Prague: City of History, Vibrant Cultural Life and Beer

The Czech capital is nicknamed “the city of a hundred spires”, because of the beautiful views on the Romanesque chapels, the Gothic cathedral and the Baroque palaces which you get all over Prague, thanks to the fact that the city center is situated in the valley of the Vltava river surrounded by hills. The Prague Castle is a must-visit place with an incredible view. It is the largest castle complex in the world - with St. Vitus Cathedral on its courtyard and nearby Queen Anne's Summer Palace and the picturesque Golden Lane make up the historical heart of the metropolis. Also thanks to the Castle, Prague is the fifth most visited city in Europe, after London, Paris, Istanbul and Rome. Historical features include moreover Old Town Square with the famous Astronomical Clock, Celetná Street, Jewish Town, Charles Bridge and Malostranské Square. However, the development of the city does not end with the baroque, in the center you find Art Nouveau buildings or Cubist architecture, specifically the House of the Black Madonna a special attention.

In Prague, the European City of Culture 2000, culture lovers will always find their area of interest. Supporters of fine arts have to make a compulsory stop at the Veletržní Palace, where permanent exhibitions are led by works by world artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and Mucha. You can find other more experimental exhibitions in galleries such as DOX, Kampa or Rudolfinum, which is located in the heart of Prague in Jan Palach Square, where a controversial monument - The House of the Suicide and The House of the Mother of the Suicide - was raised a year ago. Most of the other controversial works of art that contribute to the city's color are attributed to the sculptor and artist David Černý. In the garden of the Lobkowitz Palace you will find a trabant on the legs symbolizing the mass departure of the East Germans through the Embassy of West Germany in Prague in the summer and autumn of 1989. Another Černý´s famous works are the statues of giant babies, crawling on the Žižkov Television Tower or in the park in Kampa or statue of St. Wenceslas in the Lucerne passage, sitting crooked on the belly of a dead horse.

The musical scene in the area of classical music is represented by Rudolfinum and the Municipal House where concerts of the Czech Philharmonic mostly take place. In addition to the architecture and art decorations, the National Theater has its own theater, opera and ballet. Other theater performances include the traditional the Estates Theater, the Vinohrady Theater and the Dejvická Theater. An alternative theater production presents Laterna Magika on the New Stage of the National Theater or, for example, Jatka78, the podium of a new circus or puppet theater. Furthermore you can discover popular music at one of the refurbished clubs - Roxy, Akropolis, Cross Club or MeetFactory. Fans of jazz music can choose between one of the clubs at Národní Třída or go to Jazz Dock, club floating on a Vltava river.

For football or hockey matches, head to the Strahov Stadium, the O2 arena, the Letná Stadium or the Eden arena in Vršovice. For the purpose of post-competition regeneration, you can visit one of many Prague's swimming pools and aquaparks - Podolí Swimming Stadium, Letňany Aquacentrum or PSA Hloubětín, which is the only one where is salt added to the water. The largest Czech aquapark is Aquapalace Prague.

You can escape from the busy city traffic to one of the parks - one of them is located at the romantic Kampa Island, then there is the Wallenstein Park, Letná Park or the Petřín Park, where you will find a tower resembling the Paris Eiffel Tower and a mirror maze. On the other bank of the Vltava river there is a similarly impressive view from the Vyšehrad Castle. An attractive social space has formed in Prague in the last few years at Rašínovo nábřeží, the embankment of Vltava river, where concerts, farmer’s markets and activities like swing dancing are held. Among the students the Karoliny Světlá, Krymská and Dlouhá streets are popular, especially for cafes, cheap restaurants and nightlife. You can get a beer on nearly every corner in Prague; in the Zlé Časy pub in Nusle you can have a beer from one of the twenty-four small and medium-sized breweries from all over the Czech Republic or from abroad. Other renowned pubs are U Jelínků, U Pinkasů, Pivovarský dům, Břevnov Monastery Brewery or the Strahov Monastery Brewery.