Prague

Prague

- 1, 2 mil people

- capital city

- 2 mil people in greater area

- UNESCO since 1992

- seat of legislative power – Parliament

- seat of executive power – government and President

- to top 10 richest areas in EU

- tourist => 8 mil for year

HISTORY
Legend

• Princess Libuše (Přemyslid)

- “I can see a city whose glory touches the stars.”

Charles IV (the fourth)

- he made Prague the center of Europe

- Holy Roman Empire

- Emperor – seat in Prague

- university

- St. Vitus Cathedral (Petr Parléř)

- Charles Bridge

- brought archbishop

- 80 000 people at that time

- New Town

Rudolph II.

- Habsburg

- Vienna => Prague

- Uprising of Czech Estates –> 30 - year war started in Prague

- 1621 – 27 leaders

Sights

- 5 historical parts:

• Lesser Quarter

• Old Town

• New Town

• Hradčany

• Josefov – former Jewish Town

Lesser Quarter

- Kampa – island

– Vltava and Čertovka

– mills

– house sights

- St. Nicholas Church – the largest ceiling fresco in the world 1500 m2

Old Town

- Old Town Square – Old Town Hall + Astronomical clock (12 apostoles)

– John Hus memorial (Jan Hus)

– Týn Church

- Charles Bridge – 520 m long

– 30 statues

– Jan Nepomuk

– 9. 7 1357 (5:31)

New Town

- Wenceslas Square – used to be Horse Market

– Wenceslas Memorial

– National Museum

Hradčany

- Prague Castle – St. Vitus Cathedral

– Czech Crown Jewells (special vault, 7 keys)

- Golden lane – small houses/shops (=dílny)

– craftsmen

- Daliborka Tower

Josefov

- former Jewish Quarter – demolished about 1890

– copying Paris (shopping streets)

- Jewish Cemetery – synagogues

– Pinkas – names

– Old New

Vyšehrad

- used to be a fortress

- Slavin cemetery

- St. Martin’s Rotunda

Petřín

Lookout Tower – copy of Eiffel Tower, 1891 – 1930 to Petřín

National Theatre – burnt down

– collected money

National Gallery

Modern sights:

Dancing House – controversal

Žižkov TV tower

- transport:

• Vaclav Havel airport

• Underground, trams, buses, trolleybuses

Strahov Stadion – the largest in the world

Culture, theatres, sports

Positives

- public transport

- job opportunities

- sights

- culture

- cosmopolitan

Negatives

- night public transport

- crowded

- expensive

- traffic jams