GUIDE
6. Sights
Architectural highlights
Prague’s prime attraction is its physical face. The city centre is a museum of some 900 years of architecture — stodgy Romanesque, sublime Gothic, handsome Renaissance, dazzling Baroque, 19th-century revivals of all of them, mouthwatering Art Noveau, and linear Cubism — all folded into a compact network of lanes, passages and cul-de-sacs.
The historical core of the city — Castle District (Hradcany) and Little Quarter (Mala Strana) west of the Vltava river, Old Town (Stare Mesto) and Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske namesti) to the east, with Charles Bridge (Karluv most) in between — covers only about 3 sq km and is pedestrian friendly.
The city’s finest Romanesque structure is the Basilica of St George (Bazilika sv. Jiri). The choir of St Vitus Cathedral (Chram sv. Vita) is the winner in the Gothic category. The Summer Palace (Letohradek) at Prague Castle is certainly the finest Renaissance building. St Nicholas Church (kostel sv. Mikulase) in Mala Strana draws fans of Baroque. Prague has a high concentration of superb Art Noveau buildings; top of the list is the Municipal house (Obecni dum). And there are more Cubist buildings here than in any other city. Some of the most striking Cubist facades are at House of the Black Madonna (dum u cerne Matky Bozi). Rising above mostly humdrum modern architecture is the extraordinary Dancing Building (Tancici dum)
Charles Bridge (Karluv most)
The Stone or Prague Bridge since 1870 called Charles Bridge, was founded by Charles IV in the year 1357. Both ends of the bridge are fortified by towers ( Lesser Town Bridge Towers and Old Town Bridge Tower). From 1683 to 1928 thirty sculptures of the saints were gradually set on the bridge piers. The bridge is 515 meters long and 10 meters wide.
Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti)
The most significant square of historical Prague. It has been Prague’s heart since the 10th century, and was its main marketplace until the beginning of the 20th century. Among many dominats, there is Old Town Hall (Staromestska radnice) with Astronomical Clock (Orloj) on this square. There is also gothic Tyn Church (Tynsky chram), baroque St. Nicholas' Church (Chram sv. Mikulase) and rococo Kinsky Palace. The square is home to a Art Noveau statue of religious reformer Jan Hus who was burned at the stake for his beliefs.
Josefov (Jewish town)
The slice of Old Town, Prague’s former Jewish ghetto, with half a dozen of old synagogues, the town hall and the powerfully melancholy Old Jewish Cemetery (Stary zidovsky hrbitov). Completed about 1270, the Old-New Synagogue (Staronova synagoga) is Europe’s oldest working synagogue.
Prague Castle (Prazsky hrad)
Prague Castle, the most popular sight in Prague, it’s one of the largest castle in the world — 570m long, an average 128m wide. Its history starts in the 9th century when was founded a fortified settlement here. Originally it used to be the residence of princes and kings of Bohemia, since 1918 it is the seat of the president. Beside the famous St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála sv. Vita), it is a complex of ecclesiastical, fortification, residential and office buildings representing all architectural styles and periods. The crown jewels of the Bohemian Kingdom are kept here.
Wenceslas Square ( Václavske námìsti)
Wenceslas Square (Václavské námìstí) is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague. Less a square than a boulevard, Wenceslas Square has a shape of a long (750 m) rectangle, in a northwest–southeast direction. At the top of the Wenceslas Square is the neoclassical bulk of the National Museum, founded in 1818 as a natural history collection. In front of the National Museum is equestrian statue of St Wenceslas, the 10th century pacifist duke of Bohemia and the ‘Good King Wenceslas’ of the Christmas carol. Flanked by other patron saints of Bohemia — Prokop, Adalbert, Agnes, and Wenceslas’ grandmother Ludmilla — he has been plastered with posters and bunting at every one of the square’s historical moments.
Petrin Hill
The Petrin View Tower (Petøínska rozhledna) is a 60 m high steel framework tower in Prague, which strongly resembles the Eiffel Tower. Although it is much shorter than the Eiffel Tower, it stands atop a sizeable hill, so the top is at almost the same altitude. The Petøínská rozhledna was built in 1891 and was used as an observation tower as well as a transmission tower. Today the Petøínská rozhledna is a major tourist attraction. The hill is served by a frequent funicular and the tower has an elevator for disabled persons.
When it is not foggy, the tower offers a good view of the Prague skyline. Be careful of when you plan your visit, though, as it is open only at weekends from 10am to 5pm.
There is also a Mirror labyrinth placed near the Watchtower Petrin in a small castle, where you really get lost.
Astronomical Clock