PRAGUE
CITY OF A HUNDRED SPIRES
Attractions
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A national cultural monument based on being the birthplace of the Hussite movement [6].
The leader, Jan Hus preached at the chapel from 1402 to 1412 [6].
In 1391, reformist of Prague won the permission to build a church where the service could be held in the national language, rather than Latin [6].
They proceeded to construct the biggest chapel in bohemia, holding up to 3000 worshippers [6].
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In the 18th century, the chapel was torn down [6].
However, in 1920, remnants of the chapel were discovered, thus the government decided to rebuild the church from its original form based on its old drawings, descriptions, and traces of original work between 1948 to 1954 [6].
It got the approval as ‘Hussitism’ was an ancient form of communism [6].
Every year on the night of the 5th of July (the eve of Jan Hus death in 1415), a memorial is held at the chapel with speeches and bells ringing [6].
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A half-kilometre pedestrian bridge that contains baroque statues, busking musicians, and stunning views [6].
In 1357, Charles IV Commissioned Peter Parler, the man who designed the St Vitus Cathedral, to replace the 12th century Judith Bridge which was damaged by the 1342 floods [6].
In 1390, the bridge was completed, and was known as ‘stone bridge’ [6].
The name, ‘Charles Bridge’, was only adopted in the 19th century [6].
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The bridge at the time was used for pedestrian and wheel traffic, until it was made pedestrian only after WWII (1945) [6].
The bridge’s towers were created in the late 14th century [6].
Its purpose was for fortification and a triumph ark that makes the entrance for the old town [6].
The most notable features of the bridge are its statues [6].
The first statue was erected in 1657, known as the ‘crucifix’, which is near the eastern end [6].
The first saint statue was erected in 1683, which was a tribute to St John of Nepomuk [6].
Over the next 30 years, most of the statues on the bridge were erected, with the exemption of one in the 19th century, and the other in the 20th century [6].
It total, there are 30 statues [6].
Notable statues include St Wenceslas (#2), the patron saint of Bohemia, and St Vitus (#3), the patron saint of Prague [6].
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Characterised by its gothic twin spires that makes it a distinctive old town landmark [6].
Built in the 15th century, it looms over the old town square [6].
The most notable feature of the church is the tomb of Tycho Brahe [6].
Tycho was a Danish astronomer who was Rudolf II most illustrious scientist [6].
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In 1601, he died from a burst bladder following a royal drink up [6].
He was too polite to leave the table, thus he didn’t get to relieve himself [6].
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Honoured after a young Charles University Student who set himself alite in Wenceslas Square in 1969 to protest the soviet regime [6].
Today, there’s a bronze memorial plaque with a ghostly death mask [6].
Symbolises the repression of the communist era in Prague [6].
This is where the youths once gathered to rebel against their suppressors [6].
John Lennon was murdered on the 8th of October 1980 [6].
After his death, he became an anti-war hero for many young Czechs [6].
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An image of him was painted on a wall with political graffiti and Beatle lyrics in a quiet square opposite to a French Embassy [6].
Despite repeated removal from the secret police, it continued to be painted [6].
An interesting fact, most western pop music was banned by the communist regime, some musicians were even jailed for playing it [6].
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A palace that was completed in 1765, which is now home to a branch of the national gallery [6].
It houses a collection of ancient and oriental art [6].
This includes Egyptian tomb treasures, Greek Pottery, and Chinese/Japanese art [6].
When it was a palace, Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite, once stayed at the place [6].
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His crush on the Czech Bertha von Suttner may have influenced him to establish the Nobel peace prize [6].
In 1905, she became the first woman laureate (i.e. the greatest benefit to humankind) [6].
On a low note, in February 1948, it was here on the balcony that Klement Gottwald proclaimed soviet rule in Czechoslovakia [6].
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An immense complex of stunning baroque and decorative halls [6].
The building comprises of a library hall, an astronomical tower, and a chapel of mirrors [6].
Its history began in 1556, when Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand I invited the ‘Jesuits’ (a religious order of the Catholic Church) to Prague to support the power of the Roman Catholic Church in Bohemia [6].
In 1587, they were allocated real estate to work on the ‘Church of the Holy Saviour’ [6].
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In 1653, they started to build their college, the Klementinum [6].
When it was completed a century later, it was the largest building in the city after Prague Castle at the time [6].
In 1773, the Jesuits had a fall out with the pope, thus it became part of Charles University [6].
Now, it’s mostly occupied by the Czech National Library [6].
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Prague’s most art-nouveau (i.e. flowing lines and patterns of flowers and leaves) building [6].
The complex was built between 1906-1912; yet was restored during the 1990s [6].
At the time, it took 30 artists to decorate, and on its completion, it was regarded as an architectural climax of the Czech national revival [6].
The ‘house’ contains a restaurant, a café, decorated halls, and Prague’s biggest concert beneath a glass down (1200 people capacity) [6].
The church which houses the ‘Infant Jesus’, known as ‘Our Lady Victorious’ was built in 1613 [6].
In 1628, a 47m-tall wax figure of baby Jesus (now known as the infant Jesus of Prague) was brought from Spain and placed on its central altar [6].
It is said that the ‘baby Jesus’ has protected Prague from the plague and the 30-year war [6].
Today the statue is visited by many pilgrims, especially from Italy, Spain, and South America [6].
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A tradition is for the baby Jesus to be dressed in beautiful robes [6].
Today, the infant’s wardrobe consists of more than 70 outfits [6].
