Prague

Prague is also important centre of sports. There are many stadiums, parks ( Letná, Stromovka, Kampa, Petřín) and swimming pools. The biggest stadium is Strahov which was built by communists. In Prague there are many sports clubs.

The majority of Czech universities, colleges and student residences is in Prague.

The most visited tourist sights include:

The Prague Castle: It was founded 880 A.D. by the first Přemysl prince Bořivoj. Its greatest period was during the reign of Charles IV. In 1344 the construction of the ST. Vitus Cathedral started. In the time of Rudolf II the castel became a famous centre of science, arts and culture. Famous sights in Prague Castle include: St.Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Palace with Vladislav Hall, Spanish Hall, the Golden Lane ( a legend connects it with Rudolf II’s alchemists). The Prague Castle is surrounded by the Strahov Monastery and Petřín hill with its famous watchtower.

Old Town Square – portions of Old Town Hall were hit by bombs in May 1945. The Astronomical Clock strikes every 60 minutes and is controlled by a very complicated mechanism built in Middle Ages. In the upper part of the horologe a procession of the Apostles can be seen every hour. The horologe is decorated by 12 outler medallions representing the course of village life, painted by famous Czech painter J.Mánes. There are also 12 signs of the Zodiac. On the Old Town Square there is the monument of Master John Huss. Worthy of attention in the square the gothic church of , a gothic tower house called At the Stone Bell and baroque St Nicholas Church designed by K.I.Dienzenhofer.

Vyšehrad – formerly one of the Prague’s towns and originally the castle of the Přemysl in the latter half of the 11th century and first half of the 12th century. Nowdays we can visit the National Cemetery here with graves of outstanding Czech personalities in cultural sphere, scientists and politics. The original Romanesque Church of Saints Peter and Paul now has a neo-gothic appearance.

The Charles Bridge – commissioned by Charles IV in 1357 and built by famous Gothic architect Petr Parléř. On both ends of the bridge there are Gothic Bridge Towers. It is the second oldest stone bridge in Central Europe. It is 520 m long and 10 m wide. In the 18th century the bridge began decorated by baroque statues by Matyáš Braun and Jan Brokoff. The bridge gradually became one of the lively centres of Prague life. During summer it is always full of tourists, souvenir stalls and street artists.

The Powder Tower – a monument of the Czech late gothic period, stands at the end of Prague’s new pedestrian zone called King’s Road.

The Carolinum - the oldest building of Charles University founded on 4th April 1348 as the first institution of this kind in Central Europe.

The Clementinum – the second largest building in Prague ( after Prague Castle ), was built at the 17th century. Now it serves as the largest branch of state library.

Wenceslas Square – the centre of the city. It is about 750 m long and 60 m wide. The statue of the Czech patron – St.Wenceslas – made by J.V.Myslbek is a symbol of a free and independent republic. People usually gather here in troublesome moments of Czech history.