Two days is hardly enough to have a feel of Prague. A minimum of four to five days is more like it as there are many gems all over the city.
Some places are beyond walking distance and where time is of the essence and you want to see it all, it may be worthwhile hiring a trustworthy cab service for a few hours to bring you around. However, all seven places that are proposed below are within walking distance and no cabs or public transport is needed.
We proceed with the 7 by making detours from the list of essential places to visit, starting with the castle district.
The Loretto in Prague is modeled after the Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto in Italy (the legend of Santa Casa). Building commenced in 1626, six years after the defeat of the Hussites/Protestants at the Battle of White Mountain in Prague.
It was commisioned by the baroness Benigna Katherina who was from one of the highly distinguished and oldest Bohemian aristocrats, the Lobkowitz family. Land was donated by the baroness to build the Loretto. Construction works extended out to about a century. The Baroque facade was a redesign in the 1720s by the famous architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, who also worked on the Church of St. Nicholas in Little Quarter and the one in Old Town.
There are many attractions at the Loreta, with the most obvious being the Baroque facade. The interior is packed with frescoes, statues and other religious imagery. There is the shrine, a beautifully decorated arcade, the 27-bell carillon which rings a tune every hour on the hour, monstrances in the treasury including 'Prague Sun' which is encrusted with over 6,000 diamonds!
There's a legend on the origin of the carillon but it is too depressing to add here.... The Loretta is today a pilgrimage place, houses a convent and a tourist destination which is not too well known.
From Loreta, we head back down Nerudova, past the Little Quarter Square and turn left into the street Tomášská. There are a few interesting house signs on Tomášská - a saint and a stag, three storks. At the end of the street is Wallenstein Square which would lead us to the next essential landmark to visit in Prague, Wallenstein Palace and its gardens.
Wallenstein Palace (Valdštejnský Palác) is a Baroque palace built between 1623 to 1630 for the Protestant turned Catholic Duke Albrecht von Wallenstein.
He was a military leader-politician and a key figure in The Thirty Years War, and, one of the richest men in Bohemia at the time. Apart from the palace, he had in his possession numerous chateaus and castles and was in control of the northern Bohemian region called Friedland (Frýdlant).
The palace was the Duke's grand residence in Prague and possibly intended to rival Prague Castle in terms of grandeur. Making a rough comparison using google maps, the entire Wallenstein palace grounds is about half the size of Prague Castle complex minus the castle gardens. The Duke did not get to enjoy the palace for long what with participating in war campaigns and then being assassinated in 1634 by political opponents using treason as the reason.
The lavishly decorated interior comprises a main hall and a chapel and, there is an audience chamber. The gardens are all geometrical and include an avenue of statues, an aviary, a huge pond with an islet and an artificial wall of 'stalactites/mites' or grottoes.
The Czech Senate now occupies the palace but there are plays and concerts held in the interior and even pop-rock bands performing on palace grounds from time to time.
I visited here twice but only got to see parts of the palace and gardens due to heavy rain or, the palace interior and gardens being off limits for the day. Do check beforehand if they are open, before making any significant detour here. Certainly not to be missed though.
Exiting the palace grounds one could go back along Tomášská, the Little Quarter Square, Bridge Street and finally descend the stairs on Charles Bridge to the next destination, Kampa Island OR, make a slight detour first to catch a flashing duo.
In the middle of the Wallenstein Palace gardens is an exit leading to the street Letenská. Close to the end of this street is Manes Bridge and you will be able to spot the Rudolfinum on the other side of the Vltava river from here. From Letenská, turn right at the street U Lužického Semináře and keep going until a fork on this latter street (a restaurant at the fork), turn left into the street Cihelná. The target destination, Franz Kafka Museum which has the delinquent duo called 'Piss' rotating their hips shooting water onto a map and being quite suggestive and subversive - worth the detour I suppose ..
From the Kafka Museum entrance, just walk straight on in the direction of Charles Bridge (Cihelná street joins up with U Lužického Semináře again). There are some historic building on this street - probably worthwhile looking out for interesting house signs or architecture. The narrowest lane in Prague can be found soon after the Kafka Museum. Only one person can pass at a time so wait for the green light - yes there are traffic lights at both ends. It is really the pathway to house no.100 at U Lužického Semináře, currently a restaurant and pub.
Proceed until you are beneath the bridge. There is another fork here, take the road to the left and you will be on Kampa Island. The road to the right leads to the Muzeum Karla Zemana, which should interest children as it has interactive exhibits. Karel Zeman's films of the 1950-60s were highly innovative as scenes combined animation and real life acting, possibly even a considerable inspiration for Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame.