His outfits change on a regularly basis in accordance with the religious calendar [6].
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Known as the oldest synagogue in Europe, and one of Prague’s earliest gothic buildings [6].
The Pinkas Synagogue, as it’s called, was built in 1535, and was used for worship till 1941 [6].
After WWII, it was converted to a memorial, which has a wall with inscribed names, birth dates, and dates of disappearances of 77,297 people [6].
It also has a collection of paintings and drawings by the children who were held in the Terezin Concentration Camp during WWII [6].
The old town hall was established in 1338, but what makes the site special is the astronomical clock, which is one of Europe’s best-known tourist attraction [6].
The clock has a ‘show’ every hour, on the hour, which goes for 45 seconds [6].
The clock’s appearance is quite detailed, here are the features:
There are 4 figures besides the clock that represent the deepest anxieties of the Prague people in the 15th century [6].
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To the left of the clock are the figures of vanity (a man holding a mirror) and greed (a man holding a money bag) [6].
Prior to World War II, the ‘greed’ figure was a ‘Jewish Moneylender’, yet now it has changed [6].
To the right of the clock are the figures of death (a skeleton) and a pagan invasion (a turk) [6].
There are 4 figures below the clock [6].
To the left are the figures of a storyteller and an angel [6].
To the right are the figures of an astronomer and a philosopher [6].
The commencement of the show starts with the figure of death (the skeleton) ringing a bell and inverting his hourglass [6].
When this happens, the 12 apostles’ parade past the 2 windows above the clock, nodding to the crowd [6].
Each apostle is carrying an item: Paul (sword & book), Thomas (lace), Jude (book), Simon (saw), Bartholomew (book), Barnabas (parchment), Peter (key), Matthew (axe), John (snake), Andrew (cross), Philip (cross), and James (mallet) [6].
At the end of the show, a cock crows, and the hour is rung [6].
You can enter the hall and view some historic features [6].
This includes a plaque, located on the eastern face of the building, which lists the 27 protestant nobles who were beheaded here in 1621 after the battle of Bila Hora [6].
The white crosses that you see on the ground, are where the executions that took place [6].
You can climb the 60m tower for stunning views of the city [6].
The building has a clock face that was made in 1410, yet was improved to its current appearance in 1490 by Master Hanus [6].
A legend says that Hanus was blinded after the design, so he couldn’t duplicate his work anywhere else [6].
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One of Europe’s largest and most stunning urban squares in Europe [6].
The old town square has been the town’s main public squares in the 10th century, and it remained the key marketplace until the 20th century [6].
The square has a statue of Jan Hus, it was revealed on the 6th of July 1915, which was the 500th anniversary of Hus death [6].
A 318m high hill that provides stunning views of the city [6].
The space itself, is one of Prague’s largest green spaces [6].
There’s a funicular, the Petrin funicular railway, which was opened in 1891, which can get you to the top [6].
A 65m tall tower that has stunning views from the top [6].
In the inside, it houses exhibitions of medieval weapons and instruments [6].
Some of the items were used in film shots in Prague; such as Helsing, Chronicles of Narnia, and Blade 2 [6].
The tower was constructed in 1475, during the reign of King Vladislac II [6].
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It was used as a ceremonial entrance to the city; however, it was left unfinished [6].
In 1875 to 1886, Josef Mocker rebuilt and decorated the tower to its present appearance [6].
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The huge green dome church (1755) is one of central Europe’s finest baroque buildings [6].
The fresco on the ceiling, which was designed by Johann Kracker in 1770, is Europe’s largest fresco [6].
In 1787, Mozart once played a 2500 pipe organ [6].
On the 14th of December 1791, Mozart was honoured with his funeral mass here [6].
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The church’s bell towers provide stunning views of the town, but during the communist era, the tower was used to spy on the American Embassy nearby [6].
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In 1140, Vladislav II founded the strahov monastery for a ministry organisation [6].
Although, the present structure is from the construction between the 17th and 18th century [6].
The monastery functioned from its origin until the communist government closed it down, and imprisoned most of the monks in the 1950s [6].
The monastery returned to normal in 1990 [6].
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The monastery contains a library, the Strahov Library, which is the biggest monastic library in the country [6].
The library comprises of 2 magnificent baroque halls that date from the 17th and 18th century [6].
The philosophy hall (1780-97) has a stunning interior that is 2 story high [6].
The theology hall has a motto on its ceiling ‘the beginning of wisdom is the fear of god’ [6].
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In the 17th century, a huge baroque garden and palace was created for Duke Albrecht of Wallenstein, the general of the Habsburg army [6].
Its most notable feature is the huge terrace that is decorated with scenes from the Trojan War [6].
The palace now houses the senate of the Czech Republic [6].
prague castle
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A tourist hotspot, and the most popular attraction of Prague [6].
Located on the hilltop above the Vltava River, which dominates the city centre like a fairy-tale fortress [6].
Hradcany, which is known as the castle district, became a borough of prague in 1598 [6].
The Habsburg nobility established many palaces in the district [6].
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To see everything, you’ll need a full day, however for the main sights, you’ll need at least 2 hours [6].
There’s a free zone, in which you can walk through the castle grounds and gardens without a ticket [6].
Inside the castle walls you’ll see historic buildings, museums, galleries, and some of Czechs greatest treasures [6].
The castle is also the official residence of the head of state, as it has always been the seat of the Czech monarchs [6].
The history of the castle begun in the 9th century when Prince Borivoj established a settlement here [6].
