Tourist information on Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, with a population of 1.3 million. It is located on the Vltava River in central Bohemia and derives its name from an old Slavic word, praga, which means ford, referring to the city's origin at a crossing point of the Vltava River. Prague has been an important cultural, political and economic centre for a thousand years and today is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, attracting more than 4 million visitors each year.

Prague offers much to the tourist as a modern vibrant city with a rich cultural heart, hence its growing popularity. The city suffered far less damage than other European cities during WWII, so much of its historic architecture (which includes superb examples of Art Nouveau, Gothic, Cubist and Neo-Classical) remains intact. Well-known attractions include Prague Castle (the largest castle in the world), Old Town, Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock, the Gothic Old New Synagogue, New Town, the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Mucha Museum and Prague Zoo. In addition, the city boasts numerous concert halls, galleries, cinemas and clubs and is host to music festivals such as the Prague Spring International Music Festival.

Prague has a modern integrated transport system that includes the Prague Metro (which serves 57 stations), the Prague Tram System, the Petrín funicular, buses and ferries. Prague is the hub of the Czech railway system which covers all of the Czech Republic, the main international railway station being Hlavní nádrazí (formerly known as Wilsonovo nádrazí). Prague's main aiport is Prague Ruzyne Airport, one of the busiest in Eastern Europe and the hub of the national carrier, Czech Airlines and low-cost airlines Smart Wings and Wizzair.

The history of Prague is fascinating and reflects wider socio-political and economic changes across Europe. The city started out, about a thousand years ago, as a settlement that stretched from Prague Castle in the north to the fort of Vysehrad in the south. By the middle ages, it had grown to become an important trading centre for merchants from across Europe. During the Gothic and Renaissance eras, it was the seat of two Holy Roman Emperors, the first of whom, King Charles IV, initiated building projects that radically transformed the city. In 1689, much of Prague was destroyed by a great fire, which resulted in extensive rebuilding of the city. The industrial revolution of the 19th Century, fuelled by the availability of coal deposits in the area, brought a period of sustained economic growth which saw a steady increase in the population and living standards.

The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after WWI brought about the creation of the new country of Czechoslovakia, whose capital was Prague. In March 1939, the Germany Army entered Prague and the country remained under Nazi occupation until May 1945. Most of the city's large Jewish population either fled or else were deported. After the war, Prague fell under the control of the Soviet Union. In 1967, the secretary of the Communist Party, Alexander Dubcek, attempted to introduce greater democracy to the country. The Soviets' reaction to this so-called Prague Spring was to send tanks into Czechoslovakia in Augist 1968. In 1993, four years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country split into two and the Czech Republic was born, with Prague its capital.