Prague Travel Guide

Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, the political, cultural, and economic centre of the State.

The name of the city, Praha, is related to the modern Czech word práh, which means “threshold”: a legendary etymology connects the name of the city with Libuše, prophetess and wife of the mythical founder of the Přemyslid dynasty. She is said , after a vision of the future city, to have ordered to build a castle where a man was building the threshold of a house: "And because even the great noblemen must bow low before a threshold, you shall give it the name Praha".

For most of its history Prague had been a multiethnic city with important Czech, German, and Jewish populations. From 1939, when the country was occupied by Nazi Germany, most Jews either fled the city or were killed in the Holocaust.

The city is an enchanting mix of old and new. On one side there is the Stare Mesto (Old Town), that hosts one of the best preserved old towns in Europe, while on the other side there is the Nove Mesto (New Town).

Prague is relatively cheap in relation to other European cities, and thanks to this it enjoys thousands of tourists every year. It's a really small city and few days are enough to visit the main attractions.

Prague suffered considerably few damage during World Wars, so you can appreciate all the buildings here just as they were when they were first built.

The city is divided into four quarters.

The Old Town with its square is the heart of Prague's historical center. Here you can find the gothic Týn Church towering over the square and the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Hall. You will not regret a climb to the top of the Old Town Hall tower for a spectacular view of the city. Not far the Old Town, there is the Jewish Quartier. Walk across the Charles Bridge is a classic experience in Prague.

The New Town isn't exactly new, having originated in 1348, and is composed by wide boulevards and open squares.

The other two parts of the city are Mala Strana (the Lesser Town) and the near Hradeany (the Castle District). Main attraction is the Castle but you will not find one single castle on the hill, but a series of buildings, a few churches and hundreds of years of history, including St Vitus' Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace and St George's Basilica. Mala Strana area is renowned as the district of criminals and counter-revolutionaries. Its centrepieces are the towering St. Nicholas Church and its picturesque streets.

Prague has a rich and varied nightlife that can offer the right type of entertainment to almost anyone.