Prague Guide
Prague
With some six hundred years of architecture virtually untouched by natural disaster or war, few other cities in Europe look as good as Prague. Straddling the winding River Vltava, with a steep wooded hill to one side, the city retains much of its medieval layout, the street facades remain smothered in a rich mantle of Baroque, and the historical core has successfully escaped the vanities and excesses of postwar redevelopment. During the decades of Soviet-imposed isolation, very few westerners visited Prague. However, after the 1990s, all that changed, and the city is now one of the most popular city break destinations in Europe.
Highlights
1 Pražský hrad Perched high above the city, and the seat of power for over a millennium, Prague Castle is home to the cathedral, the royal palace, several museums and art galleries, and the president.
2 Malá Strana terraced gardens Ornamental Baroque gardens hidden away in the steep backstreets of Malá Strana.
3 Karlův most (Charles Bridge) The city's wonderful medieval stone bridge, peppered with Baroque statuary, has been the main link between the two banks of the river for over five hundred years.
4 Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square) Prague's busy showpiece square, dominated by the Art Nouveau Hus Monument and best known for its astronomical clock.
5 Josefov Prague's former Jewish ghetto is still home to six synagogues and an atmospheric medieval cemetery.
6 Obecní dům The most ornate and accessible of all Prague's Art Nouveau masterpieces, completed in 1911, now houses cafés, restaurants, exhibition spaces and a concert hall.
7 Veletržní palác Prague's vast modern art gallery is the finest in the country and an architectural sight in its own right.
8 Tea-houses A 1990s reaction against the smoky, boozy pub, tea-houses provide the perfect chill-out zone.
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