Prague is a gem, a truly beautiful city, a UNESCO World Heritage site described as the ‘City of a Thousand Spires’. The capital of the Czech Republic, it has become one of Europe’s most popular. It is now seeing an upsurge in westerners buying property there following the country’s entry in to the European Union.
Wandering over the Charles Bridge; strolling across the Old Town Square; the stunning Hradcany or Castle area – each is hard to beat. Indeed, the only disappointment is the famous Wenceslas Square, with its MacDonalds and dodgy night clubs.
Prague’s history reaches back to 400BC but the city gained importance when Charles IV of Bohemia became Holy Roman Emperor in 1346. This led to many of the city’s great buildings, including St Vitus Cathedral and Charles Bridge.
Despite brutal Nazi occupation from 1938, the city was miraculously undamaged in the Second World War although the Communist era did result in some hideous concrete buildings and economic stagnation for the country as a whole.
Charles Bridge, always packed with artists and entertainers, is the link between the Malá Strana or Lesser Town and the imposing Castle above it with the Old and New Towns across the river. The Castle complex includes St Vitus Cathedral and is one of the finest groups of buildings in Europe. Staré Město, the Old Town, has quaint, narrow streets, the stunning Old Town Square and the Old Town Hall, and like much of central Prague, is packed with bars and restaurants. The Jewish Quarter is a little to the north, while Nové Město, the New Town, is to the south by the river.
Beer is one of the city’s great attractions – the Czech lands is where lager originated. Eating and drinking is still reasonably priced and of good quality. It’s a city to visit at any time of year. Spring and autumn are ideal, summers are normally dry and pleasant while winter sees the city quieter and very atmospheric.
Prague has a cheap and efficient transport system ithat includes the metro, trams, buses and a funicular on Petrín Hill. Cobbled streets, tram lines and other drivers make car driving in Prague a difficult experience, but there is parking near most metro stations.
The two international rail terminals with direct rail links to more than 20 European cities, including Munich, Vienna, Berlin and Paris. The main road routes into to Prague are the D1/D2 to Brno, the E50, crossing the German/Czech border at Waidhaus/Rozvadov, the E59 and D1 to Vienna, the E55 to Dresden and Berlin, the E67 from Warsaw and the E50 from Paris.
Praha Ruzyne International Airport is about 20km north west of Prague and there are shuttle minibus services. Budget airlines land there and there are many international airlines too. Flight time from London is just under 2hrs..
