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Prague - Things To See & Do

• Prague Castle

The city’s most recognisable symbol, Prague Castle is also the largest castle in Europe, being about 750 metres long and containing more than 700 rooms. Its distinctiveness dwells not only in its dimensions, but in its appearance: it is enclosed not by bastions and castellated towers, but by a palatial Neoclassical façade, with only the Gothic spires of St Vitus Cathedral rising above it.
            In its time, the castle has been home to the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of the Czech Republic (and Czechoslovakia). It also contains the crown jewels of the Bohemian Kingdom. It was begun in the 9th century and in the 12th and 13th centuries evolved into a complex of palaces, gardens and churches. In the 14th century, under the reign of Charles IV, the royal palace was rebuilt in Gothic style and the castle fortifications were strengthened. St. Vitus's Cathedral was also begun during this period. Over the following centuries, the castle went through a cycle of being partially destroyed or falling into dilapidation, then undergoing restoration again, usually tailored to the architectural taste of its current occupant. The last major rebuilding was carried out by Empress Maria Theresa in the second half of the 18th century.
            One ticket (CZK 350; valid for two days) covers admission to the main sites, including St. Vitus's Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace – with its ceremonial Vladislav Hall, dating from the 16th century – and the 10th-century St. George's Basilica, the oldest structure in the castle, with its Romanesque arches. When visiting the Castle, do not forget to drop in to the Information Centre, which also provides guided tours (including foreign language services). The Changing of the Guard ceremony by the Castle gates takes place every hour. At noon it also includes a fanfare and the flag ceremony on the First Courtyard.

 

• Old Town Square

Easily the most spectacular square in Prague, Staromĕstké námĕsti (Old Town Square) is the traditional heart of the city. It grew to its present propertions from the 11th century onwards, when the city’s main marketplace, known simply as Velké námĕsti (Great Square), was moved away from the perennially flooding river. For centuries, it was the place to which all roads in Bohemia led, and where merchants from all over Europe gathered. Yet throughout its history it has also been the focal point of the country’s most violent demonstrations and battles, especially between the Czech Hussites and German Catholics in the 15th century. In the 1419 uprising, for instance, three Catholic consuls and seven German citizens were thrown out of the New Town town hall’s window – the first of Prague's many famous defenestrations. In 1422 the radical Hussite preacher Jan Zelivský was executed here for his part in storming the town hall three years earlier. The square also witnessed the execution of 27 Bohemian squires in 1621 and the installation of the new city council in 1784 after the five districts of Prague were united.
            In spite of these and many other events, the square’s shape and appearance have changed little. Traffic-free for many years now, it is fringed by café and restaurant tables in summer and filled with artists and musicians. Tourists throng there to watch the town hall clock chime and sit on the steps of the Hus Monument (dedicated to Jan Hus, Czech martyr and national hero). During the Easter and Christmas seasons, the square is also filled with booths of vendors selling everything from hand carved wooden toys to fine glassware. At night, the gaudily lit towers of the Church of the Virgin Mary Before Týn rise gloriously over the glowing baroque façades, which actually conceal much older buildings.

• Charles Bridge

Running Prague Castle a close second as the city’s most famous symbol, Charles Bridge (or Karlův most) was begun in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV and finally completed in the early 15th century. 516 metres long and nearly 10 metres wide, the bridge rests on 16 arches and is protected by three bridge towers, two of them on the Lesser Quarter side and the third one on the Old Town side.
            For four hundred years the bridge was the only link between the two halves of Prague. This lent it immense strategic importance and many key events in Prague’s turbulent history were played out on or near it. In 1648, it was the sight of the last battle of the Thirty Years’ War, fought between the beseiging Swedes and an ad hoc army of Prague’s students and Jews. In 1744, the invading Prussians were defeated at the same spot; and in 1848, it formed the front line between the revolutionaries on the Staré Mĕsto side, and the reactionary forces on the left bank.
            The bridge’s greatest fame, however, derives from almost 30 magnificent Baroque statues situated along the balustrade. Mostly erected between 1683 and 1714, the statues depict various saints and patron saints venerated at that time, including St. Luthgard, St. Crucifix or St. John of Nepomuk. Individually, only a few of the works are outstanding, but taken collectively, set against the backdrop of the Hrad, the effect is breathtaking.
            Closed to traffic for several decades now, the bridge is one of the most popular places for both locals and visitors to promenade. By day it is filled with artists, jewellery stalls and souvenir hawkers, who ply their trade in the niches created by the bridge-piers. At night, fire-eaters and musicians take over, creating a peerlessly romantic atmosphere.

• Wenceslas Square

The natural pivot around which modern Prague revolves, Wenceslas Square’s name is something of a misnomer, since it’s less a square than a very long (750 metre) rectangle, dominated by a mounted statue of Saint Wenceslas, which was crafted by Josef Václav Myslbek between 1887 and 1924. The image of Saint Wenceslas is accompanied by other Czech patron saints carved into the ornate statue base: Saint Ludmila, Saint Agnes of Bohemia, Saint Prokop, and Saint Adalbert of Prague.
            Like Old Town Square, Wenceslas has been the site of key historical events. Czechoslovakia’s independence was declared in the square in 1918, and in 1948 the Communist revolution was celebrated there. But its most famous moment came in November 1989, when more than 250,000 people crammed into it, often enduring subzero temperatures, to call for the resignation of the Communist Party leaders and demanding free elections, thus precipitating the Velvet Revolution.   
The buildings around Wenceslas are an architectural feast, dating from the 18th century onwards and representing every artistic trend from neo-Renaissance to Socialist Realism. But the square is no mere open-air museum; there’s also plenty of shops, arcades, cinemas and theatres to keep you entertained. The busiest part of it, and a popular place to meet up and promenade before hitting the town, is around Můstek, the city’s most central metro station, at the north end. And after dark, the square is scarcely less busy, with the admittedly rather tacky night clubs buzzing with tourists and street vendors.