From there, the following rulers made their own additions to the palace [6].
In total, there has been 4 major reconstructions: from Prince Sobeslav in the 12th century, to Empress Maria Theresa in the 18th century [6].
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The first courtyard is located within Hradcany Square [6].
The notable feature is the huge baroque statues of battling titans (1767-70) [6].
There’s a changing of guard that takes place every hour on the hour, yet the longest and most impressive happens at noon [6].
This is when the banners are exchanged while a bass band plays a tune [6].
The second courtyard is focused on a baroque fountain and a 17th century well [6].
To the right is the chapel of the holy cross (1763), which secures the treasury of St Vitus cathedral [6].
The third courtyard has a 16m tall granite monument that is dedicated to the victims of WWI [6].
A brick-red façade building that is regarded as Czech’s best-preserved Romanesque Basilica [6].
The basilica was established in the 10th century by Vratislav, the father of St Wenceslas [6].
However, its present structure is mostly from the restorations between 1887 and 1908 [6].
The church contains the tombs of Prince Boleslav II (d 997) and Prince Vratislav (d 921) [6].
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A notable feature is a gruesome statue of a decomposing corpse, known as Brigita, which dates from the 16th century [6].
The sculpture has a folktale of an Italian sculpture and his girlfriend [6] [6].
Supposedly, he murdered his girlfriend, Brigita, but when her buried body was discovered, he was so remorseful that he created this sculpture of her decaying body [6].
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On the southern side of the chapel of St Wenceslas in St Vitus Cathedral, is a small door that is sealed with 7 locks [6].
The door hides a staircase that leads to the crown chamber [6].
The crown is the Royal Crown of Bohemia, which was created for Charles IV in 1346 [6].
The gold from the crown was made from the ducal coronet (small crown) that was once worn by St Wenceslas [6].
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The crown has 18 Sapphires, 15 rubies, 25 emeralds and 20 pearls [6].
Some of these stones are 7cm to 10 cm wide and weigh 60 to 80 carats [6].
The cross on the top of the crown is believed to have contained a thorn from Jesus’s crown of thorns [6].
It has an inscription “here is a thorn from the lord’s crown” [6].
You can see the replica of the crown in the old royal palace [6].
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The cathedral’s southern entrance, known as the golden gate, is a stunning triple-ark porch [6].
Above the gate is a mosaic of the last judgment (1370) [6].
To the left, are the ‘godly’ people who are being raised by angels to heaven [6].
To the right, are the ‘sinners’ who are being cast down by demons to hell [6].
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In the centre, Jesus is displayed in glory with various Czech saints below [6].
The saints include Procopius, Sigismund, Vitus, Wenceslas, Ludmila, and Adalbert [6].
Beneath the saints are Charles IV and his wife doing an act of prayer [6].
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A picturesque alley that runs along the northern wall of the castle [6].
The lane contains tiny colourful cottages, which were built in the 16th century [6].
The original residence was the sharpshooters of the castle guard [6].
Then it was used by the goldsmiths [6].
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Eventually, it was occupied by artists from the 19th century [6].
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The cathedral’s bell tower, known as Sigismund bell, was established in 1549, and it is the largest bell in the Czech Republic [6].
You can climb the 297 steps to the top of the tower for stunning views of Prague [6].
A palace that was built in the 16th century by the Labkowicz family, who lived there for 400 years [6].
It was then confiscated by the Nazis in WWII, and again by the Soviets in 1948 [6].
The palace then return to the family, William Lobkowicz, in 2002 [6].
Now the building contains a museum of priceless paintings, furniture, and musical memorabilia [6].
One of the oldest parts of the castle, which dates to 1135 [6].
Its original purpose was the residence of Czech princesses [6].
However, from the 13th to the 16th century, it was the king’s own palace [6].
Its hall, the Vladislav hall, is famous for its stunning gothic ceiling (1493-1502) [6].
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It was also used for many purposes, this included banquets, councils, coronations, and indoor joustings [6].
All the presidents of the republic have sworn at least once here [6].
On the 23rd of May 1618, in the second room, a group of protestant nobles rebelled against the Habsburg Catholic Emperor by throwing out 2 of his councilors through the window [6].
The men survived, as it’s believed their fall was broken by manure [6].
However, this second defenestration sparked off the 30 years’ war [6].
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The garden begun as a renaissance garden, which was established by Ferdinand I in 1534 [6].
It possesses several gorgeous renaissance structures [6].
The most elegant are 1569 ball-game house (The Habsburgs once played a primitive version of badminton here), the summer residence (regarded as the most authentic Italian renaissance building outside Italy), and the 1695 former riding school [6].
All 3 buildings are also used for temporary exhibitions of modern art [6].
One of the most iconic cathedrals in central Europe [6].
It’s an iconic building to the religious and cultural life of Prague [6].
The church has been built of a time span of almost 600 years [6].
The first stone was laid in 1344 by Emperor Charles IV on the 10th century rotunda site, which was dedicated to St Wenceslas [6].
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Only in 1861, that a conscious effort was made to complete the cathedral [6].
In 1929, it was finally finished [6].
The cathedral contains various tombs of iconic Czech people, these include bohemian saints (St Vitus & St Wenceslas) and bohemian rulers (e.g. Charles IV) [6].
It also contains various treasures such as the 14th century bohemian crown jewels [6].
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A collection of ecclesiastical items that was used by Charles IV in the 14th century [6].
