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Prague City Walks and Walking Tours
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Old Town Self-Guided Tour
Guide Location: Czech Republic » Prague
Guide Type: Self-guided city tour
# of Attractions: 9
Tour Duration: 2 hour(s)
Transportation Mode: by foot
Travel Distance: 3.1 km
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Janmad
Author: vickyc
Old Town in Prague is a place that attracts most of the tourists. There are a lot of ancient historical monuments and buildings of different architectural styles here. You may take the following tour to explore the most popular attractions of Old Town Prague.
Tour Stops and Attractions
Municipal House
1) Municipal House
The Municipal House (Obecní dům) is a major civic landmark and concert hall in Prague, and an important building in architectural and political history in the Czech Republic. It stands on the Náměstí Republiky. The Art Nouveau structure is an artifact of the Czech nationalism of the time and carries a wealth of ornament by some of the leading Czech artists of its day. The main facade features a large ceramic half-dome mosaic above the entry, Homage to Prague, by Karel Špillar. On either side are allegorical sculpture groups representing The Degradation of the People and The Resurrection of the People by Ladislav Šaloun. The main space within the Municipal House is the concert space, Smetana Hall, named in honor of Bedřich Smetana. On October 28, 1918, Smetana Hall was the scene of the proclamation of the independent state of Czechoslovakia.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Kirk
Powder Gate
2) Powder Gate
Powder Gate (Prašná brána) is a gothic gate in Prague, Czech Republic. It is one of the symbols of Prague, leading into the Old Town. Dating from 1475, the Powder Gate was built as one of 13 gates to the city of Prague. At the time construction began, it was connected to the royal palace. Before construction was completed, however, King Vladislav Jagellonský moved his residence to Prague Castle in 1485. However, the Powder Gate remained important to the Bohemian kings - from that time until 1836, the Bohemian monarchs would pass through the Powder Gate on their way to St. Vitus Cathedral to be crowned. The Powder Gate was designed by master builder Matěj Rejsek to follow the design used by Peter Parler for the Old Town Bridge Tower at the base of Charles Bridge. It is now one of the few remnants of the fortifications that once surrounded the city.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Paul Louis
Estates Theater
3) Estates Theater
The Estates Theatre or Stavovské divadlo is a historic theatre in Prague. The Estates Theatre was annexed to the National Theatre in 1948 and currently draws on three artistic ensembles, opera, ballet, and drama, which perform at the Estates Theatre, the National Theatre (Národní divadlo), and the Kolowrat Theatre (Divadlo Kolowrat). The Estates Theatre was built during the late 18th century in response to Enlightenment thought regarding general access to the theatre, and theatres themselves demonstrating the cultural standards of a nation. The Estates Theatre was built in a little less than two years by the aristocrat František Antonín Count Nostitz Rieneck. The Estates Theatre currently offers performances of dramas, ballets and operas with the focus of the opera company on the work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and che
Church of Our Lady Before Tyn
4) Church of Our Lady Before Tyn
The Church of Our Lady before Týn (Kostel Matky Boží před Týnem, also Týnský chrám or just Týn) is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires. The northern portal is a wonderful example of Gothic sculpture from the Parler workshop, with a relief depicting the Crucifixion. The main entrance is located on the church's western face, through a narrow passage between the houses in front of the church. The oldest pipe organ in Prague stands inside this church. The organ was built in 1673 by Heinrich Mundt and is one of the most representative 17th-century organs in Europe. The great Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who worked for Emperor Rudolph II, was buried in the church in 1601. His beautiful marble tomb slab is located inside.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and BrokenSphere
Prague Astronomical Clock
5) Prague Astronomical Clock
The Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj (Pražský Orloj) is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague. The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Squareand is a popular tourist attraction. The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of theSun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Krzysiu "Jarzyna" Szymański
The Rudolfinum
6) The Rudolfinum
The Rudolfinum is a music auditorium in Prague. It is one of the most important neo-renaissancebuildings in the city. It is situated at Jan Palach Square on the bank of the river Vltava. For many decades it has been the home-stage of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the main venues for the Prague Spring International Music Festival held each year in May and June. The building was designed by architect Josef Zítek and his student Josef Schulz, and was opened February 8, 1885. It is named in honour of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, who presided over the opening. The building also contains the Galerie Rudolfinum, an important Art Gallery that focuses mainly oncontemporary art.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Patrick-Emil Zörner
Bethlehem Chapel
7) Bethlehem Chapel
The Bethlehem Chapel (Betlémská kaple) is a medieval religious building in Prague  notable for its connection with the Czech reformer Jan Hus. It was opened for sermons in 1394, and taught solely in the Czech vernacular, thus breaking with German domination of the Medieval Bohemian church. The building was never officially called as a church, only a chapel. In the 17th century, the building was acquired by the Jesuits. During reign of the Emperor Joseph II(1780s) converted into an apartment building. Under the Czechoslovakian communist regime the building was restored by the government to its state at the time of Hus. Most of the chapel's exterior walls and a small portion of the pulpit date back to the medieval chapel.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Bkwillwm
Clementinum
8) Clementinum
The Clementinum (Klementinum) is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic. The history of the Klementinum dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. The National Library was founded in 1781 and from 1782 the Klementinum was a legal deposit library. In 1918 the newly-established Czecho-Slovak state took over the library. Since 1990, it has been the National Library. The architecture is a notable example of Baroque architecture and Clementinum, covering 20,000 square metres, is the second largest complex of buildings in Prague after the Prague Castle. The library contains a collection of Mozartiana, material pertaining to Tycho Brahe and Comenius, as well as historic examples of Czech literature. Today the complex hosts the National, University and Technical libraries. The City Library is also located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Aktron
Charles Bridge
9) Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge (Karlův most) is a famous historical bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau), the Charles Bridge was the most important connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle and adjacent areas until 1841. This "solid-land" connection made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe. The bridge was originally called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) or the Prague Bridge (Pražský most) but has been the "Charles Bridge" since 1870. The bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, erected around 1700.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and Jim Linwood
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