Prague's Top Must-Sees

Prague is one of the most interesting cities to visit in Europe. It has a lot of historical and cultural sites to visit. The extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1992.



From anywhere around the globe, especially if you are in Europe, Prague is very accessible by any means of transportation depending from where you depart. There are a number of airlines that offer cheap flights from any destinations going to Prague. Transportation such as by train, by bus or by car depending on your choice and departure place is also available.



Here are some of the must-see attractions in Prague:



Charles Bridge



This is one of Prague's famous sites. It is a historical bridge that crosses the Moldau or Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. The Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas. It was originally called as the Stone Bridge or the Prague Bridge but since 1870 it has been called as the "Charles Bridge". It is an avenue of 30 mostly baroque statues and statuaries.

the Charles bridge during my second visit last July 2011.

During the day, it is a bustling place of trade and entertainment, as musicians busk and artists sell their paintings and jewelry.



Prague Castle



This is one of the best areas to see the panorama of Prague. According to Guinness Book of Records the biggest ancient castle in the world is the Prague Castle. It is about 570 metres in length and an average of about 130 metres wide.



Inside the castle compound is the beautiful St. Vitus Cathedral. The Castle Picture Gallery, the beautiful Royal Garden and several palaces and museums are located in the castle compound.



The Old Town



You can see numerous historical buildings and monuments in the Old Town. The Gothic Týn Church, the mural-covered Storch building, the Old Town Hall with its famous Astronomical Clock and the Jan Hus monument are located in this part of Prague.



the pure Gothic Týn Church in the background. You can also take a view of the famous Astronomical Clock on the left side of the image here. Also taken during my second visit in Prague.



The New Town



The main attraction in the New Town or Nové město is the Wenceslas Square. During my first visit in Prague last 2008, this part of Prague was under construction. I finally had the chance to see it in my second visit last July of this year. This commercial square has a lot of stalls, shops and restaurants. The National Museum and the monument of Wenceslas are also located in the New Town.



The Lennon Wall, Vyšehrad Castle and Cemetery, the Dancing House, Malá Strana, the vaulted Gothic Old New Synagogue are some of the other sights that are also worth to see.

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The Moldau River in Prague, Czech Republic

This river is called Moldau in German language. It is called Vltava in Czech. It is so far the longest river in Czech Republic. It is 430 km long, running north from its source in Šumava through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague (Praha), merging with the Elbe (Labe) at Mělník.

I had a sight to this river during our trip to Prague last September 2008. Just like other major cities in Europe, Prague is also a very interesting city to visit and explore.

taken during our visit last September 2008. I wish to visit Prague again in the future.

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St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Czech Republic

Let's go travel again in Europe. I am trying to remember our trip to Prague, Czech Republic last three years ago. It was a very short trip but at least we were able to see a lot in this city. Prague is the capital and largest city of Czech Republic.

One of the sights we visited was the Cathedral of St. Vitus. It is a Roman Roman Catholic cathedral and has an excellent example of Gothic architecture. It is located within Prague castle. Its full name is St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert Cathedral. The present day Gothic Cathedral was founded on 21st of November, 1344, when the Prague bishopric was raised to an archbishopric.

St. Vitus Cathedral is situated entirely within the Prague Castle complex.
This was taken during our trip last September 2008.

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My Euro Travel in Prague, Czech Republic

It's time to visit and see Europe again! I guess, it is favorable to visit again the capital city of Czech Republic. Prague is also its largest city. It has been a political, cultural and economic center of Europe particularly eastern Europe for the over 1,100 years of its existence. It is one of the beautiful cities I had visited in Europe.

Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites which makes it one of Europe's most visited cities. It has also a good economic standing. Here are some images I took during our visit last 2008.

The building with two towers on the background is the Church of Our Lady before Týn or simply called as the Týn Cathedral. It is located on the Old Town Square, between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge.

The Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Hall

Prague's Old Town Square is often bursting at the seams with tourists in the summer. Featuring various architectural styles including the gothic Týn Cathedral and baroque St. Nicholas Church, the square is an oasis for travelers wearied by Prague's narrow streets. Among many churches, tourists may find the Astronomical Clock on this square, while the tower at the Old Town Hall offers a panoramic view of Old Town.

The Vltava River that flows along Prague. It is called in German as Moldau.

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St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic

Let's go travel Europe again! I am done sharing some places from Germany, Paris, London, Austria and etcetera. I guess this time, let's go to Prague again. I shared some images from Prague, Czech Republic in my previous entries here. I am sharing today about St, Vitus Cathedral, a Roman Catholic cathedral in Prague, and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. We had a visit in this capital city of Czech Republic last September 2008. This Cathedral is located within Prague Castle. It is a Gothic architecture and considered to be the biggest and most important church in this country.

