Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech state for more than 1100 years. The city proper is home to more than 1.2 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 1.9 million.
Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Nicknames for Prague have included "the mother of cities" (Praga mater urbium, or "Praha matka mest" in Czech), "city of a hundred spires" and "the golden city".
There are hundreds of concert halls, galleries, cinemas and music clubs in the city. Prague hosts Music Festivals including the Prague Spring International Music Festival, the Prague Autumn International Music Festival and the Prague International Organ Festival. Film festivals include the Febiofest, the One World and Echoes of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Prague also hosts the Prague Writers Festival, the Prague Fringe Festival, the World Roma Festival as well as hundreds of Vernissages and fashion shows.
Sights
- Old Town (Staré Mesto) with its Old Town Square
- The Astronomical Clock on Old Town Square
- The picturesque Charles Bridge
- The vaulted gothic Old New Synagogue of 1270.
- New Town (Nové mesto) with its busy and historic Wenceslas Square
- Malá Strana (Lesser Quarter) with its Infant Jesus of Prague
- Prague Castle (the largest castle in the world) with its St. Vitus Cathedral
- Josefov (the old Jewish quarter) with Old Jewish Cemetery and Old New Synagogue
- Jan ?i?ka equestrian statue in Vítkov park, ?i?kov - Prague 3.
- The Lennon Wall
- Vinohrady, a sightly quarter in the center
- Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague - huge collections of glass, furniture, textile, toys, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Art Deco, and so on.
- The museum of Heydrich assassination in the crypt of the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius
- National Museum
- Vy?ehrad castle & cemetery where many famous Czechs are buried including the composers Antonín Dvorák & Bedrich Smetana.
- Petrínská rozhledna, an observation tower on Petrín hill, which resembles the Eiffel Tower
- Andel (neighborhood) which is probably the busiest part of the city with a super modern shopping mall and architecture
- ?i?kov Television Tower with observation deck - Prague 3.
- The New Jewish Cemetery in Ol?any, location of Franz Kafka's grave - Prague 3.
- The Metronome, a giant, functional metronome that looms over the city
- The Dancing House (Fred and Ginger Building)
- The Mucha Museum, showcasing the Art Nouveau works of Alfons Mucha
- The vast cemeteries that are also used for walks by the locals, such as Ol?any cemetery
- Places connected to writers living in the city, such as Franz Kafka (One popular destination is the Franz Kafka museum, also his grave at the Jewish cemetery near the