| Prague (Czech Praha), Capital of the Czech Republic,
the Bohemian city of Prague (Praha) is the geographical 'heart of
Europe' and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Six hundred years of architecture, unharmed by war or nature, make
Prague one of the most aesthetically pleasing cities in Europe.
Disappearing behind the Iron Curtain for most of the latter part
of the twentieth century, Prague re-emerged after the Velvet Revolution
of 1989 and is today, one of Europe's most visited attractions.
The city is compact and easy to navigate, from the Old Town Square
where classical concerts and traditional marionette theatre shows
are regularly held to the two citadels from which the modern-day
city has grown.
Established as a trading centre for amber and salt at a ford on
the Vltava around five thousand years ago, the city of Prague developed
out of six independent districts which were unified in the eighteenth
century; Stare Mesto (Old Town), Josefov (Jewish Quarter), Nove
Mesto (New Town), Mala Strana (Lesser Town), Hradcany (Prague Castle)
and Vysehrad (High Castle). Once called the 'city of a hundred spires'
(it now has around 500), the wealth of art, design and architecture
in Prague is staggering. Gothic, Renaissance, baroque, rococo, art
nouveau and cubist styles sit side by side, creating an aesthetic
and cohesive unit; even the main railway station (Hlavní
nádrazí) is an exquisitely decorated art-nouveau gem.
There is no excuse for boredom in Prague. You can pack a lot of
exploring into a short visit, charging through its compact network
of lanes, passages and cul-de-sacs, or spend weeks meandering along
and slowly savouring its sights.
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