About Prague
“The Mother of Towns”, “The Golden City“, or “The City of a Hundred Spires“, these are just a few of the many attributes that the Czech metropolis nestling above the river Vltava has earned for itself. Prague as a major destination of visitors arriving in the Czech Republic, with its appeal of architectural monuments of all styles, the traditional hospitality of its people and the excellent beer served by Czech pubs, as well as the remarkable mix of Czech, German and Jewish cultures, is considered one of the most beautiful cities, and not just in Europe.
In 1993, the city’s historical centre was rightfully added to the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage. For lovers of historical monuments, Prague is, literally, a paradise. The grand Baroque palaces of the Hradčany quarter join forces to form a monumental gateway to Prague Castle, with its magnificent Gothic cathedral consecrated to St Vitus. The Lesser Quarter boasts a profusion of intimate corners and pleasant restaurants; fine burghers houses blend with splendid aristocratic palaces and charming gardens here. The Old Town of Prague offers its visitors a network of twisting medieval lanes and the Old Town Square. When exploring the remains of the former Jewish town, its synagogues, the Old Jewish Cemetery or the extensive collections of the Jewish Museum (one of the most valuable to be found in Europe), you are certain to experience a mysterious spiritual atmosphere. The Charles Bridge, the most beautiful promenade site in Prague, is alive with street artists and musicians.
More about Prague
Prague is a city of very high standards, offering both historical and modern conference venues, hotels, restaurants and places of interest. Prague – the capital of the Czech Republic situated on both banks of the Vltava river is a beautiful city with a rich history. Thanks to its location in the centre of Europe, Prague has always been an important crossroads of trade and culture. In the course of its thousand-year history, Prague has always been the political, cultural, and business centre of the country. Prague, often called “Golden” or “Hundred-spired”, belongs to the architecturally unique European towns, attractive for tourists from around the world. Visitors find themselves enjoying a living museum of European architecture from Romanesque time to the present.
Prague has 1,200,000 inhabitants and stretches over approximately 500 square kilometres. The dominant feature of the city is Prague Castle, which houses the gothic St. Vitus’s Cathedral. The castle had been the seat of Czech kings since 1087, until 1918 when it became the seat of presidents of the Czechoslovak Republic, and since 1993 it has been the seat of the president of the Czech Republic. Prague has one of the oldest universities in Europe; the Charles University which was founded in 1348.
Prague has a designated UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage area of more than 8 sq km, over 100 theatres, concert halls, galleries etc More than 100 personalities famous world-wide have lived in Prague (e.g. King Charles IV, Rudolph II, J. A. Comenius (Komenský), W. A. Mozart, Franz Kafka, A. Einstein, A. Pick, M. Curie-Sklodowski etc…).
With a widely opened pro-market economy, stable democratic government, stable currency and well-known working skills of the people, this country provides a great opportunity to host a conference in order to meet scientists and business people from all over the world.
Top 10 attractions to visit in Prague
The historic centre of Prague (Hradčany with Prague Castle, the Lesser Quarter, Old Town including the Charles Bridge and Josefov, New Town and Vyšehrad) occupies an area of 866 ha and has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1992.
The centre of Prague is characterised by winding alleys and constructions of all architectural styles – Romanesque rotundas, Gothic cathedrals, Baroque and Renaissance palaces, Art Nouveau, Classicist, Cubist and Functionalist houses and modern buildings.
Prague Castle
Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Originally dating to the 9th century, this landmark, which surrounds St. Vitus Cathedral, bears the mark of each architectural and historical era that it has lived through. To this day, it serves as the seat of the Czech state. More information
Charles Bridge
Prague's oldest bridge, and one of its most iconic structures, is Charles Bridge, which connects Old Town with Malá Strana. Dating to 1347, it was originally called the Stone Bridge, or Prague Bridge, before being named Charles Bridge in 1870, after its founder King Charles IV. More information
Old Town Hall and the astronomical clock
Arguably Prague's most identifiable icon, the Astronomical Clock built into the façade of the Old Town Hall on Old Town Square continues to draw crowds waiting to see the hourly chiming of this amazing mechanical structure that dates to 1410. More information
Prague's Jewish Quarter
Despite being only a fraction of its former self, Prague's Jewish Quarter comprises the best current complex of Jewish historical monuments in all of Europe. The smallest of Prague's districts was walled off as a ghetto in 1096, following a pogrom against its inhabitants, who were mainly Jewish immigrants. More information
Kampa Island
Spend some time on Kampa Island, which is just off of Charles Bridge. Walk through the park and enjoy the view of the bridge and across the river. Spend the rest of the day strolling through the picturesque streets of Malá Strana. More information
Prague Parks and Gardens
These are some of the parks and gardens you can include in your walks around the historical center:
Franciscan Garden
Petřín Hill
Vrtbovská Garden
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is richly represented in Prague's architecture. The list of buildings below is intended to serve as a mere starting point for further exploration; Art Nouveau is the predominant style of entire streets - for example, Pařížská ("Paris") street in the Old Town, or Mánesova street in the Vinohrady district. More information
Shopping
Stores outside of Prague tend to open at 8 or 9 a.m. (large grocery stores at 7 a.m.) and close at 6 or 7 p.m. Some stores are closed during lunch hours. The hours are shorter on Saturdays and most stores except large supermarkets are closed on Sundays.Stores in the center of Prague and in shopping malls have longer hours. Large supermarkets stay open until 8 or 10 p.m. and some are open 24 hours a day. Most stores in the Prague city center and tourist locations are open on weekends.
Prague River Cruises on the Vltava
Seeing Prague from the river is a unique experience. The historical center with its famous monuments presents itself from a different perspective and unusual angles. On the longer cruises, you will go by several islands on the Vltava and find yourself on a stretch of the river that lets you see a part of the embankment that you would not normally visit. In a matter of an hour, you can leave the bustling city behind and come out to some of Prague's quieter areas. More information
Location, travel, transport
The capital city of the Czech Republic is often called the “Heart of Europe” for the central position it occupies both in terms of importance and geography. Looking at the map we can find that Prague is really a focal point, heart and centre of the continent. Thanks to its favourable geographical position, Prague is a suitable destination for conferences and congresses. The city can be reached from all European countries and cities very easily. Prague is accessible from two motorways – the D1 from the east (near the Austrian border) and the E50 from the west (near the German border). Prague is also accessible by train, bus or plane. The main railway station and the main coach station are right in the centre of the town. Nowadays the city of Prague plays an important role as one of the key traffic points in Europe, especially as a gate to access its eastern part.
Prague - interesting links
Hundred-spired Prague
Virtual tours from Prague´s towers
https://stovezata.praha.eu
Prague - Virtual Tours
https://www.360globe.net/czech-republic/prague.html
Prague Superlatives
https://www.czech.cz/en/66871-prague-superlatives
Prague Towers
Czech meals you should not miss in the Czech Republic
https://www.czech.cz/en/102464-meals-you-should-not-miss-in-the-czech-republic-–-part-i
Czech news in English
https://www.praguemonitor.com/
City map of Prague
https://www.hot-maps.de/europe/czech_republic/prague/homeen.html
Video Spots
Here you can watch video spots about Prague and Czech Republic