Prague
Visiting Prague
Prague, in Czech – Praha, is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic and fourteenth-largest city in the European Union. It is also the historical capital of Bohemia proper. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of nearly 2 million. The city has a temperate oceanic climate with warm summers and chilly winters.
Prague offers a compact city center, a fascinating centuries – long history with splendid examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance and Art Nouveau architecture.
The City of Prague
“The Mother of Towns”, “The Golden City”, or “The City of a Hundred Spires”, these are just a few of the many attributes that the Czech metropolis nestling above the river Vltava has earned for itself. Prague as a major destination of visitors arriving in the Czech Republic, with its appeal of architectural monuments of all styles, the traditional hospitality of its people and the excellent beer served by Czech pubs, as well as the remarkable mix of Czech, German and Jewish cultures, is considered one of the most beautiful cities, and not just in Europe.
The city has a designated UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage area of more than 8 sq km, over 100 theatres, concert halls, galleries etc. For lovers of historical monuments, Prague is, literally, a paradise.
The grand Baroque palaces of the Hradčany quarter join forces to form a monumental gateway to Prague Castle, with its magnificent Gothic cathedral consecrated to St Vitus. The Lesser Quarter boasts a profusion of intimate corners and pleasant restaurants; fine burghers houses blend with splendid aristocratic palaces and charming gardens here.
The Old Town of Prague offers its visitors a network of twisting medieval lanes and the Old Town Square. When exploring the remains of the former Jewish town, its synagogues, the Old Jewish Cemetery or the extensive collections of the Jewish Museum (one of the most valuable to be found in Europe), you are certain to experience a mysterious spiritual atmosphere. The Charles Bridge, the most beautiful promenade site in Prague, is alive with street artists and musicians.
More about Prague
Prague is a city of very high standards, offering both historical and modern conference venues, hotels, restaurants and places of interest. Thanks to its location in the center of Europe, Prague has always been an important crossroads of trade and culture. In the course of its thousand-year history, Prague has always been the political, cultural, and business center of the country.
The dominant feature of the city is Prague Castle, which houses the gothic St. Vitus’s Cathedral and which had been the seat of Czech kings since 1087, until 1918 when it became the seat of presidents of the Czechoslovak Republic, and since 1993 it has been the seat of the president of the Czech Republic. Prague has one of the oldest universities in Europe; the Charles University which was founded in 1348.
You can also walk around the places that are connected with the lives of more than 100 personalities famous world-wide. These and many more people have lived in Prague: King Charles IV, Rudolph II, J. A. Comenius (Komenský), W. A. Mozart, Franz Kafka, A. Einstein, A. Pick, M. Curie-Sklodowski, Madeleine Albright, Václav Havel, Miloš Forman...
With a widely opened pro-market economy, stable democratic government, stable currency and well-known working skills of the people, this country provides a great opportunity to host a conference in order to meet scientists and business people from all over the world.
More info at Official Tourist Website for Prague.
10 of the best things to do in Prague.
Prague USE-IT city map (made by young local people).
Other important websites
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic: www.mzv.cz.
Prague Airport: www.prg.aero.
Prague public transport: www.dpp.cz.