AJ maturitní okruhy

The city has a rich cultural life. There are 6 permanent theatre companies – the National Moravian- Silesian Theatre, Antonín Dvořák Theatre, Jiří Myron Theatre, Petr Bezruč Theatre, the Aréna Chamber Theatre and the Puppet Theatre for children. The Puppet Theatre is the most modern in central Europe, 5 museums, 15 galleries and several cinemas including modern multiplex Cinestar. Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra has a long tradition in Ostrava. Same as Janáček’s May – a festival of classic music held every year. As for sports facilities, citizens of Ostrava can use 5 stadiums, a large number of sports halls including a multipurpose ČEZ Arena, 3 ice stadiums, 5 outdoor and 11 indoor swimming pools and a lot of sports fields.5. PRAGUE

Prague is the capital city of the Czech Republic. It‘s situated in Central Bohemia on both banks of the river Vltava. It’s the administrative, economic and cultural centre of our country. Also the President and the government reside there. It’s the largest city in the Czech Republic, its population is about one milion people. Prague consist of 22 parts. The most famous are for example the Old Town, the Lesser Town, the New Town.. Prague is an important transport connection where railways from all directions meet. There is an Václav Havel airport. To avoid frequent traffic jams in the city you had better use the public transport systém which is quite good and not expensive. You can use the tram, bus or underground. There are many theatres, cinemas, galleries and other cultural institutes for example The National Gallery, The National Museum, The National Theatre. The National museum is located on the top of the Wenceslas Square. There are historical and biological collections. The National Theatre is located on the bank of river Vltava. The decoration inside and outside were made by artists of the National Theatre generation.

Prague sights Being in the centre of the Old Town, Old Town Square dates back to the 12th century. The square is surrounded with a lot of houses built in different styles of architecture. The most famous is the Old Town Hall with an astronomical clock. Apart from the Town Hall other dominant features of the square include St. Nicholas Church, Kinsky Palace, Stone Bell House and Master Jan Hus Monument. The mosaic pavement contains marks commemorating the execution of 27 Czech lords. Charles Bridge is the most famous of the 15 Prague bridges. It was build by Charles IV in gothic style. It’s unique gallery of Baroque statues. The bridge is fortified with towers on both sides (the Lesser Town Tower and Old Town Bridge Tower) The bridges are 515m long and 10m wide Hradčany Castle stands on a green hill above the river. Czech Kings and queens lived here for centuries. Now the castle is the residence of the president. In one area of the Castle we can see St. Vitus Cathedral. Bulding started during the reign of Charles IV. It is built in gothic style. Many visitors want to see the Golden Lane. It contains lovely little houses that were homes of the guards and craftmen working in the Castle. In one area of the Castle you can find St. Wenceslas Chapel and the tombs of Czech Kings. In Cathedral there is also the crowning jewels of Czech monarchs. St. George Church is the oldest religious site at the Castle. There are other attractive parts of the Castle for example wonderful gardens, a picture gallery, a round tower and many others. Wenceslas Square is the heart of the city. An important shopping and cultural centre, it contains lots of shops, hotels, restaurants, cafés, cinemas and theatres. The top of the square is where the National Museum is located. Also at the top there is St. Wenceslas Monument. Vyšehrad Castle is the oldest seat of Czech princes. There you can find St. Martin Rotund, Gothic St. Peter and Paul Church and Vyšehrad cementery where famous Czech personalities have been buried including a common tomb called Slavín for the most important ones.6. THE CZECH REPUBLIC