Ancient and mystical, unique and charming, golden Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. For millennia, it has grown and developed at the crossroads of trade routes. In its appearance, you can see the entire history of European architecture: Gothic castles and arches, Baroque churches and Renaissance buildings, Rococo and Art Nouveau buildings.
The historic center of Prague, with its huge squares and winding and narrow streets paved with cobblestones, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A few words about the country
In the heart of Europe, between the hills sheltered by the Bohemian Forest and the Sudetenland, lies the Czech Republic. This landlocked country borders Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia.
In the Czech Republic, perhaps like nowhere else, you can feel the spirit of the Middle Ages, carefully preserved in dozens of cities and towns, palace and castle complexes. The most beautiful natural landscapesserve as an excellent frame for architectural monuments.
Modern Czech Republic
As a result of the so-called velvet divorce (the collapse in January 1993 of the CSFR - the Czech and Slovak Federative Republics), two sovereign states appeared on the world political stage - the Slovak Republic, in which Bratislava became the main city, and the Czech Republic, whose capital stayed in Prague.
In recent European history, this is perhaps the only case when the division of the country was not accompanied by military or other forceful actions. The modern Czech Republic is a parliamentary republic headed by a president elected by popular vote. Today, the Czech Republic, under President Milos Zeman, who was elected in March 2013, is a member of the European Union and NATO.
Main City
Prague - the capital, historical, cultural and economic "heart" of the modern Czech Republic, is located in the north-west of this country, in the very middle of the Czech Basin. The city was built on the hills along the Vltava River and is divided by it into two parts: eastern and western. On the right bank is Vysehrad, and on the left is Prague Castle. Due to the frequent transfers of the residences of Czech rulers from one settlement to another, both of them grew strongly and practically merged into one.
But officially Greater Prague was formed only in the first quarter of the last century, after several dozen practically merged into onesettlements. And earlier it was a small city, occupying only 20 km2. Modern Prague on the map covers an area of almost 500 km2.
Prague legends
In the historical center of the Czech capital, every house, garden and cobblestone on its pavements can tell a lot of legends and stories. The founding of this city is also covered in legends. After the Czech tribes, led by the Forefather Czech, came and began to develop the lands located between the Vltava and Laba rivers, Prince Krok became the ruler, who raised three daughters, the youngest of whom, Libusha, came to power after the death of her father. It was she, according to legend, who founded the Vyshegrad fortress on the rocky banks of the Vltava, which later became her residence. Princess Libusha was not only smart and beautiful, but also possessed the gift of foresight. Once, standing on the rocky bank of the Vltava, she was able to "see" that a city would soon be founded, the glory of which would reach heaven. She even managed to name the place where such a hail would be founded: the threshold of a house that a man should make.
Immediately, the prince's servants rushed in search and quickly found a simple plowman named Přemysl, who was making prag, which in Czech means "threshold". Libuša took him as her husband, and on the site where he made the threshold, the Grad fortress was founded, from which Prague grew - a city that served as a residence for many generations of the Přemyslid princes.
Opinion of historians
Scientists consider Libusha and the plowman Přemysl to be nothing more than mythical characters. In factPrague was founded no earlier than 880, after Bořivoj, the first prince of the Přemyslid dynasty, moved his residence here from Hradec nad Vltavou. Information about Libush is found in the famous work of Kozma of Prague "Czech Chronicle", and he dates them to 623 - 630 years. At that time, at the beginning of the seventh century, according to experts, the Czechs did not yet have statehood, and the formation of a city is unlikely.
What does the name of the city mean?
As mentioned above, the most popular version says that Prague is a city whose name comes from the Czech word prah - "threshold". Some scientists believe that Praha is formed from the Old Slavonic name of the rocky and rapids of the Vltava fords. There is a version that the name of the city may be associated with the word pražení - roasting, frying, as a lot of grain was grown in this region, and bread production was developed.
All listed versions are based only on the analysis of linguistic constructions. Modern scientists consider the most plausible hypothesis about the rocky rapids, which were many on the Vltava.
How it all began
The first wooden Prague Castle was founded in the second half of the 9th century by Prince Borzhev. At the beginning of the 10th century, Vysehrad grew up on the other side of the Vltava. Over time, merchant and craft settlements began to appear around both castles. So, on the left bank, the town of Stare Mesto was formed, and on the right, under the Prague Castle, Mala Strana arose. By the end of the 13th century, during the reign of Přemysl's son Otakar II, Prince of Krakow and King of the Czech Republic Wenceslas II,Prague is the capital, the largest and most economically developed city that has managed to rise above the rest.
The heyday of this city lasted almost the entire XIII century and fell on the reign of John of Luxembourg and his son Charles IV. The latter managed to raise the status of Prague to the level of the capital of the Roman Empire, and in size it was second only to Constantinople and Paris. Charles IV during his reign tried to do everything to prove that Prague is not only an economic but also a cultural capital. It was then that the Charles Bridge and the first university were built, and the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral began. At the same time, an archiepiscopal see was created, and the Novo Mesto district arose.
Stages of development
As a result of the Hussite wars, Prague experienced a period of devastation and decline. But by the end of the 15th century, gradual stabilization took place, and the construction of new buildings and the restoration of destroyed buildings began in the city. It was at this time that under the leadership of the architect Benedict Wright, the reconstruction of the Old Royal Palace took place in Hradcany.
The second "golden age" for Prague came during the reign of the Habsburg dynasty, which began in 1526. The Austrian rulers invested a lot of effort and money in the development of Prague. In 1612, after the death of Emperor Rudolph II, the city loses its status, as the royal court in full force moves to Vienna.
The next heyday of Prague was the 18th century, which coincided with the national revival. At the end of this century, during the reign of Joseph II,there is a merger into a single administrative territory of four main urban areas: Hradcany, Stare Mesto, Mala Strana and Novy Gorod.
At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, when there was a rapid development of industry and economy, like most European capitals, Prague is actively developing and growing significantly. The rise of this period was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War. In 1918, an independent state, Czechoslovakia, was formed. During the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, Prague - the capital of this state - as well as the rest of the country, was under Nazi occupation. After the war, and until 1989, when the Velvet Revolution took place, Czechoslovakia was part of the socialist camp.
Prague districts
Modern Prague consists of many districts, some of which were considered separate cities for centuries. This is:
- Visegrad;
- Stare Mesto;
- Mala Strana;
- Gradchany;
- New City.
In the old days, they not only had different systems of control and subordination, funding, but also were at enmity with each other, sometimes reaching military operations. By the end of the 19th century, Old Prague took shape, the historical center of which included such districts as Stare and Nove Mesto, Hradcany, Vysehrad, Mala Strana and Josefov - the Jewish quarter.
It is in them that the main historical, architectural and cultural sights of the Czech capital are located. In subsequent years, the city grew, and appearednew areas, but there are few objects of interest for travelers.
Today it is quite difficult not only for tourists, but also for the natives to understand how Prague is divided into districts. On the map, according to the modern concept of urban planning, modern districts are defined by their territorial affiliation to a particular municipality. Thus, the whole city is divided into 22 districts, which include 57 districts.
At the same time as the new one, the old cadastral system of dividing the city also operates. So, Prague is divided into 10 main districts, uniting 112 territories. Such a distinction is called administrative and is widely used in various aspects of urban life.
