Prague - a city break in a historical centre
“There is no reason to postpone your trip to Prague” – so it says at www.prague.cz, Prague’s tourist website. And with Prague in recent years becoming one of Europe’s most popular spots for a city break, there is good reason to take those words to heart.
Prague is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe – having been called variously “the city of a hundred spires”, and “the golden city”. As the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, located on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has a breathtakingly historic city centre, reflecting the fact that it has been the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech state for over 1100 years. Stand in the Old Town Square, once the central marketplace, and you are surrounded by buildings going back to the Middle Ages, a delight of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic masonry. The square is overlooked by the Old Town Hall Tower, which dates back to the fifteenth century, and has an impressive astronomical clock on its facade – make sure you see it on the hour when a door opens and Christ leads out his disciples to the chiming of the bells.
Also make sure that you see the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn which dominates one side of the Old Town Square, and contains the oldest pipe organ in Prague.
Wenceslas Square is a lively area to head for in the evening for restaurants, bars, pubs, and clubs, and visitors are impressed by the quality yet inexpensiveness of the beer! By day the square has plenty of shops and cafes to enjoy too.
Take a stroll across the Charles Bridge, and you will get some memorable views of the city, the river, and Prague Castle.
Being ever popular as a tourist destination, Prague is not short of accommodation, and there are places to stay of all standards from the fabulous five-star Radisson SAS Alcron Hotel, through the full star range to a number of highly rated budget hostels, including an impressive five Hostelling International hostels.
So really, there is no reason to postpone your trip to Prague.
Filed under: Architecture, Czech Republic, Nightlife, Religious Sights, Lodging, Historic Sights, Eastern Europe
