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Prague

Prague
The Historic Centre of Prague played a prominent role in medieval Central Europe. It has seen continuous urban development from the Middle Ages to the present, resulting in an architectural ensemble of outstanding quality.

The WHS area consists of the following parts:
1. Old Town (Stare Mesto), with the Old Town Square, Astronomical Clock and Charles Bridge
2. Lesser Town (Male Strana) on the left (west) bank of the river Vltava and below the Prague Castle
3. New Town (Nove Mesto), including the Wenceslas Square

Year Decision Comments
1992 Inscribed Reasons for inscription



Visit May 2003

Last year's experiences with Florence made me a bit wary to visit Prague in late spring / early summer. Since the fall of communism it has become such a popular tourist destination that I was afraid to be among crowds.

And, unfortunately, I was right. Streams of people pushed themselves through the old center and over the Charles Bridge. The first kilometer from the central train station into town reminded me of the Nieuwendijk, that particularly ugly part of Amsterdam (with fast food stalls, exchange counters, souvenir shops and overpriced terraces).

Isn't there something nice to say? Why should anybody want to go there? A good thing to do is to walk into a paralel street next to the main routes, and gaze at the elaborate facades of the houses and public buildings.

More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery

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Reviews

Clyde (Malta):
I visited this WHS in May 2012. The city of Prague is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe. The Chain Bridge and Mala Strana District at sunrise were the highlights of my visit in Prague. Great panoramic views of the city can be enjoyed from the Metronome Park or Castle Hill Vineyards.
Date posted: September 2012
Jorge (Mexico):
I have visited many countries across Europe (have been 7 times there)and no other place can be compared to Prague. I still remember the magic and wonderful athmosphere when I first visited it, I felt in a fairy tale. Of what I know, I still can say that Prague is the most magical and beautiful city I have seen so far in my life. Only Mont St Michel in northern France gave me a similar magical feel and a sense of wonderful place. I still have to go to Kracow to see if it is as good as everybody say.
Date posted: November 2008
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just landed back about 4 hrs ago from Praha , Absolutley amazing . I have never seen a place with so many hidden secrets . The bars are endless .... Yet , You could walk by one of these busy labyrinths whilst looking at the beautiful buildings around you . The Food ............. The Best i have ever tasted . Try the beer cheese , i loved that and the steaks are incredibly lean . Just avoid the tourist areas for eating , they are overpriced to the the ones hidden about a hundred yards away wiyh the equal if not better food . U fleku .... a must for the first time visit . But , dont let them force the drink at you . nein danke, works . dont know why , but it did . For the ale taster and the lets go out and have a good drink type , ask for dark beer , most places sell it and it is local brew . i just called it laughing juice . great place . just ignore the usual vices in passing on your stagger back to the hotel and ..... DO ..... agree a price before using a taxi ............BIGTIME
 
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Prague itself has it's own identity if, you want to see it's identity you must see the astinomical clock in the old town square.And you must see Chareles bridge!
 
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Prague is one of the most awesome cities in Europe.
Standing on the Karlsbridge at night and seeing the Hradin and the Moldau is so romantic. The Jewish Quartier is also very interesting.
 
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Hi all, Just got back from Prague after a 3 day visit. Found the city stunning and to be honest there were not masses of tourist around (maybe november is a quiet time). The usual historical landmarks were impressive, however the standout aspect for me was going on the 'life under communism' walking tour - a fascinating and thought provoking 2 hour walk hosted by an enthusiastic politics student from the local university.
 
Marcel (Germany):
Praha, Prague, Prag - the Golden City. Unfortunately I only spend one day there during my trip to Czech Republic in August 2005, but it was great! It's amazing how many tourists stay on Carl's Bridge at the same time. The whole city has so much to see, so many interesting churches, the castle, the Jewish Cemetery and facades of so many perfectly restaurated houses. Fantastic!!
Date posted: March 2006
Graeme Ramshaw (UK/US):
Is Prague a heavily touristed town? Without a doubt. It draws people from around the world, and, with the expansion of cheap European airlines, the crowds are only going to get bigger. Is Prague a town that in spite of its drawbacks still deserves an extended visit? Absolutely! While I often complain about the sheer number of tourists that descend on towns like Florence and Prague, one has to admit that they have it right. Prague is a scintillating experience, worthy of visit even at the most popular times of the year. Go for the spectacle, go for the fairy tale setting, go for the beer, it's all there to be enjoyed in Bohemia's capital. I particularly enjoyed walking around the Josefov district and the Old Town Square, gazing upon the truly beautiful Tyn Church that rises above the houses. Just a wonderful city.
 
Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
Another vote in favor of Prague from me. It´s true, the city can get enormously crowded at any time of the year and day, but this is true for other cities as well and people seem to criticize only Prague for it. So if you want a quiet city just for yourself without the crowds, this is not the place for you to go. But for those who don´t mind a few other tourists, Prague remains one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Hradcin with the Cathedral is really a great sight from the city below, and the old town and Charles Bridge are must-see sights as well. A daytrip to any of the older Czech cities or the many castles around Prague will help you get away from the crowds at least a little bit.
 
Ian Cade (England):
First things first; Prague has a lot of tourists! However its massive charm is more than enough to make this one of Europe’s most impressive destinations.
Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I can not think of a setting I have seen that can beat the combination of Vltava Charles Bridge, Mala Strana and Prasky Hrad (Castle). The beer is the best in the world and competes to be the cheapest (and I would like to point out this is not just in terms of Western Europe this is still the cheapest quality beer I have come across!) This would be enough for me but Prague throws more at you. Staromestka namesti (Old Town Square) is taken directly from a fairy tale, Joefov is one of the oldest Jewish settlements in Europe, Vaclavsky Namesti (Wenceslas Square) is dripping with contemporary history. On top of this you have one of the densest clusters of Art Nouveau art anywhere in Europe; with Obcedni Dum ranking amongst the very elite of this style in architectural terms. Then there are the outlying parts such as Vysehrad to add to this. All is then mixed with an artistic heritage which even by Central European terms is amazing.
And it is only once you see all this you can appreciate why you will no longer have Prague to yourself. It may have changed a lot since 1989 but this is still a city that should feature highly on any traveller’s itinerary.
The best advice I can give is just to go off and explore (the same with every touristy city). The main drag between Staromestka Namesti and the castle is very impressive however this is the focus of the crowds. Delving into side streets to find hidden gems like Valdstejnska zahrada (Wallenstein Garden) exploring the bars and clubs of Nove Mesto will help you see that there is more to Prague than shops selling communist nostalgia to Western drinking parties. Prague is an astonishing city and the small amount of effort required to lose the crowds is all that is needed to find a highlight of Europe.
 
Rob Wilson (UK):
There can be no doubt that Prague is a beautiful city, but, sadly, it has sold its soul to tourism. The old city is enormous and generally in original condition, the lack of war damage is remarkable. The downside is the high cost, compared to the rest of the Czech Republic, the unfriendliness of the populous and the tourist traps.
 
Roman (Czechia):
Prague is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. I have been there counless times and remember the city from times before the iron courtain fall. That time you could walk alone at the mysterious old Jewish cemetery, peopleless Charles Bridge or even Zlatá ulička. Nowadays you can avoid crowds of tourists if you go apart the main tourist routes. The historical city is big enough, so just take a city map and enjoy your walk around the quiet streets and squares.
 
Fanny Melian Havela (Finland):
I was disappointed by Prague. Filled with tourists and badly organized traffic, it was chaotic and unpleasant.
To avoid the atmosphere, it's better to buy a book of the architectural wonders of the city.
Also the food was similar to elsewhere in eastern block, grease and mayonnaise ruled all over.
I only recall one nice even, getting off the metro in Vysehrad, and walking over the bridge to the center. That fifteen minute walk over the valley beyond was beautiful.
 
Jim Humberd (USA):
Some people say Prague is the most beautiful city in Europe. While we might not go that far, it’s difficult to find a “one-view” that would surpass the sight of the Vltava River and Karluv Most (the Charles Bridge, a pedestrian bridge adorned with 75 statues and statue groups), with the Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral high above Marla Strana (Lesser town).
 
Gatis (Latvia):
Yes, in summer Prague is pretty crowded, not so charming. Walk in Zlata Ulicka was terrible. Once I visited Prague at the end of February - no tourists, but not so pleasant weather as well.
What I liked in this city? Its huge historical centre. We in Baltics have used to rather small Old Cities, but here it takes looong time to go through it - the buildings and sights are very interesting. I consider that Czechs keep their capital very well - they also have sense of taste, what is not the case with many modern Western European cityplanners and architects.
 


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