Colie Lynn: Prague

The city of Prague is so beautiful and is filled with history. The history of the city really begins with the castle which was founded by Prince Borivoj way back in the 9th century. Under Charles IV, in the middle ages, Prague was considered the crossroads of Europe which helped it to grow into a magnificent city, bigger than Paris or London at the time. Many of the Baroque palaces and gardens throughout the city were built after the Austrian Habsburgs took over in the 16th century.

Prague is situated right on the Vltava River in central Bohemia (a historical region in Central Europe). For over 1100 years, Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic capital of the Czech state. During the gothic and renaissance eras, it was the permanent seat of two holy roman emperors and was therefore the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

Presently there are about 1.3 million people living within the city. Since 1992, when Prague became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has been one of the most popular cities to visit in Europe. About 4.1 million international visitors come to Prague every year.

Prague Castle:

At about 570 meters long, and an average 130 meters wide, it is one of the biggest castles in the world. Despite periodic fires and invasions, the castle has retained many churches, chapels, halls and towers from every period of its history. It's history first began in the 9th century around 870 when it was founded by Prince Borivoj. Two of the major sites within the castle, Basilica of Saint George, and basilica of St. Vitus were founded in the first part of the 10th century. The Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia have all had their offices here at Prague Castle. Today the President of the Czech Republic still has his office here.

St. Vitus Cathedral:

Located within Prague Castle, this cathedral is Roman Catholic and is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. The church was founded by Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia in 925 who named it St. Vitus because he had acquired a holy relic, the arm of St. Vitus, from Emperor Henry I. The church has undergone a few reconstructions over the centuries but the gothic cathedral that you see today was founded on the 21st of November in 1344 when the Prague bishopric was raised to an archbishopric

Charles Bridge:

Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) is one of the most popular sites in Prague and stretches across the Vltava River to connect the Old Town the the Little Quarter. The bridge was commissioned by Charles IV in 1357 after the Judith Bridge was ruined by floods. At one time the bridge took 4 carriages side by side but now it is completely pedestrianized. Originally the bridge was only decorated by a simple wooden cross. But the first of many statues, the statue of St. John Nepomuk was added in 1683. And now each side of the bridge is lined with many Baroque statues. Having displeased the king, a vicar general by the name of Jan Nepomucky was arrested in 1393 by Wenceslas IV, killed under torture and then thrown into the water from this very bridge. At the Little Quarter end of the bridge there are two Bridge towers. The shorter of the two is what remains of the original Judith Bridge.