The New Town (Nové město)

Prague’s New Town was established upon a resolution of Charles IV in 1348. The New Town quarter encompassed older Romanesque hamlets, from which churches and street names have survived (Rybníček, Poříčí). Three market squares – Dobytčí trh, Koňský trh and Senovážný trh (the present Karlovo, Senovážné and Wenceslas squares) became its natural centers. New Town became home mainly to craftsmen and lower classes.

The New Town Hall (Novoměstská radnice)

A set of Gothic buildings with a tower from the turn of the 15th century. In 1398-1784, the town hall was the administration center of New Town. In 1419, the First Prague Defenestration took place there, with the Hussites throwing Catholic councillors out the windows. There are occasional exhibitions held in the town hall; the tower is open to the public.

Faust House (Faustův dům)

Edward Kelly, an alchemist in Rudolph’s II service, lived there. The house is emblazoned with the legend of Dr. Faustus, who, in exchange for assistance in his studies, sold his soul to the Devil. The latter took Faust with him - escaping through the ceiling and leaving a hole in it that can never be bricked in. The initial folk tale has no such merciful ending as Goethe’s famous poem.

Church of St. Ignaz (Kostel sv.Ignáce)

Baroque church built in 1665-77 on the design of C. Lurago. The former Jesuit College is adjoined.

Monastery and Church Na Slovanech - Emauzy

Monastery founded by Charles IV in 1347, joined to the Parish Church of St. Kosmas and Damian (originally 12th-century Romanesque structure), for Slavic Benedictines performing services in the Old Church Slavonic language. The name Emauzy comes from the Gospel chapter retelling the meeting of Jesus Christ with his disciples at Emmaus, which was read on the monastery’s consecration day. The Church of Our Lady was completed in 1372. In 1611, both the church and the monastery were plundered. It was restored and partly remodeled in the Baroque style in the second half of the 17th century. It was reshaped yet again in 1880-85, namely in Pseudo-Gothic style. On February 14, 1945, Emauzy was damaged during the bombardment of Prague. In 1967, the church was restored according to architect F. M. Černý’s project. The cloisters of the former monastery of ca.1360 were restored along with precious mural paintings (Old and New Testament scenes). The premises were revived in 1966 – 69.

Rotunda of St. Longinus

Originates from the 11th century, originally a parish church of the hamlet of Rybník.

Church of St. Cyril and Methodius

The single-nave Baroque church was built in 1730-40 on the design of P.I. Bayer and K. I. Dietzenhofer. It has been used by the Orthodox Church since 1935. It is the site where the parachutist hiding there after the attack on the Reich Protector Heidrych died in 1942.

Karlov

Church of St. Lady and St. Charler the Great was founded by Charles IV in 1351. It was inspired by the octagonal sepulchral church of Charlemagne in Aachen. Today it houses the Czech Police Museum.

National Museum (Národní muzeum)

One of principal Czech Neo-Renaissance monuments. Designed by J. Schulz, the building was constructed in 1885-90. The establishment of the museum was initiated by patriotic Czech nobility lead by the Sternberg family.

Statue of St. Wenceslas

The best-known Czech statue of the patron saint of the Czech lands, St Wenceslas (Václav), by J. Myslbek, was erected in the upper part of Wenceslas Square in 1913.

The memorial was created in 1912-13, with the central figure of St. Wenceslas seated on a horse, and those of three Czech patron saints, St. Procopius, St. Agnes and St. Ludmila, while the last figure of St. Vojtěch (Adalbert) was added much later in 1924. Myslbek had worked on the models of the individual figures for years, allegedly from 1888, elaborating simultaneously the general concept of the memorial: The figure of the prince on horseback became the dominant point of the newly conceived public space, set against the background of the National Museum, so that the initial smaller version gave way to the new larger-than-life-size statue of the saint.

Church of Our Lady of the Snow (Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné)

Founded by Charles IV in 1347. The never-completed Gothic church is the tallest church structure in Prague. The Hussite preacher Jan Želivský delivered his sermons there, and was buried there after his execution in 1422. The adjacent Franciscan monastery contains an exhibition hall. The well-preserved Franciscan Garden is open to the public as well as the church.

National Theater (Národní divadlo)

It came to exist in the period of The National Revival , being funded solely from public contributions. In 1850, Czech patriots established the Committee for the National Theater and initiated the public collection toward its construction. The foundation stone was laid during a great national demonstration in 1868. The construction was carried out in Neo-Renaissance style as designed by J. Zítek. However, it burned down shortly after its opening. Repeated spontaneous collections of money enabled the theater to be re-opened in 1883. Prominent Czech artists were involved in its decoration (J. Myslbek, M. Aleš, V. Hynais and others).

Vyšehrad

Castle premises with fortification and cemetery. Originally a fortified settlement from the first half of the 10th century, it became the princely seat of Boleslav II half a century later, and later the main residence of Premyslid Princes and thus the center of the state. It was burned down during the Hussite wars and transformed into the existing Baroque citadel in the 17th century. Romanesque Capitular Church of St . Peter and Paul from the 11th century, rebuilt in Gothic style in the latter half of the 14th century. Romanesque rotunda of St. Martin of the late 11th century. Foundations of the Basilica of St. Lawrence from the late 11th century. The Slavín national burial site was joined to the Vyšehrad churchyard in 1889–93 to bury prominent representatives of Czech cultural life. Vyšehrad Cemetery became the final resting place of eminent public figures.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,