Prague

Czech Republic · 8 sights · guided virtual tour

Welcome to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia, set on the Vltava River. Its streets are a living museum of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Prague was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and the residence of Holy Roman Emperors, among them Charles the Fourth and Rudolf the Second. It played a major role in the Reformation, the Thirty Years' War and the story of Czechoslovakia. It is also home to Charles University, the oldest university in Central Europe, and its historic centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Let us start on the river.

Sights

1. Charles Bridge ▶ Listen

   Step onto Charles Bridge, the medieval stone bridge across the Vltava. Its construction began in 1357 under King Charles the Fourth, replacing the older Judith Bridge, which a flood had badly damaged. Until 1841 this was the only way to cross the river, the vital link between Prague Castle and the Old Town, and it lay on the coronation route of the Bohemian kings. The bridge is 516 metres long, resting on 16 arches. As you walk, you pass an alley of 30 statues, most of them Baroque. Interestingly, it was simply called the Stone Bridge until 1870.

2. Prague Castle ▶ Listen

   Above the city rises Prague Castle, built in the 9th century and the seat of power for Bohemian kings, Holy Roman emperors and the presidents of Czechoslovakia. It is still the official residence of the Czech president, so much so that Czechs simply say the Castle when they mean the president and his staff. According to the Guinness Book of Records, this is the largest ancient castle in the world, covering almost 70,000 square metres. And somewhere inside, in a hidden room, the Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept.

3. Prague astronomical clock ▶ Listen

   On the southern wall of the Old Town Hall hangs the Prague Orloj, a medieval astronomical clock whose oldest parts date back to 1410. Its dial shows the positions of the Sun and Moon in the sky, and a calendar dial below carries medallions for the months. Every hour, the Walk of the Apostles begins, with moving figures and a skeleton representing Death striking the time. Legend says the city will suffer if the clock is neglected, and a ghost on the clock was supposed to nod in agreement. The only hope, the story goes, was a boy born on New Year's night.

4. Old Town Square ▶ Listen

   This is Old Town Square, the historic heart of the Old Town, between Wenceslas Square and Charles Bridge. Turn around slowly and you will see buildings of many styles: the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn with its 80-metre towers, the Baroque St. Nicholas Church, and the Old Town Hall with its astronomical clock, the oldest one still in operation. In the centre stands a statue of the religious reformer Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake in Konstanz for his beliefs, an event that led to the Hussite Wars.

5. St. Vitus Cathedral ▶ Listen

   Inside the castle walls, St. Vitus Cathedral soars upward, the largest and most important church in the country and a superb example of Gothic architecture. Its main tower is more than 100 metres high, and the vaults inside reach 33 metres. Many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors lie buried here. Its full name is longer than you might expect: the Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert. Until 1997 it was dedicated to Saint Vitus alone, which is why most people still use the short name.

6. Church of Our Lady before Týn ▶ Listen

   Look up at the two Gothic towers of the Týn Church, which dominate the Old Town. Each is 80 metres high, and each spire is crowned by eight smaller spires in two layers of four. A Romanesque church for foreign merchants stood here in the 11th century, and work on the present church began in the 14th century. It became the centre of the German community of the Old Town, and later the Hussites controlled it for two centuries. It has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century.

7. Dancing House ▶ Listen

   On the riverside Rašín Embankment stands one of Prague's most playful buildings, the Dancing House. It was designed by the Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić together with Frank Gehry, and completed in 1996. The building resembles a pair of dancers, which is why Gehry first called it Ginger and Fred, after Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Later he dropped his own idea, afraid of importing Hollywood kitsch to Prague. The nickname survives in a restaurant on the seventh floor.

8. Wenceslas Square ▶ Listen

   Welcome to Wenceslas Square, the business and cultural centre of the New Town and the place with the busiest pedestrian traffic in the whole country. Many historic events have unfolded here, and it remains the traditional setting for demonstrations and celebrations. In the Middle Ages it was the Horse Market, used for periodic horse fairs. In 1848 it was renamed after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia, on the proposal of Karel Havlíček Borovský.

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