This includes gold and silver reliquaries (i.e. a container for holy relics) that are covered in diamonds, emeralds, and rubies [6].
The oldest item is a reliquary arm of St Vitus, which dates from the 10th century [6].
The most impressive item is the gold coronation cross of Charles IV (1370) [6].
The complex contains a museum that traces the 1000-year legacy of the castle’s history [6].
From when Prince Borivoj established a settlement here in the 9th century, to the present day [6].
There are various model illustrations that display the stages of its development [6].
The museum also contains the grave of a 9th century warrior that was discovered in the complex; and a helmet, chain mail, and replica of the gold crown that was used by St Wenceslas [6].
The second biggest toy museum in the world [6].
The museum contains artifacts from ancient Greece and modern toys [6].
These include model trains, teddy bears, Victorian dolls, action men, and a Barbie collection [6].
Trips
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A castle situated above the village of Karlstejn, 30km southwest of Prague [6].
This fairytale medieval fortress that overlooks the Berounka River, is regarded as one of the top attractions of Czechia [6].
The castle was built in 1348, and it was used as a hideaway for the treasury of the holy roman emperor Charles IV, which included the Crown Jewels [6].
The castle itself was protected by a network of knight vassals [6].
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Its protection was under test by the Hussite wars of the early 15th century [6].
However, it fell to disrepair as its defences became out-of-date [6].
In the late 19th century, it returned to its former glory [6].
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This Chateau is famously known as the residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination in 1914 sparked WWI [6].
Prior to being renovated in the 1890s, the home was previously a massive gothic and renaissance building [6].
Franz’s obsession with hunting and St George is clearly shown in the house [6].
He has around 100,000 animal trophies that are decorated along the walls, and a 3000+ collection of St George art and artefacts [6].
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It is believed, that he has shot 300,000 animals, which are shown in his ‘game books’ [6].
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Kutna Hora, the silver city, is known for its silver ore that surrounds the town’s hills [6].
From 1308, it was producing ‘Silver Groschen’, which was the silver coin that was used by the Holy Roman Empire (central Europe) [6].
During this ‘boom-time’, the town was rivalling Prague in importance [6].
However from the 16th century the town began to decline, this was due to the mines beginning to dry up, the 30 years’ war, and a devastating fire in 1770 [6].
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In 1996, it became a UNESCO site [6].
The main attractions of the town include the Sedlec Ossuary, the Cathedral of St. Barbara, and the Italian Court [6].
The Sedlec Ossuary, known as the ‘bone church’, was originally a monastery (sedlec monastery) until it was bought by the Schwarzenberg family in 1870 [6].
The family hired a local woodcarver to decorate the church, in which he used bones piled from the church’s crypt, a total of 40,000 [6].
There are skulls hanging from the ceiling, around the chandeliers, and all around the church [6].
The cathedral of St. Barbara is regarded as the town’s greatest monument [6].
It rivals Prague’s St. Vitus in size and impressiveness [6].
The church’s construction begun in 1380, however it was interrupted in the early 15th century due to the Hussite wars [6].
In 1558, it was left abandoned because the town’s silver began to run out [6].
At the end of the 19th century, the cathedral was finally completed [6].
The Italian Court was known as the former royal mint [6].
It gets its name from the Florence craftsmen who were brought in by Wenceslas II, to stamp silver coins in the 1300s [6].
Today, the original treasury rooms contain an exhibit of coins and minting [6].
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A former concentration camp during WWII [6].
Prior to the war, the village was a fortified town [6].
It was built in 1780 by Emperor Joseph II, and he wanted the fortifications to keep enemies out [6].
Ironically, the town’s forts was known for keeping people in [6].
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In the later days of the Habsburg Empire, the fortress served as the political prison [6].
Gavrilo Princip, the man who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, was imprisoned here during WWI [6].
During WWII in 1940, the Germans took control of the town, and the fortress became a transit camp [6].
150,000 Jews passed through the fortress to the eventual death camp of Auschwitz [6].
Between April and September in 1942, the population of the fortress when from 12,968 to 58,491 [6].
Thus, the prisoners had only 1.65sqm of space [6].
This congestion caused disease and starvation on a terrifying scale [6].
With a population boom, there was also a ‘death boom’, as there was a 15 proportional increase of the number of deaths inside the walls [6].
In total it is believed that 35,000 people died from the camp, from either suicide, disease, starvation, or the departing train to Auschwitz [6].
Today you can visit the town and see the prison barracks, isolation cells, workshops, morgues, execution grounds, and mass graves [6].
The town also has a museum, the ghetto museum, which educates the rise of Nazism, and the life of Terezin during the war [6].
The museum was a building that once accommodated the camp’s 10-15 year old boys [6].
You can still see their painted images that decorate the walls [6].
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GUIDE
ATTRACTIONS
A national cultural monument based on being the birthplace of the Hussite movement [6].
The leader, Jan Hus preached at the chapel from 1402 to 1412 [6].
In 1391, reformist of Prague won the permission to build a church where the service could be held in the national language, rather than Latin [6].
They proceeded to construct the biggest chapel in bohemia, holding up to 3000 worshippers [6].
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In the 18th century, the chapel was torn down [6].
However, in 1920, remnants of the chapel were discovered, thus the government decided to rebuild the church from its original form based on its old drawings, descriptions, and traces of original work between 1948 to 1954 [6].
It got the approval as ‘Hussitism’ was an ancient form of communism [6].
Every year on the night of the 5th of July (the eve of Jan Hus death in 1415), a memorial is held at the chapel with speeches and bells ringing [6].
