I wrote about the Old Town of Prague in my July travel story and had mentioned that I will write about my visit to the New Town area of Prague sometime in the future as it feels great to recollect travel memories slowly just like slow travel. So my travel story of this month is about that part of Prague. During my visit to Prague, I stayed in the Castle District right next to Prague Castle. Some parts of the hotel walls are in fact part of the Prague Castle. As it is located on the top of a hill, the view of the Vltava River and Old Town of Prague on a beautiful day from up the hill is truly spectacular.
The distance between the Old Town and the New Town can easily be covered by walking but there are also options to take public transport. The walk between Old and New Town is enjoyable any time during the day, evening or even night as each time the city looks beautiful whether it looks glorious in daylight or twinkling by the lights in the city.
Castle District (Hradčany)
The Castle District is the district of the New town part of Prague surrounding the Prague Castle. I enjoyed the following sights within the Castle district.
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
Prague Castle is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the city. Prague Castle complex was built in the 9th century. It is now the office of the President of the Czech Republic. Originally the castle was a seat of power for Bohemian Kings and Roman Emperors. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept in one of the castle rooms.
Prague Castle is built around an area of approximately 70000 square meters and as per the Guinness Book of Records it is the largest ancient castle in the world. Many areas of Prague castle are open to tourists.
The buildings within Prague castle include many architectural styles. The famous ones are the Gothic style St. Vitus Cathedral and the Romanesque style Basilica of St. George. Within the castle there is a monastery, there are palaces, gardens and defence towers and also some museums. The National Gallery in the castle displays Bohemian and other arts.
St Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála svatého Víta)
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert is a Roman Catholic metropolitan cathedral in Prague. This cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Until 1997, the cathedral was dedicated only to Saint Vitus, and is still commonly named only as St. Vitus Cathedral.
This cathedral is a well known example of Gothic architecture, and is the largest and most important church in the Czech Republic. The cathedral is located within Prague Castle and contains the tombs of many Bohemian kings and Roman Emperors.
The Royal Garden (Královská zahrada)
The Royal Garden within the Prague Castle is an Italian Renaissance garden that created in 1534 by Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg. The original site of the garden was a vineyard which was purchased by Emperor Ferdinand I and created as a garden for the royal court.
Strahov Monastery (Strahovský klášter)
Strahov Monastery in the Strahov district of Prague is a Premonstratensian abbey founded in 1143 by the Bishop of Prague and the Duke of Bohemia. The Monastery stands on the west bank of the Vltava River.
Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady
The Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady is a church within the Strahov Monastery. It was originally constructed as a Romanesque basilica and later rebuilt in Baroque style.
Loreta Monastery
Loreta Monastery with its Baroque facade is a pilgrimage destination in the castle district of Prague. The monastery consists of a cloister, the church of the Lord’s Birth and a clock tower.
Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí)
Wenceslas Square, named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia, is one of the main squares in the city of Prague and is a centre for both business and cultural activities. The Square is known for its celebrations, public gatherings and also demonstrations. It is also the place with the busiest pedestrian traffic in the city.
National Museum (Národní muzeum)
The National Museum of Prague was founded on April 15, 1818. The Main Building of the National Museum is located on the upper end of Wenceslas Square. This building was damaged during World War II but luckily the collections were saved as they had been moved to other storage sites.
The New Building of the National Museum is located next to the Main Building. The National Museum currently contains huge collection of items displayed in three buildings – the Natural History Museum, the Historical Museum and the Library.
Mala Strana District (Malá Strana)
Mala Strana which means ‘Little Side of the River’ is a district of the city of Prague and one of its most historic neighbourhoods.
Petrin funicular
While it is quite an easy walk up the hill to the top of Petrin hill, there is also an option to take the Petrin funicular. This funicular railway links the Mala Strana district with the top of Petrin hill and is operated by the local public transit system, the tramway division of Prague Integrated Transport. The funicular has three stops from Ujezd at the bottom of the hill to Nebozizek, the middle station and finally to Petrin at the top of the hill.
Petrin Lookout Tower (Petřínská rozhledna)
The 63.5 metres tall Petrin Lookout Tower in the Mala Strana district of Prague built in 1891 is a steel tower which looks quite similar to the Eiffel Tower. It was used as an observation and transmission tower earlier and is now a major tourist attraction.
There are two observation platforms accessible by climbing 299 stairs around the inside of the tower. A pair of staircases in the form of double-helix allows visitors to move up and down simultaneously. There is a small exhibition area in the lower level, a gift shop and cafe on the upper level of the tower.
Church of Saint Lawrence
The Church of Saint Lawrence in Prague is a Catholic church on Petrin hill near the Petrin Lookout Tower and the Hunger Wall, a medieval defensive wall built on the Petrin Hill. Originally built as a Romanesque church it was later rebuilt in the Baroque style.
Mala Strana Bridge Tower and Charles Bridge
The city gate tower which stands at the end of Charles Bridge on the side of the New Town is called the Mala Strana Bridge Tower. During old times, the Charles Bridge was the way to connect the Prague Castle and the Old Town. This medieval stone arch bridge was originally called the Stone Bridge but has been known as Charles Bridge since 1870.
Powder Tower
Prague had 13 city gates in the Old Town and Powder Tower is one of them. It is one of the original city gates and also called Powder Gate. It separates the New Town from the Old Town side of the the city. This Gothic tower was intended to be an entrance gate but served as a defence tower.
Since it was used to store gunpowder in the 17th century that is how it got its name. The sculptures on the tower were replaced in 1876 after these were damaged during the Battle of Prague.
If I ever get a change to travel to this beautiful city again, perhaps I would spend more time to explore the city slowly and not rush through the sights. Prague is one such beautiful city.
HELPFUL HINTS
- Prague is well connected to many European cities by trains if you don’t like flying.
- Good walking shoes are recommended as walking is the best way to explore the city.
- Enjoy the sights whatever the weather as it is a beautiful city and you won’t be disappointed.
- Christmas Markets in the Old Town Square of Prague are extremely popular and visited by people from all over the world.
- Bohemian crystal items and Garnet jewellery are some items worth buying. But check with hotel staff for authentic shops and do ask for certificate of authenticity.
You can read about my visit to the Old Town of Prague on my previously written travel story here.
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