Kampa is not a natural island as the stream that separates it from the Little Quarter was artificially created. The stream is called Devil's stream, possibly after a house nearby nicknamed At the Seven Devils. Name notwithstanding, it is a picturesque area sometimes termed the Little Venice in Prague. There used to be mills here and there are still a few functioning watermills. The largest, a 16th century Renaissance era mill, can be seen from Charles Bridge. Next to the watermill, you may find a statue of the water creature called Vodník but, it is not always there. For many centuries up to WWII, Kampa was the pottery market in Prague. Today, there has been a revival of sorts with annual pottery sales in the central square just below Charles Bridge.
The main road/square here is Na Kampě. Head to the end until you come to a large park. In the park, head south until you arrive at the modern art museum, Museum Kampa. Near the entrance to greet you are three oversized mutant-like crawling babies created by the same artist as the 'Piss' duo. Ten or more of these babies can also be found crawling about on the monstrous looking TV tower in the Prague district of Žižkov.
Charming as it is, the best part of Kampa for me are the wonderful views of the Vltava, Charles Bridge and parts of Old Town from its eastern embankment.
Before leaving Kampa, a trip to see a wall! Virtually all tours to Prague include a visit to this wall located very close to Kampa (cross a very short bridge with love locks, from Kampa back to the Little Quarter mainland). It is a wall of graffiti affectionately called Lennon Wall (Lennonova zeď), a tribute to the Beatle. After Lennon's murder, this was a symbol of protest against the Communist government throughout the 1980s with Prague youth writing political messages and rock lyrics (rock music was generally banned at the time) on it. After the fall of Communism, its political significance gradually tapered off and today the wall is a platform for graffiti artists and tourists to spray and paint away. No artwork is permanent here, it all gets sprayed and painted over daily. The wall is really part of a church's premises (Church of Our Lady Under the Chains) but the church has long given up trying to prevent the "vandalism". :)
Crossing Charles Bridge to the Knights of the Cross Square (Křižovnické Náměstí) will lead us straight to the next destination, the Clementinum (Klementinum) which is the second largest complex of buildings in the city after Prague Castle. There are several entrances, one facing Křižovnické square and the other is on the other side facing Marian Square (Mariánské Náměstí). The first entrance may be closed as was the case when I visited.
Marian Square can be reached as such: From Křižovnické square to Charles Street, at a fork in front of Hotel Aurus on Charles Street, turn left into the street Seminářska. The entire complex of buildings to the left of Seminářska is the Clementinum, thus, simply keep left and look for the large entrance facing the Marian Square.
The Clementinum was built on the site of a no longer extant Romanesque church, Church of St. Clement, which gave rise to the name. As part of the re-Catholicisation efforts in Bohemia, massive building works on the Clementinum were undertaken beginning in 1653, prolonging for over 150 years and there were even sporadic additions as recent as in the 20th century. The name of Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer appears once again with work on the Hall of Mirrors, previously a chapel. There is a fairly detailed history of the Clementinum here.
Today, the Clementinum comprises five courtyards, teaching and residential quarters, a tower, the Hall of Mirrors and Baroque library, two churches and a chapel (3?) and various other buildings.
In the middle of the Clementinum complex is the entrance to the starting point for guided tours. The tour covers the Hall of Mirrors, the Baroque library and finally the astronomical tower (quite a tough climb this, but the view...). A pity photographs are not allowed during the tour except from the observation area in the tower. Further, we were allowed only a short glimpse of the Baroque library from the doorway and with minimal lighting. A real pity as the library and the globes are out of this world!!
Apart from the guided tour, you may want to look for numerous sundials in the courtyards and, a statue of a student of Prague - symbol of the student's legion that helped defend Old Town from the Swedish army at the end of the Thirty Years War.
It seems one of the churches, Church of St. Clement (Kostel sv. Klimenta) with a rather plain facade masks a highly elaborate interior of high Baroque architecture and decorations.
The Clementinum is today the national library. Best Of Classical music performances are regularly held in the churches and Hall of Mirrors. Even if bored with hearing the same classical pieces played time and again, it may be a good idea to go for performances just to view the interior of the Church of St Clement or the Hall of Mirrors.
From the Clementinum, we now head down south to New Town via Smetana Embankment (Smetanovo Nábřeží) past National Avenue and the National Theatre and on to Marsaryk Embankment (Masarykovo Nábřeží).
