Prague

Lore & Background

Prague is a historical city with Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and residence of several Holy Roman Emperors, most notably Charles IV (r. 1346–1378) and Rudolf II (r. 1575–1611). It was an important city to the Habsburg monarchy and Austria-Hungary. The city played major roles in the Bohemian and Protestant Reformations, the Thirty Years' War, and in 20th-century history as the capital of Czechoslovakia between the World Wars and the post-war Communist era.

In Their Own Story

The Vltava runs cold beneath the Charles Bridge as the last autumn light catches the spires of the cathedral. In the great hall of the palace, a Habsburg governor unrolls a map of Bohemia, tracing the trade routes that funnel silver and grain through Prague's markets. A Saxon envoy waits in the antechamber, demanding concessions on the Silesian border; a Moravian merchant argues that his caravans should be taxed at the city gate, not the provincial toll. The governor signs the first decree, then the second, aware that every signature here ripples outward to Vienna, to Nuremberg, to the courts of the Electors. Outside, the bells of St. Vitus toll the hour, and the city—ancient, patient, wealthy—turns another page in its long ledger of empires.

Reader's Guide

Prague is home to a number of cultural attractions including Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square with the Prague astronomical clock, the Jewish Quarter, Petřín hill, and Vyšehrad. Since 1992, the historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The city has more than ten major museums, along with numerous theatres, galleries, cinemas, and other historical exhibits. An extensive modern public transportation system connects the city. It is home to a wide range of public and private schools, including Charles University, the oldest university in Central Europe.

Did You Know?

• Prague is nicknamed the 'City of a Hundred Spires,' based on a count by 19th-century mathematician Bernard Bolzano; today's count is estimated by the Prague Information Service at 500.
• The name Prague is derived from the old Czech verb pražiti, meaning 'to roast' (when speaking about the sun), and the name denoted a hot, arid place related to the shale bedrock where Prague Castle was founded.
• Prague was listed as the fifth most visited European city in 2017 after London, Paris, Rome, and Istanbul.