PRAGUE

1) The History of Prague

Prague´s position at the crossroads of Europe has made it a magnet for foreign traders since pre-recorded times. By the early 10th century it had developed into a thriving town with a large market place (the Old Town Square) and two citadels (Prague Castle and Vysehrad).
During the Middle Ages Prague enjoyed a golden age, especially during the reign of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV. Under the auspices of this wise and cultured king, Prague grew into a magnificent city, larger than Paris or London. During the 16th century, after a succession of weak kings, the Austrian Habsburgs took over, beginning a rule that should last for almost 400 years. One of the more enlightened of all the Habsburg Emperors was Rudolph II. He brought the spirit of the Renaissance to Prague through his love of the arts and sciences.
The 19th century saw a period of national revival and and the burgeoning of civic pride. The great public monuments - the National Museum, the National Theatre and Rudolfinum - were built. But a foreign power still ruled the city, and it was not until 1918 that Prague became the capital of an independent Republic. World War II brought occupation by the German army, followed by four decades of Communism.
After the"Velvet Revolution" of 1989, Prague is today on the threshold of a new era.

2) Prague at a Glance

Old Town Square - Free of traffic (Except for a few horse-drawn carriages) and ringed with historic buildings, Prague´s Old town Square (Staromestske namesti) ranks among the finest public spaces in any city.
Star Sights: Church of St. Nicholas, Old Town Hall with Town Hall Clock, Church of Our Lady before Tyn.

Wenceslas Square - the square has witnessed many key events in recent Czech history. Originally a horse market, today it is lined with hotels, restaurants, clubs and shops, reflecting the seamier side of Western consumerism, it is 750 m (825yd) long and only 60 m (65yd) wide. The huge equestrian statue of St. Wenceslas that looks the lenght of the sqaure from in front of the National Museum was erected in 1912.

National Theatre - this gold-crested theatre has always been an important symbol of the Czech cultural revival. Work started in 1868, funded largely by voluntary contributions.

Little Quarter -
- Church of St. Nicholas - divides and dominates the two sections of Little Quarter Square. It is the acknowledged masterpiece of father - and - son architects Christoph and Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, Prague´s greatest exponents of High Baroque.
- Nerudova Street - A picturesque narrow street leading up to Prague Castle, Nerudova is named after the poet and journalist Jan Neruda, who wrote many short stories set in this part of Prague. There are also a number of grand Baroque buildings in the street.
- Kampa Island - For centuries the stream was used as a millrace and from Kampa you can see the remains of three old mills. The wheel of the Grand Prior´s Mill has been totally restored. Beyond it, the stream disappears under a small bridge below the piers of Charles Bridge. From here it flows between rows of houses. Predictably, the area has become known as "the Venice of Prague", but instead of gondolas you will see canoes.

Vyšehrad - A rocky outcrop above the Vltava, Vysehrad means "castle on the heights". It was fortified in the 10th century and, at times, used as the seat of the Premyslid princes in preference to Prague Castle. The area has great historical and mythological significance for the Czech people, and in the 1870s was chosen as the site for a national cemetery.

Charles Bridge - Prague´s most familiar monument, now a haven for craft and trinket stalls, connects the Old Town with the Little Quarter. The Gothic Old Town Bridge Tower is one of the finest buildings of its kind in existence.

Jewish Quarter -
(For more information pls look at "City Tours" )

• Old Jewish Cemetery
  
• Pinkas Synagogue
  
• Klausen Synagogue
  
• Old-New Synagogue
  
• High Synagogue
  
• Maisel Synagogue
  
• Spanish Synagogue

Prague Castle - The history of Prague begins with the Castle, founded in the 9th century by Prince Borivoj. The Castle has been rebuilt many times, most notably in the regins of Charles IV and Vladislav Jagiello. After a disastrous fire in 1541, the badly-damaged buildings were rebuilt in Renaissance style and the Castle enjoyed its cultural heyday under Rudolph II. Later Habsburgs resided in Vienna, usind the Castle only occasionally. Since 1918 it has been the seat of the president of the Republic.
Sights at a Glance:
v Churches and Monastries: St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George´s Basilica, the Loreto, Strahov Monastery
v Palaces: Royal Palace,Lobkowicz Palace, Belvedere, Archbishop´s Palace, Martinic Palace, Cernin Palace

Palaces and Gardens -

• Wallenstein Palace and Garden - The first large secular building of the Baroque era in Prague, the palace stands as a monument to the fatal ambition of imperial military commander Albrecht von Wallenstein.Wallenstein´s intention was to overshadow even Prague Castle with his palace, built between 1624 and 1630.
  
• South Gardens - occupy the long narrow band of land below the Castle overlooking the Little Quarter
  
• Royal Garden - the garden was created in 1535 for Ferdinand I. Its appearance has been altered over time, but nevertheless some some excellent examples of 16th - century garden architecture have survived, notably the Belvedere and the Ball Game Hall.
  
• Archbishop´s Palace - Ferdinand I bought this sumptuous palace in 1562 for the first Catholic Archbishop since the Hussite Wars. It replaced the old Archbishop´s Palace in the Little Quarter, which had been destroyed during the wars, and has remained the Archbishop´s seat in Prague ever since.
  
• Royal Palace - from the time Prague Castle was first fortified in the 11th century, the palace was the seat of Bohemian princes.
  
• Golz-Kinsky Palace - this lovely Rococo palace, designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer was bought from the Golz family in 1768 by Stepan Kinsky, an Imperial diplomat. The National Gallery now uses the Golz-Kinsky Palace for temporary art exhibitions.
  
• Troja Palace - one of the most striking summer palaces in Prague, Troja was built in the late 17th century by Jean-Baptiste Mathey for Count Sternberg, a member of leading Bohemian aristocratic family. Situated at the foot of the Vltava Heights, the exterior of the palace was modelled on a Classical Italian villa, while its garden was laid out in formal French style.

Museums and Galleries

With more than 20 museums and almost 100 galleries and exhibiton halls, Prague is a city of unexpected and rare delights. Here, religious masterpieces of the Middle Ages vie with the more recent opulence of Art Nouveau and the giants of modern art.

• Sternberg Palace - the collection of European art here is outstanding.
  
• The Loreto - the offerings of devote local aristocrats form the basis of this collection of religious decorative art.
  
• Schwarzenberg Palace - the ornate Renaissance palace forms a handsome backdrop to the Museum of Military.
  
• Museum of Decorative Arts - five centuries of arts and crafts are represented here, with particulary impressive collections of Bohemian glass, graphic art and furniture.
  
• St. Agnes´s Convent - in 1234 a convent of the Poor Clares was founded here by Agnes, sister of King Wenceslas I. She was not canonized until 1989. The convent, one of the very first Gothic buildings in Bohemia, was abolished in 1782 and fell into disrepair. Following painstaking restoration in the 1960s, it has recovered much of its original appearance and is now used by the National Gallery to display a collection of 19th - century Czech art.
  
• National Museum - the vast skeleton of a whale dominates the othe exhibits in one of seven grand halls devoted to zoology. The museum´s other displays include fine collections of minerals and meteorites.