Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic It is a city with a unique and unparalleled atmosphere. Its history covers centuries of events, from the Holy Roman Empire to the current democratic republic, through the Habsburgs, the German Protectorate or communism. All those stages have left their mark on the city. The architecture, which combines the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles, and the 200 churches that have given it the nickname of the "city of 100 towers" make up a different city that hides many secrets for the traveler. Join us and discover 25 Curiosities of Prague, the city of 100 towers.
Before starting these curious facts of Prague , some brief notes that will help us to place it. In the capital of the Czech Republic 1.3 million people live, but its metropolitan area has a population of almost 2.6 million inhabitants. The city is crossed by the Vltava river its historic center was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1992.
25 Curiosities of Prague
1. The historical center of Prague was not bombed during the Second World War, so the monuments and buildings we see are the original ones.
2. Prague is one of the 20 most visited cities in the world.
3. When speaking of the origin of Prague, a legend is always mentioned. They say it was founded by the Duchess and prophetess Libuše and her husband, Přemysl, in the 8th century. She had a vision and from atop a cliff on the Vltava River said: "I see a great city whose glory will touch the stars" and then ordered a castle and a city to be built at her feet which she called Prague.
4. The historians, nevertheless, affirm that the Czech name Praha comes from an old word in Slavic language: práh. Práh means "ford" and refers to the point of crossing or ford of the Vltava river that was in the place where the city is today.
5. Prague Castle is the largest in the world. It has more than 700 rooms.
6. One of the most curious places in Prague Castle is the Alley of Gold. In its colorful houses lived first the permanent guard of the castle and then goldsmiths craftsmen. At present there are craft shops, but retains all its medieval flavor.
7. The Bridge of Carlos It is one of the icons of the city and one of the most recognizable images of Europe . Its construction began in 1357 and for centuries was the only bridge that connected both sides of the city.
8. The history of the famous Charles Bridge tells that the day on which the cornerstone was to be placed, to which King Charles IV came, was determined by the astrologers and was made at 5:30 on July 9, 1357. What gives a numerical correlation that they thought would attract good fortune: 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1.
9. The Old Town Square contains several of the curiosities of Prague , among them the decoration of the facade of some of its buildings, its drawings, which are unique, have given name to the buildings: the Stone Ram, the Golden Unicorn or the Blue Brooch.
10. In it you can also see the The oldest astronomical clock in the world . It was installed in one of the walls of the Old Town Hall in 1410. When the hours start to sound, at the same time as the chimes, a dance of automatons takes place in which we see the twelve apostles parade and other four figures among whom death is represented.
11. Although the legend says that the watchmaker was blinded so he could not build another like it, there is now a replica in the Hongdae district in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
12. One of the curiosities of Prague It was discovered in 2002 when repairs were started caused by terrible floods. A passageway was found leading to the basement of one of the oldest buildings in Prague, located at No. 1 on Haštalská Street. In the underground, behind a closed door for centuries, a complete laboratory of alchemy of the sixteenth century was found.
13. From this house at number 1 on Haštalská Street, according to ancient documentation, three tunnels were connected to the Prague Castle, the Old Square and the place where a barracks used to be and today there is the Palladium shopping center.
14. The narrowest street in Prague measures approximately 50 c. wide and has a traffic light to prevent those who run it from getting stuck inside.
15. In Prague there is a beer spa . You can go to him and relax in tubs that contain beer instead of medicinal waters.
16. One of the curiosities of Prague hidden in the Malá Strana neighborhood they are the gardens of the Wallestein Palace, where the Senate of Parliament is. It contains a large lake, beautiful gardens and a mysterious wall known as "the grotto" made of artificial stalactites among which people have fun looking for animals and grotesque faces.
17. The Žižkov TV Tower in Prague is one of the buildings most hated by the inhabitants of the city. They think it is ugly and breaks the harmony of the capital. One of his curiosities are the 10 giant black babies that climb it.
18. One of the curiosities of Prague is that its inhabitants are the ones who consume the most per capita beer in the world.
19. In Prague there are many original sculptures. One of the last installed and that receives more visitors at present is that of Kafka that has movement.
20. Another sculpture that attracts attention is that of a man hanging by one arm. They say he represents Sigmund Freud. It is located on Husova Street and was installed in 1997. Some tourists from afar have thought that it was a suicide.
21. In your Jewish neighborhood you can admire what they say is the most beautiful synagogue of the world. It is known as the Spanish Synagogue.
22. In the Charles Bridge, among the 30 statues that you can see in it, St. Juan Nepomuk (San Juan Nepomuceno) who died in Prague in 1393. Touching that statue assures you good luck and return to the city.
23. The center of Prague is the Wenceslas Square that honors the patron of Bohemia. The equestrian statue of the saint is the favorite place of the locals, so it is always surrounded by people.
24. We could not finish these curiosities without talking about one of the most emblematic modern buildings in the city: the dancing house . It was designed by the architects Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry facing the Vltava river. The name that Gehry chose originally for the building was "Ginger and Fred" because it reminded him of the famous American dancers.
25. To say goodbye to the city and these curiosities of Prague, you can climb the mountain Petřín, at the top of the Malá Strana neighborhood, where you will find a tower with a certain resemblance to the Parisian Eiffel Tower from whose observatory you can see a spectacular view of the city.
Other Curiosities of Cities
And if you are an inveterate traveler, you can discover with us curiosities of Europe from the most curious data other wonderful cities that will surely interest you like:
- Curiosities of Barcelona
- Curiosities of Seville
- Curiosities of Madrid
- Curiosities of Bilbao
- Curiosities of London
- Curiosities of Paris
As you see, the capital of the Czech Republic has a host of interesting places to discover. What do you think about our selection of curiosities of Prague ? Do you know any that we have not taken into account? Tell us and we can expand this list of curiosities.
Image: Bertik