Forget me not: 5 reasons to remember prague
Prague is sometimes referred to as the heart of Europe. A place full of creativity and culture with its theatres, galleries, cathedrals, bridges and museums all combing to make this incredible city hard to beat.
1. Prague Castle
Prague Castle is where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have held their offices.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, Prague Castle is the biggest ancient castle in the world at 570 meters in length and an average of about 130 meters wide. It's also the home of the Czech Crown Jewels.
The history of the castle stretches back to the 9th century and the first walled building was the church of Our Lady. This was followed by the Basilica of Saint George and the Basilica of St. Vitus, which were both built in the first half of the 10th century. The first convent in Bohemia was founded in the castle, next to the church of St. George.
The buildings represent virtually every architectural style of the last millennium, including Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance style, the latter being brought to the Prague Castle by the Emperor Rudolph II in late 16th century.
Nowadays, the castle houses several museums and The Summer Shakespeare Festival regularly takes place in the courtyard of Burgrave Palace.
2. Dancing House
The Dancing House is the nickname given to an office structure in downtown Prague. Built in 1996, this very non-traditional design - also known as the ‘Drunken House' - caused controversy at the time, although it was backed by the then Czech President Václav Havel who lived next to the site for decades.
The brain-child of Croatian-born Czech architect Vlado Milunić in co-operation with Canadian architect Frank Gehry, the structure was built on a vacant riverfront and was originally named Fred and Ginger (after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as the house vaguely resembles a pair of dancers).
On the roof is a French restaurant with magnificent views of the city and the house stands out among the Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings for which Prague is known for.
3. Art Master Gallery
Based in the heart of Prague, this art gallery concentrates on the creations of important East European artists from countries such as Armenia, Georgia, Russia and the Ukraine. A wide range of artistic styles including watercolour, charcoal, oil and mixed media from names, such as Gepp, Kavshbaya and Mikora. The gallery also promotes and supports the works of talented artists yet to be discovered.
4. Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge is a 14th century, Gothic stone bridge that crosses the Vltana River and connects the Old Town with Malá Strana.
Its construction was commissioned by Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and began in 1357. In charge of the building was architect Petr ParléÅ™ whose other works include the St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle. It is believed that egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to strengthen the construction of the bridge.
The bridges length is 516 meters and is nearly 10 meters wide, supported by 16 arches shielded by ice guards. The bridge is decorated by a continuous path of mostly baroque styled statues and statuaries, erected around 1700.
During the day Charles Bridge is alive with painters, owners of kiosks and other traders alongside numerous tourists crossing the bridge, while at night it seems calm and asleep.
The need for building a new bridge emerged after the old Romanesque Judith Bridge - built around 1170 and named after king Vladislav I's wife Judith - was destroyed by a flood in 1342.
5. Lennon Wall
Initially the Lennon Wall was just an ordinary historic wall located in Prague, but since the 1980s and the murder of ex Beatle John Lennon, the wall has taken on hero-worship significance and people have filled it with Lennon inspired graffiti and samples of lyrics from Beatles songs.
In 1988, the wall was an irritant to the then communist regime of Gustav Husak. The wall was used as an expression of discontent by young Czechs. It became such an issue that according to a report at the time, it led to a clash between hundreds of students and the security police on Charles Bridge. Ironically, the ‘movement' the students adhered to, became known as Lennonism and they were described by Czech officials as mentally deranged alcoholic agents of Western capitalism.
Today, the wall represents a symbol of the ideals of the young and romantic, such as love and peace.
Conclusion
One of the most cultural capitals in the world, Prague is just dripping with history and class, a lesson in how truly amazing a city can be. Prague is the heartbeat of the country and an arena for academics, weekend revellers and property investors, all looking to be schooled in the ways of this magnificent work of art.
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Photo by knottyboy