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| Prague
Sightseeing |
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Overview
Wenceslas Square, the Old
Town Square and the Charles Bridge serve
as the three navigation points for tourists. The bridge connects
the Lesser Town and the Castle
above with the Old and New Towns.
The central tourist area is made up of five sections – Hradèany
is the Castle precinct, with Malá Strana
(Little Town) at its foot, across the Karlùv most (Charles
Bridge) lie Staré Mìsto (Old Town),
with Josefov (the Jewish Quarter) to the north
and Nové Mìsto (New Town) to the
south.
The ‘Royal Road’ – the route
of major processions in the past – is the main tourist route
across the city, beginning at the Powder Gate in
Námìstí Republiky (Republic Square) and leading
along Celetná to the Old Town Square. From
there, the road passes the Astronomical Clock and
along Karlova to the Charles Bridge.
Crossing the bridge it follows Mostecká
through Malá Strana to the Baroque square
at Malostranské námìstí.
Streets off the square lead to the climb of stairs to the Castle.
To the south, Námìstí Republiky,
with its Municipal House, leads via Na pøikopì to
Václavské námìstí
(Wenceslas Square), the hub of shopping and nightlife.
Museums and galleries are scattered throughout the city and in the
suburbs. Further afield to the south lies Vyšehrad (district
4), the site of the original settlement. Less frequented by tourists,
this area has much to offer and provides a respite from the bustle
of the city.
Tourist Information
Pražská informaèní služba
(PIS – Prague Information Service)
Na pøikopì 20, Prague 1
Telephone: (02) 12444 (general).
Email: tourinfo@pis.cz
Web site: www.prague-info.cz
Opening hours: Monday–Friday 09:00–19:00,
Saturday and Sunday 09:00–17:00 (April–October); Monday–Friday
09:00–18:00, Saturday 09:00–15:00 (November-March).
PIS branches can be found in the Old
Town Hall, Staromìstské námìstí,
Prague 1, Celetná, Prague 1, Hlavní
nádraží (main train station), Wilsonova,
Prague 1, and, in the summer, at Malostranská mostecká
vex (Lesser Town Bridge Tower), Prague 1.
Èedok
Travel Agency
Na pøikopì 18, Prague 1
Telephone: (02) 2419 7241. Fax: (02) 2421 6324.
Email: cedok@cedok.cz
Web site: www.cedok.cz
Opening hours: Monday–Friday 08:30–18:00,
Saturday 08:30–13:00.
Passes
A three-day Tourist Pass allows unlimited travel
on the metro, trams and buses,
as well as admission to 42 major attractions, including
Prague Castle, the National Museum
and the Museum of Decorative Arts. These passes
are available for purchase from tourist information centres
and offices of the Prague Public Transit Company (DP).
Attractions
Josefov (Jewish Quarter)
Until the end of the 19th century, the north of the Old Town Square
constituted the Jewish Ghetto – much of it was cleared to
make way for Art Nouveau buildings but some of the flavour still
remains. A single ticket, available from the Jewish
Museum, allows admission to the Židovnická
radnice (Jewish Town Hall), the Klausen, the Maisel, the
Pinkas Synagogue and the Spanish Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery
(in use from the 15th century until 1787) and the Ceremonial Hall.
A separate ticket is required for the 13th-century Starovoná
synagoga (Old-New Synagogue), the oldest synagogue in Europe
Jewish Museum
U Staré školy 1, Prague 1
Telephone: (02) 2481 9456 or 2231 7191 (ticket reservations). Fax:
(02) 2481 9458 or 2231 7181 (ticket reservations).
Email: reservacni.centrum@jewishmuseum.cz
Opening hours: Monday–Friday and
Sunday 09:00–18:00 (April–October); Monday–Friday
and Sunday 09:00–16:30 (November–March).
Admission:
Kè490 (Jewish Museum sites); Kè200 (Old-New Synagogue).
Staré Mesto
Transport: Metro Staromìstská
Karlùv most (Charles
Bridge)
The construction of Prague’s most famous and most photographed
location started in 1357, as part of Charles IV’s
monumental building programme that included the Castle,
St Vitus Cathedral and the University.
The bridge replaced the earlier Judita (Judith) bridge, the only
surviving remnant of which is the plainer of the two towers on the
Malá Strana gate. The bridge itself was drab and it is the
later statues (Jesuit additions during the Counter-Reformation),
which flank the bridge, that have made it so stunning. The first
of these – the Crucifixion – was erected in 1657, followed
soon after by the only bronze statue, that of St
John of Nepomuk (who was martyred after being thrown from
the bridge). Most of the other statues of the saints – carved
from local sandstone were added between 1706 and 1714 (the latest
was not added until 1928). Due to pollution, most have been replaced
and the originals are kept in the Lapidarium in Letná Park.
