Basic Information About Prague

Key Facts

Prague is the capital and the largest city of the Czech Republic with a population of approximately 1.4 million people. In the EU, it ranks as the 14th largest city and is the fifth most visited city in Europe. In 2016, according to the TripAdvisor list, Prague ranked sixth in the list of the world’s best destinations. It is located in the Bohemian region, more specifically in the north-west of the country. As for the climate, the city usually has chilly winters and warm summers. Through the centre of Prague flows the Vltava river.

Brief History

Prague was founded back in the 6th century and has played an important part in the political, cultural and economic development of central Europe. The most influential monarch who resided in Prague was Charles IV, who was also a Holy Roman Emperor during the 14th century. Prague thrived during his reign and became one of the most developed cities of medieval Europe.

Locations

In 2002, the city has been divided into 57 city districts and 22 administrative districts. Prague 1–10 form the core of Prague, while Prague 11–22 form the outskirts of the city. Below is a list of the 10 administrative districts and the main city districts.

• Prague 1 (Old Town, Jewish Quarter, Little Quarter, Hradčany, New Town)
• Prague 2 (Vyšehrad, New Town, Vinohrady)
• Prague 3 (Žižkov, Vinohrady, Strašnice, Vysočany)
• Prague 4 (Nusle, Podolí, Braník, Krč, Michle, Hodkovičky, Lhotka, Kamýk)
• Prague 5 (Smíchov, Košíře, Motol, Radlice, Jinonice, Hlubočepy)
• Prague 6 (Dejvice, Střešovice, Bubeneč, Břevnov, Nebušice, Hradčany, Veleslavín, Vokovice, Liboc, Ruzyně)
• Prague 7 (Holešovice, Troja, Bubeneč)
• Prague 8 (Karlín, Libeň, Kobylisy, Bohnice, Čimice, Střížkov)
• Prague 9 (Vysočany, Prosek, Střížkov, Hrdlořezy)
• Prague 10 (Vršovice, Strašnice, Malešice, Záběhlice, Hostivař)
• Průhonice

Cultural attractions

The city has numerous cultural attractions. During World War II, when many major cities of Europe were a target of bombings, Prague managed to avoid any major destructions and most of its centuries-old buildings stand to this day, making it one of the nicest historical cities in Europe. The city prides itself with buildings from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism, Romanticism and Art Nouveau eras. In 1992, the historic centre of Prague has been added to UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Most of the main attractions are situated in Prague 1, which is composed of the old historic centre. The sites that are definitely worth visiting are the Prague Castle with the St. Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge, Petřín Hill with the Lookout Tower, Prague Astronomical Clock, Old Town Square, the Jewish Quarter, the Municipal House and Powder Gate, Vyšehrad complex, Wenceslas square, National Museum, National Theatre, Dancing House, the Prague Metronome and the Prague Zoo, which was ranked the 4th best in the world.

Public Transportation

The public transportation in Prague has one of the highest rates of usage in the world, with approximately 1.2 billion passenger journeys per year. It is a well-integrated system of the metro, trams and buses. The metro consists of three lines, A – green (Nemocnice Motol – Depo Hostivař), B – yellow (Zličín – Černý most) and C – red (Letňany – Háje), with Můstek, Muzeum and Florenc being the three interchanging stations. There are also 22 tram lines and over 100 bus lines for easy access to places, which the underground metro cannot access.