I am not so sure if we will be visiting this church again this coming summer. We will see and of course I will share about it here. Here is the south view of St. Vitus Cathedral taken during our visit last 2008. Feel free to click the image for a bigger view.
St. Vitus, The Gothic Cathedral

The present day Gothic Cathedral was founded on 21st of November, 1344, when the Prague bishopric was raised to an archbishopric. Its patrons were the chapter of cathedral (led by a Dean), the Archbishop Arnost of Pardubice, and, above all, Charles IV, King of Bohemia and a soon-to-be Holy Roman Emperor, who intended the new cathedral to be a coronation church, family crypt, treasury for the most precious relics of the kingdom, and the last resting place cum pilgrimage site of patron saint Wenceslaus. The first master builder was a Frenchman Matthias of Arras, summoned from the papal palace in Avignon. Matthias designed the overall layout of the building as, basically, an import of French Gothic: a triple-naved basilica with flying buttresses, short transept, five-bayed choir and decagon apse with ambulatory and radiating chapels. However, he lived to build only the easternmost parts of the choir: the arcades and the ambulatory. The slender verticality of Late French Gothic and clear, almost rigid respect of proportions distinguish his work today. wikipedia

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My Euro Travel in Prague Castle, Czech Republic

Let's go travel again. I already shared some pictures from Prague in this blog before. I am not so sure if I already shared these pictures below. This time let's know a bit history of Prague Castle in Czech Republic. We had a trip there last September 2008. It was quite an interesting trip knowing the history of this castle and the different sights in this capital city of Czech Republic. I guess pictures tell a thousand words, so better browse down and see it.

The towers of St. Vitus Cathedral which is located inside Prague Castle complex.

The history of the castle stretches back to the 9th century (870). The first walled building was the church of Our Lady. The Basilica of Saint George and the Basilica of St. Vitus were founded in the first half of the 10th century. The first convent in Bohemia was founded in the castle, next to the church of St. George. A Romanesque palace was erected here during the 12th century. In the 14th century, under the reign of Charles IV the royal palace was rebuilt in Gothic style and the castle fortifications were strengthened. In place of rotunda and basilica of St. Vitus began building of a vast Gothic church, that have been completed almost six centuries later. During the Hussite Wars and the following decades the Castle was not inhabited. In 1485, King Ladislaus II Jagello began to rebuild the castle. The massive Vladislav Hall (built by Benedikt Rejt) was added to the Royal Palace. There were also built new defence towers on the northern side of the castle. A large fire in 1541 destroyed large parts of the castle. Under the Habsburgs some new buildings in renaissance style appeared here. Ferdinand I built Belvedere, summer palace for his wife Anne. Rudolph II used Prague Castle as his main residence. He founded the northern wing of the palace, with the Spanish Hall, where his precious artistic collections were exhibited. The Second Prague defenestration in 1618 began the Bohemian Revolt. During the subsequent wars the Castle was damaged and dilapidated. Many works from the collection of Rudolph II were looted by Swedes in 1648, in the course of the Thirty Years' War. The last major rebuilding of the castle was carried out by Queen Maria Theresa in the second half of the 18th century. Ferdinand V, after abdication in 1848, chose Prague Castle as his home. continue reading here

a pyramid-like monument located at the back of the castle facing the city

striking a pose near the guard at the castle's entrance. He looks very serious.

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The Astronomical Clock in Prague Czech Republic

I never thought that the astronomical clock mounted on the wall of the Old City Hall of Prague is one of the famous attraction of this city until our travel guide mentioned about it. Thanks to him if not, I might miss taking pictures of this. We visited this city last September 2008 and it was truly very interesting. Here is my below showing some evidence that I was there.

thanks to dear HB for taking this picture. that is also the reason why you do not see him together with me in my travel images because he is my photographer. Thanks mein Schatz!

The Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square and is a popular tourist attraction.

The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

HISTORY
The oldest part of the Orloj, the mechanical clock and astronomical dial, dates back to 1410 when it was made by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel, the latter a professor of mathematics and astronomy at Charles University.

Later, presumably around 1490, the calendar dial was added and clock facade decorated with gothic sculptures.

In 1552 it was repaired by Jan Taborský, clock-master of Orloj, who also wrote a report on the clock where he mentioned Hanuš as maker of the clock.

The Orloj stopped working many times in the centuries after 1552, and was repaired many times. In the 17th century moving statues were added, and figures of the Apostles were added after major repair in 1865-1866.

The Orloj suffered heavy damage on May 7 and especially May 8, 1945, during the Prague Uprising, when Germans directed incendiary fire from several armored vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun to the south-west side of the Old Town Square in an effort to silence the provocative broadcasting initiated by the National Committee on May 5. The hall and nearby buildings burned along with the wooden sculptures on the Orloj and the calendar dial face made by Josef Mánes. The machinery was repaired, the wooden Apostles restored by Vojtěch Sucharda, and the Orloj started working again in 1948, but only after significant effort [1].

There exists a good deal of misinformation relating to the construction of the Orloj . For a long time it was believed that the Orloj was constructed in 1490 by clockmaster Jan Růže (also called Hanuš) and his assistant Jakub Čech. Another fictitious story involves the clockmaker Hanuš being blinded on the order of the Prague Councillors. more infos here

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