The fully pedestrianised bridge is a focal point for tourists. There
are stalls of various artists and craftspeople lining the bridge,
while buskers of all descriptions provide a constant source of entertainment
and congestion.
Staré Mìsto (Old Town)
Transport:
Metro Staromìstská; tram 17, 18, 51 or 54.
Muchovo Muzeum (Mucha Museum)
Celebrating the life of Czechoslovakia’s best-known artist,
Alfons Mucha (1860–1934),
the collection in the Kaunitz Palace includes many of his Paris
posters, including those for performances by Sarah Bernhardt. Paintings,
sketchbooks and a recreation of his Paris studio are also on display.
Kaunický palác, Panská 7, Prague 1
Telephone: (02) 2145 1333.
Email: museum@mucha.cz
Transport: Metro Mustek.
Admission:
Kc120.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1800.
Obecní dùm
(Municipal House)
The jewel of Art Nouveau in Prague, Obecní
dùm, has been fully restored, after decades of neglect.
Designed by A Balsánek and Osvald Polívka, all the
major Czech artists made contributions during its construction (1905–10).
Most spectacular of the public areas, the Lord Mayor’s Room
features murals by Alfons Mucha. The restaurant, café and
the Amerikanský bar were also the work of Polívka.
The centrepiece of the building is the Smetana Hall, home of the
Prague Symphony Orchestra and one of the major venues for concerts
during the Prague Spring Festival.
Námìstí Republiky 5, Prague 1
Telephone: (02) 2200 2101. Fax: (02) 2200 2100.
Email: info@obecni-dum.cz
Transport: Metro Námìstí
Republiky; tram 5, 14 or 24.
Admission: Free;
Kè150 (guided tours); approximately Kè60–100
(separate exhibitions).
Opening hours: Daily
10:00–18:00 (exhibition hall); daily 07:30–23:00 (café).
Pražský Hrad
(Prague Castle)
The Castle, perched on the ridge in Hradèany
dominates the skyline. Entering under the Battling Titan statues,
the size of the complex – with three courtyards, fortifications
and gardens, almost a small town in its own right – is most
striking. Given the wealth of architecture, state apartments, churches,
galleries and gardens, it is impossible to see everything in a single
day.
Katedrála sv. Víta
(St Vitus Cathedral) is the country’s largest church. Inspired
by the Gothic cathedral at Narbonne, work started in 1344, however,
reflecting the changing fortunes of the Czechs, was not completed
until 1929. The finest of the 22 side chapels is the one built to
hold the relics of St Wenceslas – the gilded walls are inlaid
with hundreds of semi-precious stones that frame the luminous 14th-century
paintings. The ornate Baroque tomb of St John of Nepomuk, was the
work of the Jesuits intent on promoting the martyr as the Czech
patron saint in opposition to Wenceslas. The Coronation Chamber
displays the Bohemian crown jewels but is rarely open to the public.
The Crypt is the resting place of most of the Kings and Queens of
Bohemia. Bazilika sv. Jiøí (St George’s Basilica)
is a marvel of Romanesque architecture. Founded in 970, it was re-built
in the 12th century and acquired its present Baroque façade
in the 16th century. The chapel dedicated to Saint Ludmilla, the
first Czech martyr, is particularly beautiful. Kláster sv.
Jiøí (St George’s Convent), the oldest monastery
in the country, was founded in 973, for the Benedictine nuns. It
now houses a grand collection of early Czech art, from the Gothic
to Baroque periods.
In the Castle Gardens, the Belvedere is the city's
finest Renaissance building. Built in the 1530s, as a summerhouse
for Queen Anne, it houses a changing programme of exhibitions. Zlatá
ulièka (Golden Lane), with its 16th-century houses
built into the fortifications, derives its name from being the residences
of the court alchemists.
Hradèanské námìstí, Prague 1
Telephone: (02) 2437 3368.
Email: jaromir.potucek@hrad.cz
(tickets and tours) or
frantisek.kadlec@hrad.cz
(information centre)
Web site: www.hrad.cz
Transport: Tram 22 to Pražský
hrad; metro to Hradèanská.
Admission:
Kè220 (castle); free (grounds).
Opening hours:
Daily 09:00–17:00 (April–October); daily 09:00–16:00
(November–May).
Staromìstské
námìstí (Old Town Square)
The 12th-century Old Town Square is the focal point
for most tourists. Stalls selling crafts dot the perimeter and horse-drawn
carriages await those wanting to take a tour of the historic centre.