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A half-kilometre pedestrian bridge that contains baroque statues, busking musicians, and stunning views [6].
In 1357, Charles IV Commissioned Peter Parler, the man who designed the St Vitus Cathedral, to replace the 12th century Judith Bridge which was damaged by the 1342 floods [6].
In 1390, the bridge was completed, and was known as ‘stone bridge’ [6].
The name, ‘Charles Bridge’, was only adopted in the 19th century [6].
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The bridge at the time was used for pedestrian and wheel traffic, until it was made pedestrian only after WWII (1945) [6].
The bridge’s towers were created in the late 14th century [6].
Its purpose was for fortification and a triumph ark that makes the entrance for the old town [6].
The most notable features of the bridge are its statues [6].
The first statue was erected in 1657, known as the ‘crucifix’, which is near the eastern end [6].
The first saint statue was erected in 1683, which was a tribute to St John of Nepomuk [6].
Over the next 30 years, most of the statues on the bridge were erected, with the exemption of one in the 19th century, and the other in the 20th century [6].
It total, there are 30 statues [6].
Notable statues include St Wenceslas (#2), the patron saint of Bohemia, and St Vitus (#3), the patron saint of Prague [6].
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Characterised by its gothic twin spires that makes it a distinctive old town landmark [6].
Built in the 15th century, it looms over the old town square [6].
The most notable feature of the church is the tomb of Tycho Brahe [6].
Tycho was a Danish astronomer who was Rudolf II most illustrious scientist [6].
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In 1601, he died from a burst bladder following a royal drink up [6].
He was too polite to leave the table, thus he didn’t get to relieve himself [6].
[/expand]
Honoured after a young Charles University Student who set himself alite in Wenceslas Square in 1969 to protest the soviet regime [6].
Today, there’s a bronze memorial plaque with a ghostly death mask [6].
Symbolises the repression of the communist era in Prague [6].
This is where the youths once gathered to rebel against their suppressors [6].
John Lennon was murdered on the 8th of October 1980 [6].
After his death, he became an anti-war hero for many young Czechs [6].
[expand title=””]
An image of him was painted on a wall with political graffiti and Beatle lyrics in a quiet square opposite to a French Embassy [6].
Despite repeated removal from the secret police, it continued to be painted [6].
An interesting fact, most western pop music was banned by the communist regime, some musicians were even jailed for playing it [6].
[/expand]
A palace that was completed in 1765, which is now home to a branch of the national gallery [6].
It houses a collection of ancient and oriental art [6].
This includes Egyptian tomb treasures, Greek Pottery, and Chinese/Japanese art [6].
When it was a palace, Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite, once stayed at the place [6].
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His crush on the Czech Bertha von Suttner may have influenced him to establish the Nobel peace prize [6].
In 1905, she became the first woman laureate (i.e. the greatest benefit to humankind) [6].
On a low note, in February 1948, it was here on the balcony that Klement Gottwald proclaimed soviet rule in Czechoslovakia [6].
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An immense complex of stunning baroque and decorative halls [6].
The building comprises of a library hall, an astronomical tower, and a chapel of mirrors [6].
Its history began in 1556, when Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand I invited the ‘Jesuits’ (a religious order of the Catholic Church) to Prague to support the power of the Roman Catholic Church in Bohemia [6].
In 1587, they were allocated real estate to work on the ‘Church of the Holy Saviour’ [6].
[expand title=””]
In 1653, they started to build their college, the Klementinum [6].
When it was completed a century later, it was the largest building in the city after Prague Castle at the time [6].
In 1773, the Jesuits had a fall out with the pope, thus it became part of Charles University [6].
Now, it’s mostly occupied by the Czech National Library [6].
[/expand]
Prague’s most art-nouveau (i.e. flowing lines and patterns of flowers and leaves) building [6].
The complex was built between 1906-1912; yet was restored during the 1990s [6].
At the time, it took 30 artists to decorate, and on its completion, it was regarded as an architectural climax of the Czech national revival [6].
The ‘house’ contains a restaurant, a café, decorated halls, and Prague’s biggest concert beneath a glass down (1200 people capacity) [6].
The church which houses the ‘Infant Jesus’, known as ‘Our Lady Victorious’ was built in 1613 [6].
In 1628, a 47m-tall wax figure of baby Jesus (now known as the infant Jesus of Prague) was brought from Spain and placed on its central altar [6].
It is said that the ‘baby Jesus’ has protected Prague from the plague and the 30-year war [6].
Today the statue is visited by many pilgrims, especially from Italy, Spain, and South America [6].
[expand title=””]
A tradition is for the baby Jesus to be dressed in beautiful robes [6].
Today, the infant’s wardrobe consists of more than 70 outfits [6].
His outfits change on a regularly basis in accordance with the religious calendar [6].
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Known as the oldest synagogue in Europe, and one of Prague’s earliest gothic buildings [6].
The Pinkas Synagogue, as it’s called, was built in 1535, and was used for worship till 1941 [6].
After WWII, it was converted to a memorial, which has a wall with inscribed names, birth dates, and dates of disappearances of 77,297 people [6].
It also has a collection of paintings and drawings by the children who were held in the Terezin Concentration Camp during WWII [6].
The old town hall was established in 1338, but what makes the site special is the astronomical clock, which is one of Europe’s best-known tourist attraction [6].
The clock has a ‘show’ every hour, on the hour, which goes for 45 seconds [6].
