Graced by numerous hills and the river Vltava, Prague is one of the most historically and culturally rich cities in Europe. Relatively spared from natural disasters and war, Prague boasts magnificent architecture ranging from Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Cubist styles. Since it is easy to walk around much of the historic centre of Prague, you should have a chance to see tourist attractions during your stay. Here are a few tips:
The Old Town dates back to the 10th century. It natural centre and historic marketplace is the Old Town Square, which is dominated by the spires of the Tyn Church and by the Jan Hus Monument (unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th year anniversary of the execution of the religious reformer). The square is now the site of numerous restaurants, cafes, galleries and occasional festivals and concerts. If you walk from the Old Town Square down the Celetna street, you will encounter the Powder Gate (a 65m tower from 1475, which was once one of the 13 entrances to the town), and the Municipal House (a beautiful Art Nouveau building that is the seat of Prague’s largest concert hall). The Municipal House was also the location of the negotiations between Civic Forum and the communist regime in November 1989 that set the stage for democratization.
The Jewish Quarter, surrounded by the Old Town and the Vltava river, is the location of Prague’s former Jewish ghetto. The quarter is named after emperor Josef II, known for his reforms easing living conditions for Jewish communities in the Habsburg monarchy. One of the main attractions in the Jewish Quarter is the Old Jewish Cemetery (founded in 1479), which is the oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in Europe. Due to the lack of space, graves were built on top of each other, resulting in about twelve layers of gravestones. You can tour the cemetery as well as 5 synagogues in the Jewish Quarter by buying a ticket of the Jewish Museum in Prague.
The Prague Castle towers over the city, was once the home of Czech rulers and is now the seat of the President of the republic. One of the main attractions of the castle is its St. Vitus Cathedral, first built in 1344 during the reign of Emperor Charles IV. While it was originally completed in a late-Gothic style, other features were added in renaissance and baroque styles. Other parts of the castle complex you should visit include the Golden Lane, St. George’s Basilica, the Old Royal Palace and the Royal Gardens. To get to the Prague Castle from the Old Town, you can walk across Charles Bridge and then up Nerudova street.
Once a horse market, Wenceslas Square is the centre of contemporary Prague, and has many shops, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and bookstores. The Square is dominated by the National Museum, a natural history museum that became the symbol of the Czech national revival of the 19th century, as well as by the monument of St. Wenceslas (on the horse). In front of the museum in 1969, a university student Jan Palach burned himself to death in protest of the Warsaw Pact invasion that ended the Prague Spring. Wenceslas Square was also the location of mass demonstrations in November 1989 that led to the collapse of the Czechoslovak communist regime.