Pivovar U Fleků
So far, I have not mentioned a single pub, beer hall or micro-brewery when in fact the Czech's brew some of the best beers in the world and are per capita the highest consumers of beer (pivo in Czech). Even an almost teetotaller like myself had to try some beers while in Prague.
One of the beer institutions in Prague is the half a millennia old U Fleků, a micro-brewery and restaurant. Getting here is just a little tricky and it is best to get a printout of directions on how to get there from Masarykovo Nábřeží or from other directions. The area around U Fleků is also not the most picturesque. The year 1499 is printed on the wall outside so I assume that is the year it started brewing and serving beer.
Occupying a few buildings, the premises is huge and comprises eight beer halls and a courtyard which could easily seat over 1,000 people. The interior is tastefully decorated. One type of beer is served here, their dark lager special. It is often packed with tour groups so service may not be top notch. U Fleků completes the cultural experience with a programme of traditional Czech/international songs and short skits.
Caution however, if you are looking for an authentic Czech pub experience, this may disappoint as the vast majority of patrons are tourists and in groups. There are other pubs in the vicinity and I believe the locals flock there instead.
Next, we shall witness a rare sight in the historic centre of Prague, an iconic building not 200 years old but a relative baby which has yet to reach even its second decade (as of mid-2015) of existence.
Dancing House (Tančící Dům)
I have a general aversion to modern, post 1930s, glass and concrete buildings as most are generic blocks and dreadfully dull. Everywhere you go anywhere on the globe, they all look similar with just varying heights and slightly different colour. I would even consider the shape of the Burj and other famous skyscrapers dull and unimaginative. However, this one in Prague, Dancing House, is so unique and compelling to look at.
Dancing House was jointly designed by the world-renown Canadian architect Fred Gehry and Czech architect Vlado Milunić and constructed between 1992 and 1996. The nickname Fred & Ginger may sometimes be used as the building does somewhat resemble a dancing pair. It is a multi-purpose building housing a cafe and offices, probably still not fully occupied. Dancing House is bold, dissonant at the same time elegant and (arguably) blends in well with its much older neighbours. A great work of art! Drop by here for daytime views and also at night.
The entire area around Dancing House is also very picturesque.
From Dancing House, head in the opposite direction of the bridge (Jirásek Bridge) and walk the full length of the main street Resslova. Not far from Dancing House is the Gothic Church of St.Wenceslas - nothing special here just that it is an anomaly among all the relatively modern buildings.
About 150 metres into Resslova at left, is the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius (Kostel sv. Cyrila a Metoděje), an important landmark in Czech history from the WWII period. The church is the last stand of seven partisans involved in the assassination of the German general Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. They were either killed or committed suicide - there is a memorial and mini-museum here to the patriots.
Charles Square
At the end of Resslova, you will arrive at what looks like a large park split by a street. This is really Charles Square (Karlovo Náměstí), which used to be a cattle market. It is the largest square in Prague and top 40 largest in the world. There are numerous architectural gems facing the square (such as Faust House) and nearby (Church of St. John of Nepomuk on the Rock) but their descriptions are reserved for an Off the Beaten Path post.
Continue straight ahead until you come to the Church of St. Ignatius (Kostel sv. Ignáce), which faces the square. It is an attractive Baroque church and a great subject for photography.
At the church, turn left for about 300 metres until you see a building with a tower and a renaissance facade. This is the New Town Hall, which is the starting point of our next place of interest.
The street Vodičkova has been in existence since the formation of New Town and served as the direct and vital link between Charles Square (cattle market) and Wenceslas Square (horse market). It is named, aptly, after a wealthy butcher from the 15th century called Jan Vodička, whose house was at the present no.28 on the street.
Vodičkova allows both cars and trams through but the former is only allowed part of the way. It is a very busy street but in general, you will find mostly locals here. On both sides of the street are cafés, restaurants, pattiseries, pubs, a supermarket and various other shops. The American chains Hooters and McDonalds are present too. Lucerna Palace and Světozor Cinema are located here - more on these later.
Architecturally, buildings on Vodičkova are less modern than on Wenceslas Square. There is a mix of modern and old but the prevailing architecture is pre-WWI. There are many lovely building facades on this street and worth straining the neck to marvel at them.
While not listed as being on Vodičkova, the New Town Hall (Novoměstská Radnice) has its eastern side facing the street. Construction of the town hall commenced around the last quarter of the 14th century and is today a combination of styles - Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic. It has had a colourful history with the most well-known being, it was the site of the First Defenestration of Prague in 1419, which lead to the Hussite Wars. Detailed history of the town hall can be found here. The area around the town hall is quite picturesque as is the town hall itself.
