Prague Sights / Attractions

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Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička)

Praha 1, Hradčany, Website: www.hrad.cz, Metro: Malostranská
Originally housing 24 of Rudolf II's marksmen, this hotchpotch of tiny, colourful houses runs the length of the northern wall of Prague Castle directly in between the New White Tower (Bílá věž) and Daliborka Tower. Once lined by scores of woodsheds and outhouses, the lane fell into squalor during the 18th and 19th centuries before becoming the lodging of choice for artists such as writer Franz Kafka (who lived temporarily at No. 22 from 1916-1917) and Nobel-laureate poet Jaroslav Seifert. Since being tarted up in the late 50s, the lane has grown into somewhat of a tourist-trap, selling all manner of handy crafts, knick knacks and souvenirs. However, it's still a pleasant place to explore, especially when taking in a tour of Prague Castle.

House of the Black Madonna (Dům u Černé Matky Boží)

Celetná 34, Praha 1, Staré Město, Tel: +420 222 220 218 (for the CMFA), Website: www.cmvu.cz, E-mail: muzeum@cmvu.cz, Metro: Náměstí Republiky, then Tram: 5, 14 or 26 to nám. Republiky, Open 10am-6pm daily (except Mon), Free with Matilda card
As the first example of Cubist architecture in Prague, The House of the Black Madonna was built to the designs of Czech architect Josef Gočár between 1911-12. Today, it serves as the venue for an exhibition of cubist art - an art form of the early 20th-century heavily influenced by talented artists such as Picasso and Braque. The statue, which gives the building its name, can be seen on the corner of the building behind a protective grill.

Hradčany Square (Hradčanské náměsti)

Praha 1, Hradčany, Metro: Malostranská
This pleasant square is surrounded by number of impressive buildings, including the Schwarzenberg Palace, Museum of Military History and the Rococo Archbishop's Palace. At its centre is a Marian column, erected to commemorate the end of a plague outbreak in the 18th century.

Jan Hus Monument

Praha 1, Staré Město, Metro: Staroměstská/Náměstí Republiky
The centrepiece of Staromestské náměsti is a monument to one of the most influential figures in Czech history, Jan Hus, who was burned alive in 1415 after being denounced as a heretic.

Hus was actually a reformist preacher who, having read the works of Wyclif (and witnessed first-hand the corruption of the church), urged the need for reform in accordance with the substance and spirit of the gospel.

Having been excommunicated twice, Hus eventually travelled to Constance in Switzerland to refute charges of heresy. There, having been unfairly accused of promoting heretical views (such as eucharistic bread not being the body of Christ) he was convicted, held in a dungeon and tortured for several months, before finally being burnt at the stake. His last words, which reflect a nobility and purity of spirit were "In the truth of the gospel which I have written, taught and preached, I will die today with gladness".

The monument, designed in the Art Nouveau style by Ladislaus Šaloun, was unveiled in 1915 - the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus's death.

Kampa Island

Praha 1, Malá Strana, Metro: Malostranská, then Tram 12, 22
Kampa, the largest of the islands on the Vlatava River, is a popular visiting place for both city dwellers and tourists alike. Nowadays, it's home to a number of local artisans, trendy eateries and bars, including the upmarket Kampa Park restaurant (which as the name suggests, is located in Prague's most tranquil open space).

Na Kampe, the central tree-lined square is the island's natural focal point, while towards the northern end of the street, pleasant cafés, souvenir stalls and legions of musically challenged hippies, make it well-worth exploring in the summer.

Described as the 'Venice of Prague', the southern section of the island is almost entirely parkland, with the exception of the 13th-century Chapel to St John of the Laundry (the riverbank here was a favoured hang-out for Prague's washer women).

Of course, we reckon its only a matter of time before a shrewd entrepreneur sets up a gay disco on the island or perhaps even a small, historical museum devoted to VW vans from the 60s (yes, poor puns we know).

The Karolinum

Železná 9, Praha 1, Staré Město, Tel: +420 224 491 111, Website: www.cuni.cz, E-mail: UK@cuni.cz, Metro: Můstek/Tram 5, 8, 14, Open: 10am-5pm Tue-Sun (closed Mon)
Founded by King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV on 7th April 1348, the Charles University is the oldest institution of its kind in Europe. Housed at No. 9 Železná (next door to the former Tyl Theatre), it was originally composed of four faculties - theology, law, medicine and the arts, although later, under the rectorship of Jan Hus, it became associated with the Czech nationalist movement, whilst also rallying popular support for Church-reform.

Adminstrative affairs were handled by a four-way voting system - split according to the ethnicity of masters and students, namely: the Bohemians, Bavarians, Polish and Saxons. Such was Hus's influence that, in 1409, he persuaded Wenceslas IV to pass the "Kuttenberg Decree" which effectively gave the Bohemians more votes than all the other parties put together - resulting in the mass exodus of German professors and students to Leipzig. Such upheaval gradually led to the demise of all but the faculty of arts (which had become a centre for the Hussite movement), thus lowering the university's status in the rest of Europe.

Some two hundred years later, the failed revolt by Protestant Bohemians against the Habsburg Empire during the Thirty Years' War led to the forced re-catholicisation of Prague university. Indeed, by 1620 (after the Battle of White Mountain) part of the university had been given over to the Jesuits who founded the Clementine Academy - a counterweight to the non-Catholic institution.

