Sightseeing in Prague - what to see. Complete travel guide

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The city is divided into two parts by the Vltava River. Together with Athens, Rome, Paris and London, Prague belongs to the oldest metropolises of Europe. Nowadays, its former beauty is back - access to all the sights is open again, and the restoration work of the most important monuments and historic buildings has been completed.

The Czech capital has two faces. On one hand, the city has numerous modern streets with trendy shops, and on the other hand it is not difficult to find streets that look as if currently we live in the 50s of the previous century. The center of Prague is divided into four quarters. The right bank of the Vltava River, which flows through the center of the city, is the location of two blocks - the Old Town (Staré Mesto) and the New Town (Nové Mesto) . The left bank of the river is the location of the Lesser Quarter (Malá Strana) and Hradcany . The famous Charles Bridge connects the two parts of the city.

Charles Bridge.
The Charles Bridge is one of the most famous sights of Prague. Previously, the bridge was the entrance to the city, but today it connects all the historical places of interest in the city. The length of the bridge is 550 meters, its width is 10 meters and its height is 16 meters. You will see 42 stone sculptures along the bridge. They have been donated to the city by famous and influential people. It was a great honor to place a sculpture near the bridge, so not everyone could do this. Today, a huge number of vendors try to sell different trinkets to leisure tourists on the Charles Bridge. Here you can buy everything, from warm woolen jumpers to jewelry and cartoon portraits. It is possible that your walk across the Charles Bridge will be accompanied by music - numerous singers and street musicians have chosen this place as the venue for their performances. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The Old Town.
The City Hall in the Old Town is the place, where you will see the famous Orloj astronomical clock . When the clock strikes, the blue sash opens and 12 apostles appear. After this you will see a whole puppet show. A figure denoting death appears and makes the bell rings. The bell tolls for the dead. After this the death turns the hourglass and leaves. A new figure appears. This time it’s a figure of a Turkish person. In the past the Turks were the enemies of the Czechs. It also symbolizes "sanctity". "Narcissism" is represented by a figure with a mirror, and "greed" – by a figure holding a money bag. A figure of the Archangel Michael is made to remind everyone that the Last Judgment will come one day. The clock shows not only time, but also days of week, months, and even the position of the Earth in relation to the sun, moon and stars. You can see the puppet show together with dozens of other tourists every hour.

Jewish Quarter.
Jewish Quarter in Prague is a truly special place. In the XIII century the Old-New Synagogue was built here. This is the oldest surviving synagogue in Europe. At that time, the Jewish population of the city was mostly involved in trading and was driven from the political life of the Christian population of Prague. Jews were forced to live outside the city. They got civil rights only in 1848, and two years later the quarter became the official part of Prague. It was the fifth district, known as "Joseph". By 1900 most of the houses in the Jewish quarter were demolished because of their poor state. Only the town hall, six synagogues and a cemetery survived. Today, these objects form the so called National Jewish Museum. A visit to the Jewish cemetery will also leave many unforgettable memories . Until the XV century Jews were forbidden to bury dead people outside the city walls. Because of this all burials were made on a small piece of land that once was a cemetery. In total, the graveyard contains twelve thousand gravestones and more than ten thousand people lie there. In some parts of the graveyard the dead are buried in 12 rows above each other.

The Prague Castle.
The Charles Bridge features a fantastic view of the fortress and the Prague Castle . This is one of the most visited places in Prague. The fortress, in its turn, offers a fantastic view of the city. The construction of the castle was started in approximately 880 and was conducted in a variety of architectural styles. The Cathedral of St. Vitus also belongs to the fortress. Its construction was started in 1344, and was completed in 1929. The cathedral is the location of the biggest bell not only in Prague, but also throughout the Czech Republic. The weight of the bell is 17,000 kg. The castle, the cathedral, the triforium, numerous buildings and gardens - all of them occupy a huge territory. It is absolutely not necessary to try to see all these sights in one go - the entrance ticket is valid for three days.

Trojský zámek.
Trojský zámek was built in the XVII century for Count Wenceslas Sternberg. The count wanted to make a beautiful castle that would impress the Habsburgs. The main stairs near the exit to the French garden, adorned with statues of Olympian gods and other baroque figures are considered the most beautiful sights of the castle. The interior of the castle is distinguished by lush décor. This is particularly true about the main hall of the building that is decorated by portraits of the Habsburg dynasty from top to the very bottom. The Prague Castle is considered the branch of the Prague State Museum. It exhibits a large collection of glass items in the baroque style and paintings of Czech painters of the XIX century. Trojsky Botanical Gardens and the Prague Zoo are located a bit further.

Dancing House.
This is a nickname that has been given to one of office buildings in Prague. The unusual shape of this building has always been causing a lot of discussions. The architects of this unique architectural sight were the Czech architect Vlado Milunich and the Canadian Frank Gehry. The house looks a bit like a dancing couple. Therefore, initially the house was called “Ginger and Fred” after famous actors and dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The roof of the house is occupied by a French restaurant, which offers a wonderful panorama of the city.