From the town hall, we pass Hooters on the left and 80 metres later take a right turn at the fork, to continue being on Vodičkova (the road at left is Jungmannova which will bring you to National Avenue). From this point on, there are many visual delights.
As at mid-2015, McDonalds is located at the midpoint of Vodičkova occupying ground level of buildings no.15 and 17. McDonalds is not the attraction but the buildings, collectively called Hlávkův House (Hlávkův nadační dům), which were rebuilt in the late 19th century by Czech architect and philanthropist Josef Hlávka in the form seen today. From the opposite side of the street, you will have a wonderful panaromic view of the buildings, which to me resemble a Renaissance palace with sgrafitto facade. Incidentally, the McDonald's brand has been 'toned down' to blend in with the rest of the architecture.
No.28, site of the residence of the wealthy butcher is now an office building with a theatre and shops. Next to it, no.30 is U Nováků, a multi-purpose building with cafes, shops and a casino and quite popular with locals and some tourists. What is interesting to me is the Art Nouveau facade - very nice.
It was commisioned by the baroness Benigna Katherina who was from one of the highly distinguished and oldest Bohemian aristocrats, the Lobkowitz family. Land was donated by the baroness to build the Loretto. Construction works extended out to about a century. The Baroque facade was a redesign in the 1720s by the famous architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, who also worked on the Church of St. Nicholas in Little Quarter and the one in Old Town.
There are many attractions at the Loreta, with the most obvious being the Baroque facade. The interior is packed with frescoes, statues and other religious imagery. There is the shrine, a beautifully decorated arcade, the 27-bell carillon which rings a tune every hour on the hour, monstrances in the treasury including 'Prague Sun' which is encrusted with over 6,000 diamonds!
There's a legend on the origin of the carillon but it is too depressing to add here.... The Loretta is today a pilgrimage place, houses a convent and a tourist destination which is not too well known.
From Loreta, we head back down Nerudova, past the Little Quarter Square and turn left into the street Tomášská. There are a few interesting house signs on Tomášská - a saint and a stag, three storks. At the end of the street is Wallenstein Square which would lead us to the next essential landmark to visit in Prague, Wallenstein Palace and its gardens.
Wallenstein Palace (Valdštejnský Palác) is a Baroque palace built between 1623 to 1630 for the Protestant turned Catholic Duke Albrecht von Wallenstein.
He was a military leader-politician and a key figure in The Thirty Years War, and, one of the richest men in Bohemia at the time. Apart from the palace, he had in his possession numerous chateaus and castles and was in control of the northern Bohemian region called Friedland (Frýdlant).
The palace was the Duke's grand residence in Prague and possibly intended to rival Prague Castle in terms of grandeur. Making a rough comparison using google maps, the entire Wallenstein palace grounds is about half the size of Prague Castle complex minus the castle gardens. The Duke did not get to enjoy the palace for long what with participating in war campaigns and then being assassinated in 1634 by political opponents using treason as the reason.
The lavishly decorated interior comprises a main hall and a chapel and, there is an audience chamber. The gardens are all geometrical and include an avenue of statues, an aviary, a huge pond with an islet and an artificial wall of 'stalactites/mites' or grottoes.
The Czech Senate now occupies the palace but there are plays and concerts held in the interior and even pop-rock bands performing on palace grounds from time to time.
I visited here twice but only got to see parts of the palace and gardens due to heavy rain or, the palace interior and gardens being off limits for the day. Do check beforehand if they are open, before making any significant detour here. Certainly not to be missed though.
Exiting the palace grounds one could go back along Tomášská, the Little Quarter Square, Bridge Street and finally descend the stairs on Charles Bridge to the next destination, Kampa Island OR, make a slight detour first to catch a flashing duo. In the middle of the Wallenstein Palace gardens is an exit leading to the street Letenská. Close to the end of this street is Manes Bridge and you will be able to spot the Rudolfinum on the other side of the Vltava river from here. From Letenská, turn right at the street U Lužického Semináře and keep going until a fork on this latter street (a restaurant at the fork), turn left into the street Cihelná. The target destination, Franz Kafka Museum which has the delinquent duo called 'Piss' rotating their hips shooting water onto a map and being quite suggestive and subversive - worth the detour I suppose ..
From the Kafka Museum entrance, just walk straight on in the direction of Charles Bridge (Cihelná street joins up with U Lužického Semináře again). There are some historic building on this street - probably worthwhile looking out for interesting house signs or architecture. The narrowest lane in Prague can be found soon after the Kafka Museum. Only one person can pass at a time so wait for the green light - yes there are traffic lights at both ends. It is really the pathway to house no.100 at U Lužického Semináře, currently a restaurant and pub.
