Prague, Czech Republic Hotels and City Guide

Prague, capital and largest city of the Czech Republic with a population of 1.2 million, is located in the heart of Europe with neighbours Germany to the north and west, Poland and Slovakia to the east and Austria to the south. One of Europe’s most beautiful cities, it is girded by the hills rising from the valley of the Vltava River which is spanned by the renowned Charles Bridge.

Prague has had a chequered past including serving as the imperial capital of both the Holy Roman Empire and the Hapsburg Empire, and capital city of the first Czech Republic, the Nazi Protectorate and now the democratic second Czech Republic. It was Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV’s ambitious building project in the 14th century which resulted in Prague’s Golden Age.

Known as The City of a Thousand Spires, its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, testament to its glorious renaissance from the iron rule of Soviet communism under which it withered from 1948-1989 until the Berlin Wall crashed down. Shaking off the shackles of communism during the Velvet Revolution, the Slovak part of old Czechoslovakia then broke away in the Velvet Divorce. Post-communist Prague has flourished as the centre of Eastern Europe’s regeneration under the inspired direction of poet-president Vaclav Havel, transforming it into the modern city which is now a popular tourist destination.

Today’s Prague has many delights in store for the visitor. It boasts what is thought to be the largest ancient castle in the world, atmospheric narrow medieval lanes, alleyways and courtyards in the Old Town. Gothic spires, baroque domes, romanesque and rococo buildings charmingly rub shoulders in the Old Town Square. The city is truly an architectural museum which over the ages has been the inspiration for musicians and writers from Mozart to Dvorak, and Kafka to Klima.

Prague consists of five areas on both sides of the river: Old Town (Staré Mesto) around Old Town Square, the nearby Old Jewish Quarter (Josefov), and New Town (Nové Mesto) through which Wenceslas Square runs (being a boulevard, not a square). On the opposite bank of the Vltava is Lesser Town (Malá Strana), above which is the Castle District (Hradcany) dominated by Prague Castle. The entire city can be walked in half an hour from the Castle through Lesser Town, over the Charles Bridge, through Old Town to Wenceslas Square in New Town.

Museums and art galleries, churches, stylish shopping malls, boutiques, designer restaurants, pavement cafés, cocktail bars, famous Bohemian beer, dark jazz cellars, rock basements and dance clubs, film and music festivals, opera, ballet and drama, together with shady parks and gardens, the highly controversial sculptures of famous sculptor David Cerny, and sparkling Bohemian crystal glassware and jewellery, all form part of the rich tapestry of this magnificent city.

Distinct seasons offer different pleasures – harsh snowy winters call for mulled wine at the Christmas Markets, spring blossoms and golden autumn leaves cheer the soul during mild weather, while sultry summer evenings are perfect for cruising the Vltava River.

Prague City Facts

Prague Population: 1.2 million  
Czech Republic Population: 10.4 million 
Official Languages: Czech and Slovak 
Time Zone: UCT +1 but in Summer UCT +2 
Currency: Czech Koruna (Kc) (CZK is international symbol) 
Electricity: European two-pin plugs

Hotels in Prague, Czech Republic