Places of interest

Prague Castle

Residence of the Bohemian princes and kings, now of the President of the Republic. Originated in c. 880. Royal Palace (Romanesque and Gothic) with Vladislav Hall (B. Ried, 1502), the Old Diet (Renaissance) and the Church of All Saints (Gothic and Baroque), Louis Wing (Early Renaissance), Spanish Hall and the Gallery, the Black, Daliborka and Mihulka towers, The Golden Lane, St George´s Basilica (Romanesque), the Cathedral of St Vitus (Gothic, its western part Neo-Gothic), the Picture Gallery of Prague Castle, St George´s Convent (Gothic with Baroque adaptations), Lobkovicz Palace (Renaissance and Baroque), the Royal Garden with Renaissance Ball-Games Court and the Royal Summer Palace (Belvedere).

Vyšehrad

Castle of the Bohemian princes and kings founded in the 10th century. Rotunda of St Martin (Romanesque, 11th cent.), Chapter Church of SS Peter and Paul, Baroque fort and 17th cent. casemats, Vyšehrad cemetery and Slavín Vault, the tomb of important personalitis of the nation.

Charles Bridge

The oldest Prague bridge founded by Charles IV in 1357 and built by P. Parler in High Gothic style. Two Malá Strana bridge towers, the Old Town bridge towers, 30 statues and statuary of seints dating from the 18th-20th cent.

Old Town Square

The oldest and most important square in historic Prague dating from from the 12th cent. Its dominant feature is the Old Town Hall (prob. 1299) with its tower, oriel chapel (2nd half 14th cent.) and the Astronomical Clock (bef. 1410). Church of Our Lady before Týn (Gothic, 14-15th cent.), Týn School (Gothic and Renaissance), House at the Stone Bell (Gothic), Golz-Kinský Palace (Rococo), church of St Nicholas (Baroque, K.I. Dientzenhofer), House At the Minute (Renaissance), Jan Hus monument (L. Šaloun, 1915).

Carolinum

Seat of the oldest university in Central Europe, founded by Charles IV in 1348 (Gothic building re-built in Baroque style with 20th cent. additions).

St Agnes Convent

Originally convent of the poor Clares and Minorite monastery, founded 1233-1234 by Václav I and St Agnes. The most important Early Gothic building in Prague.

Bethlehem Chapel

Jan Hus preached here 1402-1412, cradle of the Bohemian Hussite Reformation.

Theatre of the Estates

Neo-Classical theatre building from 1781-1783. Czech performances were given here from 1785. First performance of Mozart´s Don Giovanni in 1787.

National Theatre

Neo-Renaissance building erected 1868-1881 from funds collected among the people (arch. J. Zítek) and re-built after a fire (1881-1883, arch. J. Schulz).

National Museum

Monumental Neo-Renaissance building by arch. Schulz (1885-1890), seat of the most important scientific and cultural institutions of the Czech National Revival, founded 1818.

St. Nichola´s Church

Originally a Gothic church (from 1283) stood on this site. From 1704 to 1756, it was rebuilt as the seventy nine metre high Baroque church of today, becoming a dominant monument on the Small Town Square.

Loretta

The Loretta facade (built according to Kilian Ignac Dienzenhofer´s design) dates back to bettwen 1720 and 1722. In the clock tower, a carillon which plays a Marian Song was installed in 1694.

Royal Villa

A unique and very bright renaissance construction. Ferdinand I. had it built for Queen Ann between 1535 and 1563. The fountain was cast by Tomáš Jaroš from Brno according to a model by Italian masters

St. Wencesla´s Monument

A creation of sculptor Myslbek dating from 1912. The sculpture of St. Wenceslas, (on horseback), is surrounded by sculptures of St. Ludmila, Agnes, Prokop and Vojtech.

Powder Tower

One of the few remaining pieces of the Gothic defences of the Old Town. It was begun by Vladislav of Jagellon in 1475 and after being destroyed by a Prussian cannonade in 1799, reconstructed and finished by Josef Mocker between 1875 and 1886.

Old-new Synagogue

This is the oldest surviving synagogue in Central Europe. Parts of it date from the second half of the thirteenth century. In the eighteenth century, a low-ceilinged extension for women was built. The synagogue is still used for religious purposes.

Old Town Hall

The town hall was established in 1338 by the addition of a seventy-meter high tower to a burgess house. On the south side of the tower, Nicholas of Copenhagen placed a astrological clock in 1410.

St. Ludmila´s Church

Was built from 1888 to 1893 in a pseudo-gothic style according to Josef Mocker´s plans. On the main portal is a relief of Christ with St. Wenceslas and Ludmila by sculptor Myslbek.

Petrín Watchtower

was built according to the Eiffel Tower in Paris on the occasion of the Country´s Anniversary Exhibition in the year 1891. We can ascend the 299 steps to reach a height of 60 m. There is a mirror labirynth in close proximity of the watchtower.

New Town Hall

originally a Gothic building from the year 1378, it was reconstructed in the Renaissance style several times. The building of the Town Hall contained offices and a prison, the wedding room and the cultural rooms were built additionally in the year 1418. The tower dates back to the year 1456.

Emauzy

This Benedictine Church "Na Slovanech" with the church of Our Lady was established by Charles IV. in 1374. In 1796, two baroque towers were added. They were destroyed in an air-raid in 1945 and replaced by the present ones in 1969.

Karlštejn

Karlštejn castle was the first Czech building project of King Charles IV. In 1348 the king commissioned the construction with the original purpose of having a place of rest, however, later on the castle served for the safe-keeping of the Czech crown jewels and those of the Roman Empire and as such it became a symbol of the Czech Kingdom.