Proceed until you are beneath the bridge. There is another fork here, take the road to the left and you will be on Kampa Island. The road to the right leads to the Muzeum Karla Zemana, which should interest children as it has interactive exhibits. Karel Zeman's films of the 1950-60s were highly innovative as scenes combined animation and real life acting, possibly even a considerable inspiration for Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame.
Kampa is not a natural island as the stream that separates it from the Little Quarter was artificially created. The stream is called Devil's stream, possibly after a house nearby nicknamed At the Seven Devils. Name notwithstanding, it is a picturesque area sometimes termed the Little Venice in Prague. There used to be mills here and there are still a few functioning watermills. The largest, a 16th century Renaissance era mill, can be seen from Charles Bridge. Next to the watermill, you may find a statue of the water creature called Vodník but, it is not always there. For many centuries up to WWII, Kampa was the pottery market in Prague. Today, there has been a revival of sorts with annual pottery sales in the central square just below Charles Bridge.
The main road/square here is Na Kampě. Head to the end until you come to a large park. In the park, head south until you arrive at the modern art museum, Museum Kampa. Near the entrance to greet you are three oversized mutant-like crawling babies created by the same artist as the 'Piss' duo. Ten or more of these babies can also be found crawling about on the monstrous looking TV tower in the Prague district of Žižkov.
Charming as it is, the best part of Kampa for me are the wonderful views of the Vltava, Charles Bridge and parts of Old Town from its eastern embankment.
Before leaving Kampa, a trip to see a wall! Virtually all tours to Prague include a visit to this wall located very close to Kampa (cross a very short bridge with love locks, from Kampa back to the Little Quarter mainland). It is a wall of graffiti affectionately called Lennon Wall (Lennonova zeď), a tribute to the Beatle. After Lennon's murder, this was a symbol of protest against the Communist government throughout the 1980s with Prague youth writing political messages and rock lyrics (rock music was generally banned at the time) on it. After the fall of Communism, its political significance gradually tapered off and today the wall is a platform for graffiti artists and tourists to spray and paint away. No artwork is permanent here, it all gets sprayed and painted over daily. The wall is really part of a church's premises (Church of Our Lady Under the Chains) but the church has long given up trying to prevent the "vandalism". :)
Crossing Charles Bridge to the Knights of the Cross Square (Křižovnické Náměstí) will lead us straight to the next destination, the Clementinum (Klementinum) which is the second largest complex of buildings in the city after Prague Castle. There are several entrances, one facing Křižovnické square and the other is on the other side facing Marian Square (Mariánské Náměstí). The first entrance may be closed as was the case when I visited.
Marian Square can be reached as such: From Křižovnické square to Charles Street, at a fork in front of Hotel Aurus on Charles Street, turn left into the street Seminářska. The entire complex of buildings to the left of Seminářska is the Clementinum, thus, simply keep left and look for the large entrance facing the Marian Square.
The Clementinum was built on the site of a no longer extant Romanesque church, Church of St. Clement, which gave rise to the name. As part of the re-Catholicisation efforts in Bohemia, massive building works on the Clementinum were undertaken beginning in 1653, prolonging for over 150 years and there were even sporadic additions as recent as in the 20th century. The name of Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer appears once again with work on the Hall of Mirrors, previously a chapel. There is a fairly detailed history of the Clementinum here.
Today, the Clementinum comprises five courtyards, teaching and residential quarters, a tower, the Hall of Mirrors and Baroque library, two churches and a chapel (3?) and various other buildings.
In the middle of the Clementinum complex is the entrance to the starting point for guided tours. The tour covers the Hall of Mirrors, the Baroque library and finally the astronomical tower (quite a tough climb this, but the view...). A pity photographs are not allowed during the tour except from the observation area in the tower. Further, we were allowed only a short glimpse of the Baroque library from the doorway and with minimal lighting. A real pity as the library and the globes are out of this world!!
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| View from Astronomical Tower |
Apart from the guided tour, you may want to look for numerous sundials in the courtyards and, a statue of a student of Prague - symbol of the student's legion that helped defend Old Town from the Swedish army at the end of the Thirty Years War.
It seems one of the churches, Church of St. Clement (Kostel sv. Klimenta) with a rather plain facade masks a highly elaborate interior of high Baroque architecture and decorations.
