Prague
Czech Republic
Old Town Square - Kinsky Palace (1755-56) - left.
On the right - House At the Stone Bell (the Gothic town palace of the 14th
century)
The historic center of the city developed in a broad valley on the banks and surrounding hills of the Vltava River. Many bridges link the two parts of the city. The most famous of these is the Charles Bridge, commissioned in the late 14th century by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, completed in the early 15th century and later embellished with statues of saints.
Old Town Hall (2nd half of the 14th century) with tower and
chapel
and remnant of the East wing burned down by the Nazis
More Photos of Old Town Square
Old Town, founded in the 13th century, and New Town, which developed in the 14th century, lie on the eastern bank of the river. Old Town contains many important architectural and artistic monuments, several of them situated on Old Town Square. A statue of John Huss (Jan Hus), the Bohemian religious reformer who instigated the Protestant Reformation in the 15th century, dominates the square.
Old Town Square - St. Nicholas Church (baroque - 1732-35)
Originally Benedictine, today (since 1918) the main church of the
Czechoslovak Hussite Church
More Photos of St. Nicholas Church
Other attractions are the 14th-century Týn Church, a center of the Hussite movement, and the astronomical clock, or Orloj, of Old Town Hall (Staroměstská Radnice), which is adorned with statues of the 12 apostles that rotate each hour.
Ceremonial hall of the Jewish funeral brotherhood (Pseudo-Romanesque style - 1906)
Old-New Synagogue - the interior
The oldest preserved Prague synagogue (Early-gothic style - 1280)
Old-New Synagogue - interior detail.
The oldest preserved Prague synagogue (Early-gothic style - 1280)
Old Jewish cemetry. Faunded in the 15th century
It is possible to find graves of Rabbi Jehuda Löw - the creator of
legendary Golem (1609)
Old Jewish cemetery
Old Town also encompasses Josephov, the city’s Jewish quarter. Dating from the 10th century, Josephov contains the Old-New Synagogue and the Old Jewish Cemetery, which is the oldest in Europe. Many of the buildings of Charles University are in Old Town, as are several concert halls and museums.
Old Town Square - Old Town Hall
with famous Astronomical clock (on the left)
Church of Our Lady in Front of Týn
(built between on the 14th and 16th century) as the high Gothic basilica with 3
naves
New Town, which is adjacent to Old Town on the eastern bank of the Vltava, has
remained an industrial and commercial center over the centuries. Many of the
area’s buildings date from the 18th century. There are also numerous examples of
art nouveau architecture.
guards marching
The famous Wenceslas Square, or Václavské náměstí, is presided over by a statue of Saint Wenceslas, the 10th-century nobleman celebrated in the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas." The National Museum, built between 1885 and 1890, lies at one end of the square. The National Theater, completed in 1881, is located on Národní třida, or National Street. Both buildings were constructed during the period of resurgent Czech culture and nationalism in the 19th century.
Prague Castle - St. George´s
Church
(Romanesque Style - built between on the 11th and 12th century
The Hradčany, or Castle, district is on the western side of the Vltava and dominates the city. Situated on a hill, Hradčany (Prague Castle) includes several historical buildings and is Prague’s most visible symbol. Formerly the residence of the kings of Bohemia, Hradčany now houses the offices and official residence of the president of the Czech Republic. Zlatá ulička, or Golden Street, is just inside one of the castle’s walls and includes the tiny shops and small homes of the artisans who once served the castle’s occupants.
Hradčany - Martinic Palace
(Baroque Style - from the 18th century)
and an interesting cast iron street-lamp.
The Lesser Quarter, or Malá Strana, located in the area between the castle hill and the river, contains many of the Baroque palaces that lend distinction to Prague.
Text from Microsoft Encarta
Old Town
The Old Town Hall
the window dates from after 1526
Old Town Square -
The building called Storchuv dum
(pseudo-Romanesque style - 1897
Old Town Hall
Oriel chapel and rich coat of arms decorations in the High Gothic Style
Jewish quarter (Josefov) -
The Jewish Town Hall
Original Town Hall of Mordechaj Maisel from 16th century
Re-built in 1763 in the lately baroque style.
Medieval shadow on modern building
Street and St. Thomas
Church (built on the 14th century)
Brno, Jo'tova
I wish to thank Tomas Knap for the help with the photo captions