Rebuilt in 1718 by Max Kaňka, the university remained strictly Catholic until the end of the 18th century when reforms (brought about by the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773) led to academic posts being offered to non-Catholics. For the first time, students of other faiths - including Jews - were also given permission to study at the university (and by 1790 had been granted the right to receive degrees).

Remodelled and expanded after WWII (when it was heavily bomb damaged) the Karolinum, which now has faculties all over Prague, will perhaps - one day - regain its status as one of Europe's finest academic institutions.

The Klementinum

Mariánské náměstí 4, Praha 1 Staré Město, Tel: +420 221 666 311, Website: www.nkp.cz, Metro: Staroměstská/Tram 17, 18, Library Open: 9am-7pm Mon-Sat
Covering an area of over 2 hectares, the Klementinum - which lies in the historic centre of Staré Město - is second only in size to the complex of buildings that make up Prague Castle. Founded by the Jesuits in 1653 (after they had been invited to the city by Ferdinand I almost a century earlier) much of the Old Town was demolished to make way for the college and library, together with a replacement for the medieval Church of St Clement. However, the Jesuits' most notable legacy was the Church of St. Saviour. Facing Charles Bridge and featuring a fine stucco interior - complete with a ceiling painting of the four continents by K Kovář - they regarded it as their most important church in Bohemia.

Completed in 1726, the Klementinum's main purpose was to re-educate (the mainly Protestant) population in the ways of Catholicism. Pride of place is the magnificent Baroque library, boasting a vast array of period volumes, together with medieval manuscripts and codices. The decorative ceiling, which is dominated by the Trompe l'oeil (illusionist) Dome of Wisdom, is flanked on either side by murals to depict knowledge, wisdom and learning. In the stuccoed Chapel of Mirrors, the equally lavish ceiling fresco on the life of the Virgin Mary is set perfectly above gilt-laden, marble effect walls, each adorned with oil paintings by Czech Baroque painter Václav Vavrinec Reiner. Serving today as a venue for chamber music concerts (with wonderful acoustics) Mozart himself is said to have played here.

Elsewhere, the Astronomical Tower - used as an observatory right up until the 1930s - stands at the centre of the Klementinum. Crowned by a statue of Atlas - who bears the weight of the world on his shoulders - the tower dates back to 1721 when the Jesuits, fascinated by astronomy, managed to determine the Prague meridian (from where they calculated high noon each day, also signalling Prague Castle to fire a cannon at that precise moment).

Letná

Hradčany/Holešvice, Metro: Malostranská, then Tram 12, 17, 51 or 54
Occupying a large area between Hradčany and Holešvice this quiet, leafy suburb, offers excellent vantage points of the Old Town from Letná Gardens (Letenské sady) as well as a worthwhile visit to the city's impressive National Technical Museum. The gardens, which were laid out in the 1950s, boast a giant Metronome overlooking the Vltava (and opposite Čechův most and the district of Josefov), while also nearby is Hanavský Pavilón - a lovely neo-Baroque/Art Nouveau cast-iron structure by Otto Prieser, incorporating a pleasant, albeit pricey restaurant and café.

Lobkowicz Palace (Lobkovický Palác)

Jiřská 3, Praha 1, Hradčany, Tel: +420 257 535 979, Website: www.nm.cz and www.hrad.cz, Metro: Malostranská, then Tram: 22, 23, Open: 1 Jan-31 Dec 9am-5pm, Tue-Sun closed Mon, Free with Matilda card
One of four Lobkowicz Palace's in Prague (the other worthy example being the German Embassy building on Vlašská), this Renaissance building - built in the 1570s - was adapted in the mid-17th century by Carlo Luragho into an early Baroque style for Eusebius of Lobkowicz. Now home to an exhibition of Czech history entitled "Memories from the Nation's Past", classical concerts (especially ensembles) are also held here all year round.

Loreta (Loreto)

Loretánské náměsti 7, Praha 1, Hradčany, Tel: +420 220 516 740, Tram 22, Open 9am-12.15pm and 1pm-4.30pm Tue-Sun
An extraordinarily ornate church, the façade of the Loreto is best described as a "Baroque fantasy", being lavished with all manner of cherubs, ecclesiastical statues and fine plasterwork.

The interior courtyard, which dates back to 1661, has long been an important religious centre for Christians, not only in Bohemia, but around the world. Indeed, its cloisters were built to consolidate the Catholic faith in Bohemia during the turmoil of the Reformation and Counter Reformation in the 16th and 17th centuries. The small Santa Casa chapel, a replica of the sacred house of Loreto (which, according to legend was transported by angels from Nazareth to Italy), stands at the centre of the courtyard, with the Church of the Nativity just behind.

Eventually, as the religious situation in Europe stabilized, the Loreto became an ever more important shrine, not only as a place of pilgrimage and penance, but as the scene of miraculous cures for a wide-range of medieval ills - including inoculation from the plague. Of course, by curing the ailments of all and sundry (for a set fee), the wealth of the church increased significantly, thus allowing construction to eventually begin on the Baroque style bell tower and the western façade.

Aside from the architecture, the most impressive aspect of a visit here is the Loreto Treasury's many chalices and liturgical artifacts, the pinnacle of which is the diamond monstrance - a silver gilt piece containing 6,222 of the precious stones.