7_Prague

7) Prague

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and it’s the largest city in the country. It’s the seat of the President, government and parliament. It has been the political, cultural and economic centre of the Czech state for over 1100 years. Prague, which is one of the oldest cities in the world, is often called „the mother of all cities“, „the hundred-spired city“ or „golden Prague“. It’s divided into 10 administrative districts and it has about 1,2 million inhabitants. Prague is situated in central Bohemia, right in „the heart of Europe“, on the river Vltava.

Prague is considered as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, the historical centre is one of the UNESCO sites. Thank to its long history we can find there almost every architectural styles. For example the Charles Bridge and St. Vitus Cathedral are in the gothic style, the statues on the Charles Bridge are baroque, Belveder is in the renaissance style and the building of the National theatre is neoclasical.

Now, I would like to mention the transport in Prague. The traffic in the centre is usually very busy and it’s really difficult to get through. Many people rather use the Prague Integrated Transport that covers a very large percentage of the metropolitan area and surroundings. It’s composed of the Prague Underground with 3 lines and 57 stations in total, Prague Tram System and Prague buses. Prague also has two international railway stations, the Prague Main railway station and the Prague-Holešovice. I have to mention also the Ruzyně International Airport, which is the biggest airport in the Czech Republic and one of the busiest and the most modern in Central and Eastern Europe.

Now, I’d like to tell a brief history of Prague. According to the legend, Prague was founded by the Princess Libuše, who saw the city in her visions, and by her husband Přemysl, the founder of the Přemyslid dynasty. Then, Prague became the seat of the dukes and kings of Bohemia and it was an important place of trade. The Judith Bridge was the first bridge on Vltava in 1170 and on its foundations the Charles Bridge was built during the reign of Charles IV. The Charles University, which is the oldest university in Central Europe, was founded in 1348 and Prague became the capital of the Roman Empire. During the Hapsburg era, Prague was a cosmopolitan city. The important events during this time were for example the Defenestration of Prague in 1618 which started the Thirty Year’s War or the execution of 27 Czech lords involved in the Battle of White Mountain at the Old Town Square in 1621. In 1918, Czechoslovakia was established and Prague became the capital. In 1939, the German army came to Prague and Hitler proclaimed Bohemian and Moravian protectorate from the Prague Castle. The city was set free by the Soviet Army on May 9, 1945. On November 17, 1989, the Velvet Revolution happened and Czechoslovakia became a federal state. In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Prague remained the capital of the Czech Republic.