Attractions in Prague, Czech Republic

Entertainment and Attractions in Prague, Czech Republic

Europe

Having stepped on the land of Prague for the first time, having barely looked around, the traveler understands that this first meeting with the city will not be the only one. It turns out that it’s not enough to run around the center and check in with a flashlight at the main attractions. Upon closer examination, it turns out that you can wander endlessly through the streets of the Czech capital, and each time something new will open up to your eyes, which is so sad to pass by. See BRIDGAT.COM for climate and weather information of Czech Republic.

In the old days, Prague was polycentric. Almost simultaneously, several settlements arose here at once, they developed as independent cities, and only in the New Age began, like pieces of a puzzle, to take shape into a single whole.

Stare Mesto

One of the first and historically important districts of Prague is Stare Mesto. Once it was a large market, a settlement where merchants settled and did business, wandering between west and east. Like hundreds of years ago, the busiest place in the old town is Old Town Square. This is a whole complex of amazing beauty of buildings and architectural monuments of various styles: Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo. The main building here is the Old Town Hall. Tourists rush to its tower to admire the most mysterious attraction in the city – the Orloi astronomical clock.

The second after the town hall, a characteristic building that adorns the square is Tyn Church, proud, formidable spiers of which you can look at until your neck hurts.

The Tyn Church is one of the most magnificent monuments of Prague Gothic with an amazing history. If it turns out that it is closed for visits, check the schedule and try to return, it’s worth it.

Just to the north of the square is the very visited Josefov quarter in Prague, on the territory of which there are the remains of a ghetto, several synagogues and the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe.

Other significant sights of the Old Town include the Public House, the Clementinum, the Kinsky Palace, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, the Powder Tower, from where the “royal path” began, and the richly decorated Old Town bridge tower. The center of attraction for all tourists without exception is the famous Charles Bridge, which for 400 years served the Czech monarchs as a symbolic crossing from palace intrigues to unlimited power and responsibility before God and the people.

7 things to do in Prague

  1. To stand for a long time in perplexity in front of the invisible church in Vysehrad and, finally, to find it with a glance.
  2. Find John Lennon’s autograph on his Wall of Remembrance in Lesser Country.
  3. Without leaving the city, climb the “Eiffel Tower” on Petrin Hill.
  4. Touch St. John of Nepomuk on the Charles Bridge and become a little richer spiritually and financially.
  5. Find the guardian of the bridge behind the curb – the knight Bruncvik and check if he looks like Marina Tsvetaeva, as she wrote in her memoirs.
  6. Set aside at least a day for a trip out of town and understand that you “have” to return there more than once.
  7. Forget about the diet, enjoy the local cuisine, gain 2-3 kilos and never regret it.

Nove Mesto

In the 14th century, Emperor Charles IV, having decided that Prague would become the residence of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, ordered to expand the city and issued a decree on the foundation of the Nove Mesto district, which was supposed to connect Stare Mesto and located south of Vysehrad. The construction was large-scale and carried out at an accelerated pace.

Legend has it that Charles IV was in such a hurry to rebuild Nove Mesto because of a gloomy prediction about the death of the old city from a flood.

Charles Square and Wenceslas Square compete for the right to be called the center of the new city and its main attraction. Both were founded in the 14th century and witnessed the most important historical events.

The Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Church of the Virgin Mary of the Snow and the Church of St. Stephen deserve at least a cursory inspection in Novy Mesto. From non-religious buildings, the National Theater of the Czech Republic makes an impression on tourists. Also popular is the Dancing House, which contrasts sharply with its whimsical design from the city’s historic buildings.

Under Charles IV, the “royal path” was much longer, it ran not only through the old city, but also through the new one, and even began in Vysehrad. Wishing to revive the glory of this settlement, the emperor ordered the future rulers of the Czech Republic to bow in Vysehrad to their common ancestor, the simple plowman Premysl, before ascending to the kingdom.

Mala Strana

In parallel with the construction of the New Place, the emperor, making himself safe, took up the improvement of the Lesser Country, squeezed between Prague Castle and the Vltava. Under his supervision, the “Hunger Wall” grew around the area, designed, according to one version, to protect a site strategically important for the city, and according to another, to enable the population to earn a living. Mala Strana is considered one of the most picturesque areas in Prague.

Of particular interest here are the Wallenstein Palace Complex with five courtyards and a garden, the Velikovsky and Smirzhitsky Palaces, and the Kaiserstein Palace. The monumental power of these architectural ensembles is balanced by numerous gardens, and what about Petrin Hill, immersed in greenery! Bypassing this hill, not admiring the city from its observation deck is simply a crime.

Hradchany

One of the historical districts of Prague that retained the right to self-government for a long time is Hradcany. Here is the main attraction of the city, the symbol of the entire state – Prague Castle, a fortress that was and remains the residence of Czech rulers. For a long time, the fortress was inaccessible to the public, but since the end of the 20th century, its doors began to open one after another.

You must visit the Old Royal Palace and St. Vitus Cathedral – the national historical shrine of the republic and a magnificent representative of the Gothic. The excursion program includes a walk along the famous Golden Lane. Beautiful landscapes delight the Deer Moat and the Royal Garden.

A special place in Hradcany is the Strahov Monastery, founded in the 12th century. Its pearl is an impressive old library with 130,000 books and 1,500 first printed editions.

Visegrad

For the title of the heart of the Czech capital, the Vysehrad district competes with Hradcany. Its visiting card is the fortress of the same name, inspiring almost mystical delight with its appearance. Here, they say, the first coronation in the history of Prague took place. From the hill on which the fortifications are located, a stunning panorama of the city opens up, a particularly spectacular sight can be seen at sunset.

The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul strikes with its grandeur and interior decoration in this area. At the church there is the most famous burial place in the republic – the Visegrad cemetery, where hundreds of figures who glorified the Czech people found peace.

An excursion to the casemates, dug in the thickness of the walls for the arrival of the French invaders, will be remembered for a long time.

Museums and theaters

Prague has a great variety of museums. The largest one, which, if you go around at once, you will immediately forget everything from the abundance of beauty – National. Others: Czech Music Museum, Mozart and Dusek Museum, Prague City Museum, Prague City Gallery, National Technical Museum, Wax Museum, Czech Glass Museum, Prague Castle Picture Gallery, Museum of Medieval History, Museum of Czech Literature. For those who like to tickle their nerves, the Museum of Torture Instruments and the Museum of Erotic Toys are open.

In addition, you can “dilute” your walk around the beer houses and museums of the city in one of the theaters in Prague: puppets, the “black light theater” or the National.

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Attractions in Prague, Czech Republic