The Clementinum is today the national library. Best Of Classical music performances are regularly held in the churches and Hall of Mirrors. Even if bored with hearing the same classical pieces played time and again, it may be a good idea to go for performances just to view the interior of the Church of St Clement or the Hall of Mirrors.From the Clementinum, we now head down south to New Town via Smetana Embankment (Smetanovo Nábřeží) past National Avenue and the National Theatre and on to Marsaryk Embankment (Masarykovo Nábřeží).
Pivovar U Fleků
So far, I have not mentioned a single pub, beer hall or micro-brewery when in fact the Czech's brew some of the best beers in the world and are per capita the highest consumers of beer (pivo in Czech). Even an almost teetotaller like myself had to try some beers while in Prague.
One of the beer institutions in Prague is the half a millennia old U Fleků, a micro-brewery and restaurant. Getting here is just a little tricky and it is best to get a printout of directions on how to get there from Masarykovo Nábřeží or from other directions. The area around U Fleků is also not the most picturesque. The year 1499 is printed on the wall outside so I assume that is the year it started brewing and serving beer. Occupying a few buildings, the premises is huge and comprises eight beer halls and a courtyard which could easily seat over 1,000 people. The interior is tastefully decorated. One type of beer is served here, their dark lager special. It is often packed with tour groups so service may not be top notch. U Fleků completes the cultural experience with a programme of traditional Czech/international songs and short skits.
Caution however, if you are looking for an authentic Czech pub experience, this may disappoint as the vast majority of patrons are tourists and in groups. There are other pubs in the vicinity and I believe the locals flock there instead.
Next, we shall witness a rare sight in the historic centre of Prague, an iconic building not 200 years old but a relative baby which has yet to reach even its second decade (as of mid-2015) of existence.
Dancing House (Tančící Dům)
I have a general aversion to modern, post 1930s, glass and concrete buildings as most are generic blocks and dreadfully dull. Everywhere you go anywhere on the globe, they all look similar with just varying heights and slightly different colour. I would even consider the shape of the Burj and other famous skyscrapers dull and unimaginative. However, this one in Prague, Dancing House, is so unique and compelling to look at.
Dancing House was jointly designed by the world-renown Canadian architect Fred Gehry and Czech architect Vlado Milunić and constructed between 1992 and 1996. The nickname Fred & Ginger may sometimes be used as the building does somewhat resemble a dancing pair. It is a multi-purpose building housing a cafe and offices, probably still not fully occupied. Dancing House is bold, dissonant at the same time elegant and (arguably) blends in well with its much older neighbours. A great work of art! Drop by here for daytime views and also at night.
The entire area around Dancing House is also very picturesque.
From Dancing House, head in the opposite direction of the bridge (Jirásek Bridge) and walk the full length of the main street Resslova. Not far from Dancing House is the Gothic Church of St.Wenceslas - nothing special here just that it is an anomaly among all the relatively modern buildings.
About 150 metres into Resslova at left, is the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius (Kostel sv. Cyrila a Metoděje), an important landmark in Czech history from the WWII period. The church is the last stand of seven partisans involved in the assassination of the German general Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. They were either killed or committed suicide - there is a memorial and mini-museum here to the patriots. Charles Square
At the end of Resslova, you will arrive at what looks like a large park split by a street. This is really Charles Square (Karlovo Náměstí), which used to be a cattle market. It is the largest square in Prague and top 40 largest in the world. There are numerous architectural gems facing the square (such as Faust House) and nearby (Church of St. John of Nepomuk on the Rock) but their descriptions are reserved for an Off the Beaten Path post. Continue straight ahead until you come to the Church of St. Ignatius (Kostel sv. Ignáce), which faces the square. It is an attractive Baroque church and a great subject for photography.
At the church, turn left for about 300 metres until you see a building with a tower and a renaissance facade. This is the New Town Hall, which is the starting point of our next place of interest.
The street Vodičkova has been in existence since the formation of New Town and served as the direct and vital link between Charles Square (cattle market) and Wenceslas Square (horse market). It is named, aptly, after a wealthy butcher from the 15th century called Jan Vodička, whose house was at the present no.28 on the street.
Vodičkova allows both cars and trams through but the former is only allowed part of the way. It is a very busy street but in general, you will find mostly locals here. On both sides of the street are cafés, restaurants, pattiseries, pubs, a supermarket and various other shops. The American chains Hooters and McDonalds are present too. Lucerna Palace and Světozor Cinema are located here - more on these later.
Architecturally, buildings on Vodičkova are less modern than on Wenceslas Square. There is a mix of modern and old but the prevailing architecture is pre-WWI. There are many lovely building facades on this street and worth straining the neck to marvel at them.
