Sights

Prague Castle
Prague Castle is the most popular sight visited in Prague. It is the largest ancient castle in the world. Constructed in the 9th century by Prince Boøivoj, the castle transformed itself from a wooden fortress surrounded by earthen bulwarks to the imposing form it has today. Rulers made their own additions so there is a mixture of styles. The castle has three courtyards and it has always been the seat of Czech rulers. Today, Prague Castle is the seat of the President of the Czech Republic and serves as the historical and political centre for both city and state. The Changing of the Guard at the front gates takes place every hour. At noon the ceremony includes a fanfare.

Prague Old Town
Mentioned in 1091, it is the oldest of the towns of Prague gained the privileges of a town in the 13th century. However, its name dates back to the 14th century when the New Town was founded. The centre of the Old Town has always been the Old Town Square dominated by the Church of Our Lady of Týn and the Town Hall.

Old Town Square (Staromestské námestí)
Being Prague's heart since the 10th century and its main market place until the beginning of the 20th century, the spacious 1.7 hectare Old Town Square has been the scene of great events, both glorious and tragic. There are beautiful pastel-coloured buildings of Romanesque or Gothic origin with fascinating house signs. Some of the most prominent examples include the Kinský Palace, the House of the Stone Bell and the Štorch House. Today, the Old Town Square offers visitors a tourist information office, number of restaurants, cafés, shops and galleries.

Astronomical Clock
This is is mounted on the Southern wall of the Old Town Hall in the Old Town Square and is one of the outstanding sights of Prague. The dial is poised with three main components: the astronomical dial that displays various astronomical details as well as representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky; "The Walk of the Apostles", showcases the movement of the figures of Twelve Apostles passing along the two windows in every hour of daylight; and a calendar dial that rotates and gives the description of each and every day of the year with an indication of the current date at the top, the medallions with zodiac signs describing every month and a symbol of the Old Town in the centre.

Municipal House (Obecní dum)
Built on the site of the royal court between 1906 and 1912, it is Prague's most prominent Art Nouveau building. Above the main entrance there is a huge mosaic “Homage to Prague“ by Karel Špillar. Inside, there is the Smetana Hall – the biggest concert hall in Prague, number of smaller halls, conference rooms and offices, cafés and restaurants to relax and enjoy the inner decoration. On 28 October 1918, the Czechoslovakian Republic was proclaimed here and meetings between Civic Forum and the communist regime were held here in November 1989.

Prague New Town
The carefully planned New Town was founded by Charles IV in 1348. Twice as large as the Old Town, it was mainly inhabited by tradesmen and craftsmen. During the late19th century its outer fortification were demolished and redeveloped to its present appearance. Today it is not particularly attractive to tourists because of its modernness.

Slavonic Monastery (Klášter na Sovanech)
The monastery was founded in 1347 for the Croatian Benedictines. Their services were held in the Old Slavonic language, hence its name. In 1446 a Hussite order was formed here. Owned by Spanish Benedictines in the 17th century, the Baroque monastery was taken over by German Benedictines and rebuilt in Neo-Gothic style. Although many wall paintings were damaged during the WWII, there are still some important 14th-century wall paintings to admire.

Charles Square (Karlovo námestí)
Originally a cattle market, the square was founded by Charles IV as the main centre of Prague's new side. It is the largest enclosed square in Prague and one of the largest in Europe. The New Town Hall (Novomestská radnice), which served to its purpose up to the year 1784, was built between the years of 1377 – 1418. Renovated in 1905 the town hall today is used for administrative purposes, cultural and social events. Another attractions are the Baroque Cathedral of St. Ignatius (Chrám sv. Ignáce) completed in 1670 by Carlo Lurago and the Emause Monastery (Emauzský klášter) founded in 1347. Its extraordinary series of frescos in the cloister are the largest collection of medieval wall paintings outside Italy.
Since the mid-19th century the Charles Square has been a park. Today, it is surrounded by busy roads but with its many statues of Czech writers, scientists and artists, it is still a nice place to sit and relax.

Welceslas Square (Václavské námestí)
Originally a horse market, it got its present name in the mid-19th century. The Wenceslas Square is the main centre of modern Prague surrounded by shops, cinemas, office blocks, hotels, restaurants and cafés. The square has been the scene of a great deal of Czech history. In 1969 a university student Jan Palach burnt himself to death in protest against the Warsaw Pact invasion and in November 1989 protest meetings against police brutality were held here and led to the Velvet Revolution and the end of communism in Czechoslovakia. In the middle of the square is a monument of St Wenceslas on a horse accompanied with sculptures of four Czech patron saints.