In summer, tables spill out from the restaurants and in December,
the square hosts the city’s largest Christmas Market.
The centre is dominated by the memorial to the 14th-century religious
reformer, Jan Hus. The Prague Meridian is also here, designating
kilometre zero, from which all distances are measured. All of the
palaces, churches and houses around the square are of historical
interest. The Gothic Staromìstská radnice
(Old Town Hall) with its Astronomical Clock is
a must for visitors. It strikes hourly (09:00–21:00), when
the top portion – dating to the early 15th century –
reveals the Apostles at two windows. Just off the square is the
superb Gothic Chrám Matky boží pøed
Týnem (Tyn Church), where the tomb of the astronomer,
Tycho Brahe, is found.
Staré Mesto (Old Town)
Transport: Metro
Staromìstská; tram 17 or 18.
Václavské námìstí
(Wenceslas Square)
Wenceslas Square
is really a long boulevard. It was here, in 1989, the passive resistance
culminating in the Velvet Revolution started. Today,
the square is a busy thoroughfare presenting the best and worst
of post-Communist Prague – from the fashionable and expensive
stores to the prostitutes and taxis controlled by organised crime.
Nothing remains of the square’s earliest buildings, though
some examples of architectural styles from the last 150 years line
its frontage. The lower portion is pedestrianised and home to many
of Prague’s largest stores – often of more interest
for their architecture than for their contents. News kiosks at the
bottom end are the place to purchase Czech and foreign-language
newspapers. Numerous arcades with passages (developed in the 1920s)
leading to or surrounding a cinema (in almost all instances). Many
are now being renovated to their original Art Deco splendour, mainly
to house trendy shops. The Lucerna (see Live music in Nightlife)
is the finest of these arcades, housing a jazz/rock concert hall,
cinema, excellent café and small shops.
At the top of the square sits the Národní
muzeum (National Museum). Founded in 1818, this houses the oldest
and largest collection of antiquities. Although the collections
– dedicated to palaeontology, geology, zoology and anthropology
– are primarily of interest to specialists, the building itself
is worth a visit. Built in the neo-Renaissance style, the façade
and interior decorations form a striking celebration of the history
of the former Czechoslovakia.
Nové Mìsto
(New Town)
Národní muzeum (National Museum)
Václavské 68, Prague 1
Telephone: (02) 2449 7111. Fax: (02) 2224 6047.
Transport:
Metro Muzeum.
Admission: Kè80; concessions
available; free first Mon of month.
Opening hours:
Daily 10:00–18:00 (May–September); daily 09:00–17:00
(October–April); closed first Tuesday of the month.
Wax Museum Prague
The Wax
Museum Prague has become a popular attraction and has now moved
from its original home to two different locations. The Melantrichová
museum features the ‘Hall of Celebrities of the 20th Century’,
the ‘Gallery of Totalitarian Rulers’ and the multimedia
show ‘Magical Prague’. The musem at Mostecká
focuses on Czech history, including a medieval alchemical laboratory
and a 19th-century street scene.
Melantrichová 5, Prague 1
Telephone: (02) 2493 3349.
Transport: Metro
Mustek.
Admission: Kc120 (concessions available).
Mostecká 18, Prague 1
Telephone: (02) 5753 5753.
Transport: Metro
Malostranská; tram 12 or 22.
Admission:
Kc110 (concessions available).
Office telephone: (02) 4933 3349.
Email: info@waxmuseumprague.cz
Opening hours: Daily 09:00–20:00.
Admission: Kc180 (combined ticket); concessions
available.
Small and temporary
museums
Prague is constantly opening new museums, some for the summer season
only. These are often strange and interesting. Visitors should look
for posters in the tourist offices. Among the best to pop up are
the Muzeum Komunismu (Museum of Communism), covering the 1948–1989
reign of Communism in the city and the Sex Machine Museum, an exposition
of mechanical erotic appliances.
Museum of Communism
1948–89
Na prikope 10 (first floor)
Telephone: (02) 2421 2966.
Email: muzeum@muzeumkomunismu.cz
Web site: www.muzeumkomunismu.cz
Transport: Metro Mustek.
Admission:
Kc180 (concessions available).
Opening hours:
Daily 09:00–21:00.
Sex Machine Museum
Melantrichova 18, Prague 1 (off the Old Town Square)
Telephone: (02) 2421 6505. Fax: (02) 2421 6513.
Email: info@sexmachinesmuseum.com
Web site: www.sexmachinesmuseum.com
Transport: Metro Staromestská.
Admission: Kc250 (concessions available).
Opening hours: Daily 10:00–22:00. |
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