WELCOME TO PRAGUE

WELCOME TO PRAGUE

PRAGUE AND CZECH REPUBLIC INFORMATIONPRAGUE AND CZECH REPUBLIC INFORMATION

Situation of Czech republicSituation of Czech republic: In the centre of EuropeBorders with countriesBorders with countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland Area of Czech republicArea of Czech republic: 78 866 square km PopulationPopulation: 10,28 million inhabitantsGovernmentGovernment: Parliamentary democracy with president as the head of state and prime minister as the head of governmentLocation of PragueLocation of Prague: In the centre of Czech Republic, Area of PragueArea of Prague: 496 square kmPopulation of PraguePopulation of Prague: 1,21 million inhabitantsExecutive languageExecutive language: Czech languageCurrencyCurrency: Czech crown -Elevation of PragueElevation of Prague: 180 - 400 m above sea levelClimateClimate: Mild continental climate, temperate.Public transportPublic transport: Tram, bus, car, metro, taxiReligionReligion: Atheist 40%, Roman Catholic 39%, Protestant 4%.Czech flagCzech flag: red, white, blueForeign languages spokenForeign languages spoken: english or german common, some italian, French and spanish

Prague history

After 870:After 870: fundation of the Prague castleAfter 926:After 926: foundation of St Vitus rotunda within the Prague castle10th:10th: foundation of the Vysehrad castle on the opposite Vltava banck1343:1343: foundation of the New town and the first university in the Central Europe (Charles University)1346:1346: under the reign of Charles IV, Prague becomes the capital of the Bohemian Kingdom and the Holy roman Empire1419-1437:1419-1437: attempts of the clergy tore form the church result in the Hussite revolutionary movement (Jan Hus - the reform preacher and martyr)1526:1526: Habsburg dynasty ascends the Bohemian throne1583-1611:1583-1611: Rudolf II becomes the king of Bohemia and Prague the emperor’s residence, centre of social and cultural life.1918:1918: proclamation of independence of Czechoslovakia. Prague becomes the new state capital.1939-1945:1939-1945: occupation by the nazi Germany.1945:1945: the Prague uprising, liberation by soviet army.1948:1948: seizure of power after February putsch.1968:1968: Prague spring - an attempt to reform socialism, intervention of five states of the Warsaw Pact.1989:1989: so-called velvet revolution, formation of the government of national tolerance, 1990:1990: Vaclav Havel, a former dissident, is elected president in the country's first democratic elections 1993: 1993: Czechoslovakia splits into two independent countries, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Vaclav Havel is elected the first president of the independent Czech Republic. Prague becomes the capital of the Czech Republic.1999:1999: The Czech Republic joins NATO.2002:2002: the Czech Republic is approved to become a member of the European Union in May 1st, 2004.2003:2003: The former prime minister, Vaclav Klauss, officially became the second president of the Czech Republic.

Prague includes almost 2000 cultural monuments.

The view from the castle of Prague

Another view over the city

from the castle

St George's basilicaThe oldest church, the Basilica of St. George, is one of the few Roman churches that still has remained of the previous stone building inside. It has contained the relics of St. Ludmilla, the first saint national patron.

The Vltava river

The royal palace

An interior courtyard of the castle

St Vitus cathedral

St Vitus cathedral and its gothic interior

Mucha ’s stained-glass windows

St Wenceslas' chapelThe chapel paintings express the medieval devotion to St Wenceslas. The walls of this Chapel are covered with more than 1,300 precious stones.

St Guy ’s cathedral

The golden lane

Small houses built in the gothic fortification, the 16th century homes of castle riflemen and craftsmen.

The Royal Summer Palace of Queen Anne

or Belvedere (the most remarkable renaissance building in Prague)

Wallenstein Garden

Geometrically designed, this garden was created in 1623-29. The statues are copies of originals by Adrian de Vries from 1626-27. Today it is the palace houses of the Senate of the Czech Republic.

Malastrana place

The walls of this building are painted with graffites

The Cernin Palace, a baroque palace,now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Loreto

The tower contains 27 loretto bells which play a Marian song. The most valuable item of the liturgical treasury is the so-called Prague Sun, a monstrance weighing over 12 kg and embellished with 6,222 diamonds.

Strahov Monastery

A Monastery of the Premonstratensian Order at Strahov,

originally in Romanesque style,

including the Church of Our Lady and the Strahov Library. The Library contains an

early Baroque Theological Hall from

1671-79 and a Classicism

Philosophical Hall from 1785-94, decorated with frescoes by A. Maulbertsch.

St Nicolas’ church

St James ’ church

St James ’ church

St James ’ church

The Neruda street

The Church of Our Lady Victorious

Prague Child Jesus, a baroque structure

The Petrin tower

Reduced copy of the Eiffel Tower (60 m high) built in 1891 on the occasion of the Jubilee

Exhibition.

Charles Bridge

Old town bridge towers

The Municipal House

An Art Nouveau building built in 1905 - 1911 is the place of the International Music Festival. The rich interior and exterior decorations are the work of Alfonso Mucha.

The Municipal House

The gothic powder tower

The estate ’s theatre

The national theatre

Today drama, opera and ballet are performed here

The old Jewish cemetery

The old town squareOld Town Square provides a dazzling panorama. It

is the most charming city streets of Europe. Every building is different in every detail - roof, windows, doors and colours from the most unconventional, yet pleasing palette: tangerine and pistacchio, apple red and lime green. In the centre, the monument to Jan Hus, teacher, preacher and martyr.

The old town Hall with the astronomical clock

An unique astronomical clock

The clock is of the beginning of the 15th century. In the upper part every hour a procession of the 12 Apostles in succession appears at the window, in the lower-part is a copy of 12 internal medallions with the signs of the zodiacal constellations. The clock dial is the central part and represents the astronomical phenomena such as sunrise and sunset….

Church of Our Lady before Tyn Second only to St Vitus Cathedral, it is the most remarkable

Gothic church with a Baroque interior

Wenceslas Square

Vysehrad

The Emmaus monastery with

the Church of our Lady and Slavic patron saints

It was founded by Charles IV in 1347 for Slavonic Benedictines. At the end of World War II, it burned following a bombing raid. The two asymmetrical spires were finished in 1967