The clock’s appearance is quite detailed, here are the features:
There are 4 figures besides the clock that represent the deepest anxieties of the Prague people in the 15th century [6].
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To the left of the clock are the figures of vanity (a man holding a mirror) and greed (a man holding a money bag) [6].
Prior to World War II, the ‘greed’ figure was a ‘Jewish Moneylender’, yet now it has changed [6].
To the right of the clock are the figures of death (a skeleton) and a pagan invasion (a turk) [6].
There are 4 figures below the clock [6].
To the left are the figures of a storyteller and an angel [6].
To the right are the figures of an astronomer and a philosopher [6].
The commencement of the show starts with the figure of death (the skeleton) ringing a bell and inverting his hourglass [6].
When this happens, the 12 apostles’ parade past the 2 windows above the clock, nodding to the crowd [6].
Each apostle is carrying an item: Paul (sword & book), Thomas (lace), Jude (book), Simon (saw), Bartholomew (book), Barnabas (parchment), Peter (key), Matthew (axe), John (snake), Andrew (cross), Philip (cross), and James (mallet) [6].
At the end of the show, a cock crows, and the hour is rung [6].
You can enter the hall and view some historic features [6].
This includes a plaque, located on the eastern face of the building, which lists the 27 protestant nobles who were beheaded here in 1621 after the battle of Bila Hora [6].
The white crosses that you see on the ground, are where the executions that took place [6].
You can climb the 60m tower for stunning views of the city [6].
The building has a clock face that was made in 1410, yet was improved to its current appearance in 1490 by Master Hanus [6].
A legend says that Hanus was blinded after the design, so he couldn’t duplicate his work anywhere else [6].
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One of Europe’s largest and most stunning urban squares in Europe [6].
The old town square has been the town’s main public squares in the 10th century, and it remained the key marketplace until the 20th century [6].
The square has a statue of Jan Hus, it was revealed on the 6th of July 1915, which was the 500th anniversary of Hus death [6].
A 318m high hill that provides stunning views of the city [6].
The space itself, is one of Prague’s largest green spaces [6].
There’s a funicular, the Petrin funicular railway, which was opened in 1891, which can get you to the top [6].
A 65m tall tower that has stunning views from the top [6].
In the inside, it houses exhibitions of medieval weapons and instruments [6].
Some of the items were used in film shots in Prague; such as Helsing, Chronicles of Narnia, and Blade 2 [6].
The tower was constructed in 1475, during the reign of King Vladislac II [6].
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It was used as a ceremonial entrance to the city; however, it was left unfinished [6].
In 1875 to 1886, Josef Mocker rebuilt and decorated the tower to its present appearance [6].
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The huge green dome church (1755) is one of central Europe’s finest baroque buildings [6].
The fresco on the ceiling, which was designed by Johann Kracker in 1770, is Europe’s largest fresco [6].
In 1787, Mozart once played a 2500 pipe organ [6].
On the 14th of December 1791, Mozart was honoured with his funeral mass here [6].
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The church’s bell towers provide stunning views of the town, but during the communist era, the tower was used to spy on the American Embassy nearby [6].
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In 1140, Vladislav II founded the strahov monastery for a ministry organisation [6].
Although, the present structure is from the construction between the 17th and 18th century [6].
The monastery functioned from its origin until the communist government closed it down, and imprisoned most of the monks in the 1950s [6].
The monastery returned to normal in 1990 [6].
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The monastery contains a library, the Strahov Library, which is the biggest monastic library in the country [6].
The library comprises of 2 magnificent baroque halls that date from the 17th and 18th century [6].
The philosophy hall (1780-97) has a stunning interior that is 2 story high [6].
The theology hall has a motto on its ceiling ‘the beginning of wisdom is the fear of god’ [6].
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In the 17th century, a huge baroque garden and palace was created for Duke Albrecht of Wallenstein, the general of the Habsburg army [6].
Its most notable feature is the huge terrace that is decorated with scenes from the Trojan War [6].
The palace now houses the senate of the Czech Republic [6].
PRAGUE CASTLE
A tourist hotspot, and the most popular attraction of Prague [6].
Located on the hilltop above the Vltava River, which dominates the city centre like a fairy-tale fortress [6].
Hradcany, which is known as the castle district, became a borough of prague in 1598 [6].
The Habsburg nobility established many palaces in the district [6].
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To see everything, you’ll need a full day, however for the main sights, you’ll need at least 2 hours [6].
There’s a free zone, in which you can walk through the castle grounds and gardens without a ticket [6].
Inside the castle walls you’ll see historic buildings, museums, galleries, and some of Czechs greatest treasures [6].
The castle is also the official residence of the head of state, as it has always been the seat of the Czech monarchs [6].
The history of the castle begun in the 9th century when Prince Borivoj established a settlement here [6].
From there, the following rulers made their own additions to the palace [6].
In total, there has been 4 major reconstructions: from Prince Sobeslav in the 12th century, to Empress Maria Theresa in the 18th century [6].
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The first courtyard is located within Hradcany Square [6].
The notable feature is the huge baroque statues of battling titans (1767-70) [6].
There’s a changing of guard that takes place every hour on the hour, yet the longest and most impressive happens at noon [6].
This is when the banners are exchanged while a bass band plays a tune [6].
The second courtyard is focused on a baroque fountain and a 17th century well [6].
To the right is the chapel of the holy cross (1763), which secures the treasury of St Vitus cathedral [6].
