Prague Hotel Royal

Lore & Background

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. Prague is classified as a 'Beta+' global city according to GaWC studies. Its rich history makes it a popular tourist destination, and as of 2017, the city receives more than 8.5 million international visitors annually. In 2017, Prague was listed as the fifth most visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, and Istanbul.

Reader's Guide

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. Other nicknames for Prague also include the Golden City, the Mother of Cities and the Heart of Europe. The local Jewish community, which belongs to one of the oldest continuously existing in the world, has described the city as עיר ואם בישראל Ir va-em be-yisrael, 'The city and mother in Israel'.

According to a popular legend, which first appeared in Chronica Boemorum (1119–1125) of Cosmas of Prague, the Czech name Praha is derived from the Czech word práh (meaning 'threshold'). In the 18th century, Josef Dobrovský's theory was accepted, according to which the name is derived from the old Slavic word práh. This word means 'ford' or 'rapid', referring to the city's origin at a crossing point of the Vltava river and to the rapids of the Vltava.

Since the 19th century, the accepted theory has been that the name is derived from the old Czech verb pražiti ('to burn') and from vypražený les ('burned forest'), referring to a forest that was burned down so a settlement could be established there. In the mid-20th century, linguist Antonín Profous corrected the theory by saying that the name is indeed derived from pražiti, but this word also means 'to roast' (when speaking about the sun), and the name denoted a hot, arid place (related to the shale bedrock where the Prague Castle was founded).

Did You Know?

• Charles IV founded Charles University in 1347, the oldest university in Central Europe.
• The Old New Synagogue of 1270 still stands in the city, and the local Jewish community is one of the oldest continuously existing in the world.
• During Easter 1389, nearly the entire Jewish population of Prague (ca 750 people) was murdered after clergy encouraged mobs to pillage and burn the Jewish quarter.