If you visited this city, chances are you were amazed
by its matchless beauty. If you still haven't been in Prague, we strongly recommend eliminating
this drawback. The history of this marvelous city started more than several
centuries ago. Prague
emerged in 1784 when several towns situated nearby were united, including
Prazsky Hrad, Hradcany, Mala Strana, Stare Mesto, Nove Mesto, Vysehrad. Before
that Prague's
history was a history of separate settlements which are now city districts.
This land saw plenty of bloody wars and conflicts before becoming the Prague we know now.
Walking the narrow streets you get under the fairy tale spell as if coming from
your childhood. You see images of days long gone: here's a lady dressed in a
long dress walking across the cobbles, her hands are covered with gloves, a
fancy hat on her head... Here's a man coming out of a pub, a bit unsteady on
his legs, trying to catch a carriage, and here's the sound of clattering hoofs
which comes into your ears... How great it would be to travel to the age of
courteous gentlemen and bashful ladies! Still only shadows on the walls are
left from these times, telling you about the lengthy history of the city.
So, we're back to the times of today. You are entering
this mysterious city and most likely you have already bought a map not to get
lost in the intricate streets. Of course, the first place to visit is Wenceslas Square,
the heart of Prague.
From here you can easily reach CharlesBridge, take a look at
its dazzling sculptures and make a wish rubbing the board under the sculpture
of Jan Nepomucki. The wish will surely come true, of course if you don't make
more than one wish per year. Wenceslas
Square is the beginning of routes to the main
attractions, including Old Town
Square, CharlesBridge and a lot more. By
the way, Old Town Square
was a typical marketplace before, and since then little change took place. Of
course, lots of cafes and restaurants appeared. Here you can see the St. Mary
Cathedral, the OldTownCity
Hall with its famous clock. When it starts
ringing, hundreds of tourists turn their heads to this unforgettable object.
Of course we cannot miss the pride and gem of Prague, St. Vitus'
Cathedral. This building is truly unique! The president's castle is very close
to it, and you surely can’t miss Zlata Ulicka (Little Golden Street), once you
are in the Hrad. The street is one of the most romantic places in the entire
city. During the reign of emperor Rudolph II in the 16th century the
street was allegedly occupied by alchemists who were seeking ways to synthesize
gold and produce an elixir of eternal youth. As Vyšehrad is situated on a
height, you will enjoy a very picturesque landscape of the city. If you are a
real tourist, we recommend walking rather then using transport, because you can
miss lots and lots of exciting opportunities and sights. You will be passing
along ancient streets, squares, cathedrals, parks, monuments to prominent
figures of the CzechRepublic. Prague is not at all a big
city, and it's surprising that it contains this many parks and gardens. When
you get tired with the busy streets, you can enjoy some tranquility turning to
the garden of the Wallenstein palace not far from the Hrad. The garden is
relatively small, but it contains not only an open air garden but an artificial
pond with lots carps which you can feed, as well as fountains and a winter
garden. In summer you can listen to all kinds of choirs and ensembles here. By
the way, there is an annual festival known as Prague Spring, during which
dozens of theatrical groups perform, along with plenty of exhibitions and
classical music concerts. If you are really into theatre, you can visit the
Estates Theatre which is famous for the first night of "Don Juan"
which took place in 1787 with Mozart, its creator, being present. Those fond of
exhibitions will be interested in the fact that every year about July 16-17th
you can visit any museum in the city for free.
This fabulous city offers a bit of something to
everybody. You can't but mention that Prague is
also Europe's beer capital. Its history of
brewing dates back to 1082 when beer producing was first mentioned in the
records.
You can go on describing Prague sights forever, but this is largely
useless when you can make friends with this lovely city yourself!