The third courtyard has a 16m tall granite monument that is dedicated to the victims of WWI [6].
A brick-red façade building that is regarded as Czech’s best-preserved Romanesque Basilica [6].
The basilica was established in the 10th century by Vratislav, the father of St Wenceslas [6].
However, its present structure is mostly from the restorations between 1887 and 1908 [6].
The church contains the tombs of Prince Boleslav II (d 997) and Prince Vratislav (d 921) [6].
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A notable feature is a gruesome statue of a decomposing corpse, known as Brigita, which dates from the 16th century [6].
The sculpture has a folktale of an Italian sculpture and his girlfriend [6] [6].
Supposedly, he murdered his girlfriend, Brigita, but when her buried body was discovered, he was so remorseful that he created this sculpture of her decaying body [6].
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On the southern side of the chapel of St Wenceslas in St Vitus Cathedral, is a small door that is sealed with 7 locks [6].
The door hides a staircase that leads to the crown chamber [6].
The crown is the Royal Crown of Bohemia, which was created for Charles IV in 1346 [6].
The gold from the crown was made from the ducal coronet (small crown) that was once worn by St Wenceslas [6].
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The crown has 18 Sapphires, 15 rubies, 25 emeralds and 20 pearls [6].
Some of these stones are 7cm to 10 cm wide and weigh 60 to 80 carats [6].
The cross on the top of the crown is believed to have contained a thorn from Jesus’s crown of thorns [6].
It has an inscription “here is a thorn from the lord’s crown” [6].
You can see the replica of the crown in the old royal palace [6].
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The cathedral’s southern entrance, known as the golden gate, is a stunning triple-ark porch [6].
Above the gate is a mosaic of the last judgment (1370) [6].
To the left, are the ‘godly’ people who are being raised by angels to heaven [6].
To the right, are the ‘sinners’ who are being cast down by demons to hell [6].
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In the centre, Jesus is displayed in glory with various Czech saints below [6].
The saints include Procopius, Sigismund, Vitus, Wenceslas, Ludmila, and Adalbert [6].
Beneath the saints are Charles IV and his wife doing an act of prayer [6].
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A picturesque alley that runs along the northern wall of the castle [6].
The lane contains tiny colourful cottages, which were built in the 16th century [6].
The original residence was the sharpshooters of the castle guard [6].
Then it was used by the goldsmiths [6].
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Eventually, it was occupied by artists from the 19th century [6].
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The cathedral’s bell tower, known as Sigismund bell, was established in 1549, and it is the largest bell in the Czech Republic [6].
You can climb the 297 steps to the top of the tower for stunning views of Prague [6].
A palace that was built in the 16th century by the Labkowicz family, who lived there for 400 years [6].
It was then confiscated by the Nazis in WWII, and again by the Soviets in 1948 [6].
The palace then return to the family, William Lobkowicz, in 2002 [6].
Now the building contains a museum of priceless paintings, furniture, and musical memorabilia [6].
One of the oldest parts of the castle, which dates to 1135 [6].
Its original purpose was the residence of Czech princesses [6].
However, from the 13th to the 16th century, it was the king’s own palace [6].
Its hall, the Vladislav hall, is famous for its stunning gothic ceiling (1493-1502) [6].
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It was also used for many purposes, this included banquets, councils, coronations, and indoor joustings [6].
All the presidents of the republic have sworn at least once here [6].
On the 23rd of May 1618, in the second room, a group of protestant nobles rebelled against the Habsburg Catholic Emperor by throwing out 2 of his councilors through the window [6].
The men survived, as it’s believed their fall was broken by manure [6].
However, this second defenestration sparked off the 30 years’ war [6].
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The garden begun as a renaissance garden, which was established by Ferdinand I in 1534 [6].
It possesses several gorgeous renaissance structures [6].
The most elegant are 1569 ball-game house (The Habsburgs once played a primitive version of badminton here), the summer residence (regarded as the most authentic Italian renaissance building outside Italy), and the 1695 former riding school [6].
All 3 buildings are also used for temporary exhibitions of modern art [6].
One of the most iconic cathedrals in central Europe [6].
It’s an iconic building to the religious and cultural life of Prague [6].
The church has been built of a time span of almost 600 years [6].
The first stone was laid in 1344 by Emperor Charles IV on the 10th century rotunda site, which was dedicated to St Wenceslas [6].
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Only in 1861, that a conscious effort was made to complete the cathedral [6].
In 1929, it was finally finished [6].
The cathedral contains various tombs of iconic Czech people, these include bohemian saints (St Vitus & St Wenceslas) and bohemian rulers (e.g. Charles IV) [6].
It also contains various treasures such as the 14th century bohemian crown jewels [6].
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A collection of ecclesiastical items that was used by Charles IV in the 14th century [6].
This includes gold and silver reliquaries (i.e. a container for holy relics) that are covered in diamonds, emeralds, and rubies [6].
The oldest item is a reliquary arm of St Vitus, which dates from the 10th century [6].
The most impressive item is the gold coronation cross of Charles IV (1370) [6].
The complex contains a museum that traces the 1000-year legacy of the castle’s history [6].
From when Prince Borivoj established a settlement here in the 9th century, to the present day [6].
There are various model illustrations that display the stages of its development [6].
The museum also contains the grave of a 9th century warrior that was discovered in the complex; and a helmet, chain mail, and replica of the gold crown that was used by St Wenceslas [6].
The second biggest toy museum in the world [6].
The museum contains artifacts from ancient Greece and modern toys [6].
