many. Among the finest is the Charles Bridge (Karlův most), which stands astride the Vltava River. The winding course of the Vltava, with its succession of bridges and changing vistas, contrasts with the ever-present backdrop of the great castle of Hradčany (Prague Castle), which dominates the left-bank region of the city from behind massive walls set high on a hill.

The narrow streets and little taverns and restaurants of the older quarters contrast with the broad sweep of Wenceslas Square and modern parks and housing developments, while the great 18th-century Baroque palaces have their own elegance and splendour. Seen from the surrounding hills, the many church towers make up a unique perspective, giving Prague its description as the “city of a hundred spires.”

The city was founded during the Romanesque era and flourished during the Gothic and Renaissance periods, it was also the seat of two Holy Roman Emperors and therefore the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Later, Prague became an important city to the Habsburg Monarchy and its Austro-Hungarian Empire amd after World War I it became the capital of Czechoslovakia. In 1993, after the split of Czechoslovakia, Prague became the capital city of  Czech Republic.

Romanesque chapels and cellars, Gothic cathedrals, Baroque palaces and gardens, worldly Art Nouveau buildings, and unique Cubist architecture make it a place with no parallel in the world. You don’t have to be an expert in order to appreciate the diversity of the city’s architecture. The Rotunda of St Martin the Chirch of Our Lady before Tyn, the Wallenstein Palace and the  Municipal House will stay forever in your memory. Frank Gehry’s Dancing Building has become an icon of modern architecture in Prague, as well as and the new National Technical Library in Dejvice.

 In 1992 the historic city center was added to UNESCO’S World Heritage List.