Prague - the "golden" city of the Czech Republic

With a blend of ancient and modern architecture, Prague offers wonderful cultural and artistic experiences.

The most intact ancient city in Europe

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and the largest city in the country. Prague is located in the west, on the poetic Vltava River of the Czech Republic. With hundreds of years of history, Prague is a vivid picture of architecture, art and culture with ancient houses, large squares and beautiful cobblestone streets. Prague is also known as one of the best preserved ancient cities in Europe, recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 1992.

St. Vitus Cathedral is one of the most unique and famous architectural structures in Prague. The church is built on the top of Hradčany hill and is considered one of the largest and most important cathedrals in the Czech Republic.

Construction of St. Vitus Cathedral began in 1344 and lasted over 500 years with several phases of construction and renovation. St. Vitus Cathedral is considered a fine example of Gothic architecture with features such as vertical columns, arched windows and decorative stone and metal statues.

Inside St. Vitus Cathedral, visitors can see many works of art and historical treasures. The highlight of the Cathedral is the Holy Blood Window, considered one of the most beautiful works of Gothic architecture. In addition, the Cathedral also has frescoes and statues made of stone and metal with religious and historical themes.

One of the most prominent landmarks in Prague is the Charles Bridge, the bridge of love. It is said that if you visit the bridge with your lover, you will have eternal love. If you wish for happiness, then surely your wish will come true in the future.

Built in 1357 in the Gothic style, Charles Bridge connects the Old Town with Mala Strana across the Vltava River in Prague. The piers on both sides of the bridge are decorated with 30 statues of saints from the 17th century. It is an artistic combination of Gothic and Baroque styles.

The most beautiful and famous part of this bridge is the statue of St. John of Nepomuk. St. Nepomuk served as a priest under King Wenceslas IV. The king wanted to know what his wife confessed, so he had the priest arrested. Nepomuk, of course, said nothing, so he was tortured to death and thrown into the Vltava River. You can also easily recognize it because of the sparkling gold details at the base of the statue.

The city center also has the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Museum, located in the 17th-century Villa Vertramka, where the composer completed “Don Giovanni”. Mozart’s bedroom and study have been restored. In the villa’s 7 rooms, there are many musical instruments of that time and a piano that Mozart used to play.

The oldest part of Prague is Mala Strana or the Lesser Quarter, which dates back to the 13th century, but was destroyed by fire and rebuilt with magnificent and luxurious palaces and villas. Some of the buildings here now house foreign embassies. Nerudova is an old street with magnificent facades with large wooden doors and ornate iron gates, dotted here and there with beautiful, colorful flower gardens.

The highlight of the area is the 18th-century Church of Saint Nicolas, with its spire and dome of copper oxide green. The interior is most famous for its frescoes and sculptures.

One of the architectural works that makes Prague very proud is the Royal Summer Palace, also known as Benvize Palace, which in Italian means "Beautiful Palace", built during the Renaissance, in 1538 to welcome royal nobles and ambassadors from other countries. The palace is designed magnificently. Surrounding the palace are walls decorated with human figures with 36 columns supporting the dome. The roof of the palace is placed on a unique truss, shaped like an upside-down ship with copper-plated metal plates.

Another must-see destination when visiting Prague is Kastanienallee, also known as Maple Avenue. This is a famous street with maple trees covering both sides of the road, creating a wonderful scene.

City of music

Prague prides itself on being a city of music, with three opera houses and two symphony and choir halls.

In the summer, modern music fills the streets, especially in the old town square, with various performances. Violinists play for money from tourists in the narrow streets leading to the castle. Accordionists play solos in the bustling markets. Saxophones echo under Gothic arches.

There are also serious concerts with strings, organs and trumpets. Smooth jazz is performed daily and nightly in churches and palaces. Dvorak's famous aria operas are performed at Villa America, a magnificent castle, now the Dvorak Museum, which displays many artifacts of the great Slavic composer such as violins, hats, fountain pens, some letters... evoking his life, including the 3 years (1892-1895) he lived in America.

Hai Yen

Source: https://baobariavungtau.com.vn/du-lich/202505/praha-thanh-pho-vang-cua-cong-hoa-sec-1042058/