While not listed as being on Vodičkova, the New Town Hall (Novoměstská Radnice) has its eastern side facing the street. Construction of the town hall commenced around the last quarter of the 14th century and is today a combination of styles - Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic. It has had a colourful history with the most well-known being, it was the site of the First Defenestration of Prague in 1419, which lead to the Hussite Wars. Detailed history of the town hall can be found here. The area around the town hall is quite picturesque as is the town hall itself. From the town hall, we pass Hooters on the left and 80 metres later take a right turn at the fork, to continue being on Vodičkova (the road at left is Jungmannova which will bring you to National Avenue). From this point on, there are many visual delights.
As at mid-2015, McDonalds is located at the midpoint of Vodičkova occupying ground level of buildings no.15 and 17. McDonalds is not the attraction but the buildings, collectively called Hlávkův House (Hlávkův nadační dům), which were rebuilt in the late 19th century by Czech architect and philanthropist Josef Hlávka in the form seen today. From the opposite side of the street, you will have a wonderful panaromic view of the buildings, which to me resemble a Renaissance palace with sgrafitto facade. Incidentally, the McDonald's brand has been 'toned down' to blend in with the rest of the architecture.
No.28, site of the residence of the wealthy butcher is now an office building with a theatre and shops. Next to it, no.30 is U Nováků, a multi-purpose building with cafes, shops and a casino and quite popular with locals and some tourists. What is interesting to me is the Art Nouveau facade - very nice.
At no.31, almost directly across from U Nováků is Galerie Myšák another multi-purpose building with shops, Billa supermarket and a pattiserie (Cukrárna Myšák) which is said to be one of the top favourites of locals in this part of the city. Confectioner František Myšák operated the patisserie here from around 1910 until a few years after WWII when it was nationalised by the Communist government and left to rot. The interior was quite recently reconstructed in early 20th century type decor and the pattiserie reopened in 2008. I like the new interior but have seen unfavourable commentary. Their specialty, the Caramel Sundae, is not bad. For architectural/art buffs, please look up frequently while in Prague. I missed the unique red-grey facade of Cukrárna, which is one of the three main examples of Rondo-Cubism in Prague (the others are Adria Palace and Legion Bank building). The facade was created in 1922 by a little-known architect Josef Čapek.
I am rather fond of the building two doors away at no.35 with the Baroque facade as I stayed at one of the apartments there for a good length of my tour in Prague. I believe it is called U Červeného Pole (At the Red Field/Zone?) and the facade is from around 1720, designed by that eminent architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, same one who worked on Church of St. Nicholas in Little Quarter, Hall of Mirrors in Clementinum and the Loreta's facade. Next to it is the popular camera store FotoŠkoda.
Right across from no.35 is an entrance to the iconic Lucerna Palace (Palác Lucerna). Lucerna was built by the grandfather of the late Václav Havel, the Czech Republic's first prime minister post Soviet era. Lucerna covers quite a large area, from this point of Vodičkova up to Wenceslas Square. There are several passages (which I did not explore) out to Wenceslas Square and to another street Štěpánská which is parallel to Vodičkova. Lucerna houses a beautiful cinema, bars and shops and has the capacity to host balls and grand functions.
Back on the topic of Lucerna Cinema (Kino Lucerna). It was constructed in the Art Nouveau style, opened in 1907 and is possibly the oldest functioning cinema in Europe. Catch a movie here if only just to be in an absolutely beautiful cinema.
AH unfortunately, the overwhelming focus of attention at Lucerna Palace is not the cinema but a statue hanging from beneath the dome near the ticket counter - a parody of the St. Wenceslas equestrian statue, by the same creator of the Piss duo and alien babies.
The final landmark, another modern cultural icon in the city, located just before Vodičkova joins Wenceslas Square is Světozor Cinema (Kino Světozor), which screens art and independent films. In June 2015, they held several screenings of the first interactive film (a Czech film) from the 1960s, where the audience could vote to decide on certain outcomes in the movie. Interesting.
Světozor has a passageway with some good eateries and this passage leads to a tranquil garden called Franciscan Garden (Františkánská Zahrada). Drop by here for a rest with a view of the Church of our Lady of the Snows (Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné) and listen to the periodic gentle chimes of her bells. Although, on Sundays and holidays, the garden may be somewhat crowded with locals enjoying the sunshine.
With all these attractions on or adjoining the street, how could one miss taking a walk along Vodičkova?
We move now to the final place in our second group of essential places in Prague - the Jewish quarter.
