A truly beautiful, cultured and intelligent city, Prague has stood at the crossroads of Europe for a thousand years surviving floods, wars, politics and religious conflicts. Conflict and transition past and present give the city and her people an eclectic energy and beauty attracting creative thinkers and bright minds from around the world.
Within easy reach, there are numerous flight and accommodation deals available online - check out travel sites such as ASDA Travel for the latest offers, while Lastminute.com also comes as recommended for city breaks.
Prague is a city that people rarely visit only once, here's a short list of some of the best places to visit:
Letna
Letná Hill is the one with the strange metronome on top; it's a large park built on a plateau above steep embankments along the Vltava River. The beer garden is popular amongst locals for a picnic and the panoramic view over the city whilst skateboarders, rollerbladers and cyclists enjoy the pathways.
A large broken and rusting monument to Joseph Stalin, destroyed in the early 60's, once bore witness to 750,000 Prague citizens who converged on Letna to protest against Communist rule in November 1989 - the origins of the 'Velvet Revolution'.
Jewish Quarter
The Jewish Quarter contains the remains of the once-thriving neighbourhood of Josefov, Prague's former Jewish ghetto. The half-dozen synagogues, a ceremonial hall and the powerfully melancholic Old Jewish Cemetery (perhaps the most visceral of Prague's memorials) were perversely preserved by Nazi leaders as a 'museum of an extinct race'.
The Old Jewish Cemetery, Europe's oldest surviving Jewish burial ground has existed since the 15th century. The oldest marker (1439; now replaced with a replica) is that of Avigdor Karo, a chief rabbi and court poet to Wenceslas IV. Thousands of crumbling stones from other, long-razed cemeteries are heaped atop as many as 100,000 graves.
The Old-New Synagogue (1270) is Europe's oldest working synagogue; Men must wear hats (conveniently for sale at the entrance), while women are relegated to an anteroom where they can observe male-only services.
The Pinkas Synagogue (1535) is inscribed with the names, birth dates and dates of disappearance of 77,297 Bohemian and Moravian Holocaust victims. The Spanish Synagogue (1868) is so named for its striking Moorish interior.
Prague Castle
With a stunning cliff-top outlook, this wonderfully large (the biggest ancient castle in the world) complex of administrative, sacred and residential buildings dates to the 9th century. With fortifications that tower high above the city on the left bank of the Vltava River, Prague Castle is without doubt the centrepiece of the Czech capital and the premier tourist attraction.
The seat of Czech government since it was first built, the Prague Castle complex consists of Saint Vitus Cathedral (the spiritual symbol of the Czech state and Gothic masterpiece commissioned by Charles IV in 1344), several palaces, viewing towers, art galleries, a monastery, The Story of Prague Castle Museum, Golden Lane and St. George's Basilica. Take your time and spend at least half a day enjoying its magnificence.
Malá Strana
A large part of the enjoyment when visiting Prague is simply the wandering and exploring you can do along the miles and miles of narrow lanes through the ancient city. Be sure though to make a point of visiting Malá Strana. One of Prague's oldest historical areas that without doubt deserves its title, "A Pearl of Baroque Architecture." Of most interest to many are the churches of Mala Strana.
Lennon Wall
Located at Grand Priory Square in Malá Strana, what was once just an ordinary wall became in the 1980's the focus of youth frustration with young Czechs writing grievances and complaints as well as John Lennon-inspired graffiti and Beatles lyrics. Whilst the authorities referred to them as mentally deranged sociopaths and alcoholics the students ironically referred to themselves as Lennonists.
The wall continuously undergoes change and the original portrait of Lennon is long lost under layers of new paints. Even when it was re-painted the wall was soon recovered with poems and flowers. Today, the wall represents a symbol of youth ideals.
