Travel Guide to Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is one of the most marvelous cities in the world. The city is divided into two parts by the Vltava River. Along with the Athens, Rome, Paris and London Prague belongs to the oldest metropolises of Europe. It still has its unforgettable charm: one can get access to all the sights, as the restoration of the most important monuments and historical building is already finished.

The capital of Czech Republic has two faces. From one side there are quite a lot of streets with modern shops, and from the other – it's easy to find some that have the atmosphere of the 50s. The center of Prague consists of four quarters. On the right bank of the Vltava River take place Mala Strana and Hradcany. World-famous Charles Bridge connects the banks.

Charles Bridge. Charles Bridge is one of the best-known points of interest in Prague. The bridge used to be the entrance of the city, but nowadays it unites all the historical paces of Prague. It is 550 meters long, 10 meters wide and 16 meters tall. Along the bridge you'll see 42 stone sculptures, which were presented to Charles. Nowadays plenty of tradesmen on Chares Bridge try to sell you various trifles that would remind you about Prague for a long time. The offer is really rich: you can buy everything there starting with colorful pullovers and ending with some jewelry and friendly jests. Your walk along the bridge may be accompanied by music: plenty of singers find this place the best for showing their talents.

The Old City. In the Old City you'll find the well-known astronomical Orloj chiming clock. When it strikes, the blue leafs open and the figures of 12 apostils appear. Then everybody can watch a breath-catching puppet show. The figure of the Death comes, strikes the bell and turns the hour-glass. Then 'the Turkish' appears, he personifies the former great enemy of the Czechs. This figure also symbolizes 'holiness'. 'Narcissism' is the figure with the mirror; 'Greed' has a bag of money. Archangel Michael puppet is there to remind us that everybody will face with Last Judgment. The currants tell not only the time, but also weekdays, months and the position of the Earth according to the Sun, Moon and stars. You can enjoy the show every hour.

The Jewish quarter. The Jewish quarter is an absolutely special place. In the 13th century Old New Synagogue was built there. It is the oldest one in Europe. At those times the only source of money for the Jewish was commerce, so this nation was absolutely out of political life of the country. Only in 1848 they got civil rights, and two years later the quarter officially became a part of Prague. It became the fifth area, named Josefov. By 1900 most of the houses in the Jewish quarter were pulled down, because of the bad condition. Only the city hall, 6 synagogues and the cemetery were left untouched. Nowadays these objects form the National Jewish Museum. The cemetery leaves unforgettable impressions. Till the 15th century the Jewish were forbidden to bury their relatives out of town. Because of the lack of ground, all the burials took place at the small cemetery. There at about twelve thousands of headstones, more than 10 thousands of people are buried there one over the other (at some places there are 12 rows).

The Fortress of Prague. From Chares Bridge one can enjoy a wonderful view on the fortress and Prague Castle. It's one of the most popular places in Prague. From the fortress there is also a marvelous view on the city. The building works started in 880 and its architecture has various styles. St. Vitus Cathedral belongs to the fortress. They started its construction in 1344, but everything was finished only in 1929. In the cathedral they keep the largest bell of the Czech Republic (its weight is 17 000 kg). The castle cathedral, triforium, buildings and gardens – all these takes great territory. But it doesn't mean that you are to visit all of them at once: the entrance ticket is valid for three days.

The Troyskiy Castle. The Troyskiy Castle was built in the 17th century for Waclaw Sternberg, who wanted to impress the Habsburgs by his castle. One of the most attractive objects of the building is the flight of stairs at the main entrance to the French Garden. It's decorated with the sculptures of Olympic gods and other baroque elements. The interior of the castle stands out with sumptuous décor, especially in the Main Hall, which is all over the place decorated with the portraits of the Habsburgs. The Troyskiy Castle serves as a branch of the National Museum of Prague. They keep there a large collection of glass art objects in the baroque style, paintings by the Czech masters of the 19th century and many other interesting things. Not far from the Troyskiy Castle takes place the botanical garden and Prague Zoo.

The Dancing House. 'The Dancing House' such a nickname got one of the office buildings in Prague. The unusual form of the construction is still the subject of much controversy. The architects of these original building were the Czech Vlado Milunić and the Canadian Frank Gehry. The house reminds a little bit a dancing couple, that's why it's sometimes called Fred and Ginger Building (according the names of Fred Aster and Ginger Rogers). On the roof of the building you see a French restaurant with a fantastic view on the city.

Read more about Prague:
Restaurants and cuisine in Prague
Local traditions and lifestyle
'Must visit' places in Prague
Nightlife and attractions in Prague
Preparing for Prague: Advices
Prague photogallery