Most visitors to Prague make the Jewish Quarter a must visit and so there really is not much for me to add.
The ghetto goes back to the 12th century when the Jewish community was compelled to settle in an area on the right bank of the Vltava - just a 5 minute walk north/northwest of the Old Town Square.
Over the centuries, more and more people from the community were crowded into the area until 1783 when the Hapsburg emperor Joseph II allowed Jews to settle beyond. The area was named after the emperor in 1850 with the German name Josefstadt (i.e. Josefov).
For 20 years until just prior to the outbreak of WWI, a large area of Josefov was demolished to make way for new buildings and modernisation of the area which includes today's 'luxury avenue' Pařížská.
The Prague Jewish Museum comprises four synagogues, a ceremonial hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery. A separate ticket is required to tour the Gothic Old-New Synagogue (Staronová Synagoga) which was built in 1270 and is still in active use, the oldest in Europe. The legend, i.e. most popular version, of the Golem is said to have originated from here and the body of the Golem supposedly lies in the attic of the synagogue (off limits to visitors).
The Old Jewish Cemetery (Starý Židovský Hřbitov) had ceased to be used over 200 years ago and comprises graves on top of other graves - some sections where huge numbers of graves are compacted together are somewhat an unnerving sight.
Near the Spanish Synagogue on the street Dušní, where lived Franz Kafka and his family, is a statue unveiled in 2003 as tribute to the writer. The statue alludes to one of his short stories.
I am rather fond of the building two doors away at no.35 with the Baroque facade as I stayed at one of the apartments there for a good length of my tour in Prague. I believe it is called U Červeného Pole (At the Red Field/Zone?) and the facade is from around 1720, designed by that eminent architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, same one who worked on Church of St. Nicholas in Little Quarter, Hall of Mirrors in Clementinum and the Loreta's facade. Next to it is the popular camera store FotoŠkoda.Right across from no.35 is an entrance to the iconic Lucerna Palace (Palác Lucerna). Lucerna was built by the grandfather of the late Václav Havel, the Czech Republic's first prime minister post Soviet era. Lucerna covers quite a large area, from this point of Vodičkova up to Wenceslas Square. There are several passages (which I did not explore) out to Wenceslas Square and to another street Štěpánská which is parallel to Vodičkova. Lucerna houses a beautiful cinema, bars and shops and has the capacity to host balls and grand functions.
 |
| Photo source: http://www.kinolucerna.cz |
AH unfortunately, the overwhelming focus of attention at Lucerna Palace is not the cinema but a statue hanging from beneath the dome near the ticket counter - a parody of the St. Wenceslas equestrian statue, by the same creator of the Piss duo and alien babies.
The final landmark, another modern cultural icon in the city, located just before Vodičkova joins Wenceslas Square is Světozor Cinema (Kino Světozor), which screens art and independent films. In June 2015, they held several screenings of the first interactive film (a Czech film) from the 1960s, where the audience could vote to decide on certain outcomes in the movie. Interesting.
Světozor has a passageway with some good eateries and this passage leads to a tranquil garden called Franciscan Garden (Františkánská Zahrada). Drop by here for a rest with a view of the Church of our Lady of the Snows (Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné) and listen to the periodic gentle chimes of her bells. Although, on Sundays and holidays, the garden may be somewhat crowded with locals enjoying the sunshine.With all these attractions on or adjoining the street, how could one miss taking a walk along Vodičkova?
We move now to the final place in our second group of essential places in Prague - the Jewish quarter.
Most visitors to Prague make the Jewish Quarter a must visit and so there really is not much for me to add.
The ghetto goes back to the 12th century when the Jewish community was compelled to settle in an area on the right bank of the Vltava - just a 5 minute walk north/northwest of the Old Town Square.
Over the centuries, more and more people from the community were crowded into the area until 1783 when the Hapsburg emperor Joseph II allowed Jews to settle beyond. The area was named after the emperor in 1850 with the German name Josefstadt (i.e. Josefov).
For 20 years until just prior to the outbreak of WWI, a large area of Josefov was demolished to make way for new buildings and modernisation of the area which includes today's 'luxury avenue' Pařížská.
 |
| Photo source: www.prague.eu |
The Old Jewish Cemetery (Starý Židovský Hřbitov) had ceased to be used over 200 years ago and comprises graves on top of other graves - some sections where huge numbers of graves are compacted together are somewhat an unnerving sight.
Near the Spanish Synagogue on the street Dušní, where lived Franz Kafka and his family, is a statue unveiled in 2003 as tribute to the writer. The statue alludes to one of his short stories.
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