These include model trains, teddy bears, Victorian dolls, action men, and a Barbie collection [6].
TRIPS
A castle situated above the village of Karlstejn, 30km southwest of Prague [6].
This fairytale medieval fortress that overlooks the Berounka River, is regarded as one of the top attractions of Czechia [6].
The castle was built in 1348, and it was used as a hideaway for the treasury of the holy roman emperor Charles IV, which included the Crown Jewels [6].
The castle itself was protected by a network of knight vassals [6].
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Its protection was under test by the Hussite wars of the early 15th century [6].
However, it fell to disrepair as its defences became out-of-date [6].
In the late 19th century, it returned to its former glory [6].
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This Chateau is famously known as the residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination in 1914 sparked WWI [6].
Prior to being renovated in the 1890s, the home was previously a massive gothic and renaissance building [6].
Franz’s obsession with hunting and St George is clearly shown in the house [6].
He has around 100,000 animal trophies that are decorated along the walls, and a 3000+ collection of St George art and artefacts [6].
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It is believed, that he has shot 300,000 animals, which are shown in his ‘game books’ [6].
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Kutna Hora, the silver city, is known for its silver ore that surrounds the town’s hills [6].
From 1308, it was producing ‘Silver Groschen’, which was the silver coin that was used by the Holy Roman Empire (central Europe) [6].
During this ‘boom-time’, the town was rivalling Prague in importance [6].
However from the 16th century the town began to decline, this was due to the mines beginning to dry up, the 30 years’ war, and a devastating fire in 1770 [6].
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In 1996, it became a UNESCO site [6].
The main attractions of the town include the Sedlec Ossuary, the Cathedral of St. Barbara, and the Italian Court [6].
The Sedlec Ossuary, known as the ‘bone church’, was originally a monastery (sedlec monastery) until it was bought by the Schwarzenberg family in 1870 [6].
The family hired a local woodcarver to decorate the church, in which he used bones piled from the church’s crypt, a total of 40,000 [6].
There are skulls hanging from the ceiling, around the chandeliers, and all around the church [6].
The cathedral of St. Barbara is regarded as the town’s greatest monument [6].
It rivals Prague’s St. Vitus in size and impressiveness [6].
The church’s construction begun in 1380, however it was interrupted in the early 15th century due to the Hussite wars [6].
In 1558, it was left abandoned because the town’s silver began to run out [6].
At the end of the 19th century, the cathedral was finally completed [6].
The Italian Court was known as the former royal mint [6].
It gets its name from the Florence craftsmen who were brought in by Wenceslas II, to stamp silver coins in the 1300s [6].
Today, the original treasury rooms contain an exhibit of coins and minting [6].
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A former concentration camp during WWII [6].
Prior to the war, the village was a fortified town [6].
It was built in 1780 by Emperor Joseph II, and he wanted the fortifications to keep enemies out [6].
Ironically, the town’s forts was known for keeping people in [6].
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In the later days of the Habsburg Empire, the fortress served as the political prison [6].
Gavrilo Princip, the man who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, was imprisoned here during WWI [6].
During WWII in 1940, the Germans took control of the town, and the fortress became a transit camp [6].
150,000 Jews passed through the fortress to the eventual death camp of Auschwitz [6].
Between April and September in 1942, the population of the fortress when from 12,968 to 58,491 [6].
Thus, the prisoners had only 1.65sqm of space [6].
This congestion caused disease and starvation on a terrifying scale [6].
With a population boom, there was also a ‘death boom’, as there was a 15 proportional increase of the number of deaths inside the walls [6].
In total it is believed that 35,000 people died from the camp, from either suicide, disease, starvation, or the departing train to Auschwitz [6].
Today you can visit the town and see the prison barracks, isolation cells, workshops, morgues, execution grounds, and mass graves [6].
The town also has a museum, the ghetto museum, which educates the rise of Nazism, and the life of Terezin during the war [6].
The museum was a building that once accommodated the camp’s 10-15 year old boys [6].
You can still see their painted images that decorate the walls [6].
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Prague Experience
Prague is one of the most popular cities in Europe, and is known as the gateway to Eastern Europe. In tourism alone, it has allowed the capital to become the 7th richest city in the European Union. The city has experienced notable moments in history, this includes becoming the capital of the Holy Roman Empire during Charles IV reign, being the catalyst of the 30 years’ war when Protestant nobles threw Catholics out of the city’s hall window, and setting the world standard to peaceful protests in the 1989 Velvet Revolution. The city has also experienced its fame in Hollywood, with movies using Prague as its backdrop, such as Amadeus (1980), Mission Impossible (1996), Hostel (2005), Casino Royale (2006), and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008). My two experiences of Prague was very short. The first experience was only a hotel night stay near the airport, as my transition flight to Amsterdam got delayed. I didn’t get to see the town, yet the hotel was nice. My second experience was only a day trip, as I was passing through to Berlin to fly back to Australia. Although my time was short, I did get to see some of the attractions. My favourite site was the Charles Bridge, in my opinion it’s the best pedestrian bridge in Europe. Other notable attractions include the Astronomy clock and the Main Square. I happen to be there during December, thus I got to see the main square in its Christmas décor, which made the city at night look even more stunning. The attraction I didn’t get to explore was Prague castle, a multi-site complex. From my research, this is a must see for anyone who visits Prague. Overall, Prague is a city that you should include in your European tour. It has the architecture, the history, the attractions, the nightlife, and the atmosphere.
