Trifter

The Old City

The place of the Old City is a harmonious architectural unit, mixing the Gothic Towers of Notre-Dame-de-Tyn with the baroque palace of Goltz-Kinsky. While walking in the maze of streets in this area, don’t miss the charming Merchants’ Court. Ungelt, the municipal Art nouveau House, nor the baroque churches Saint-Jacob, Saint-Gilles and Saint-François-Séraphin. There is an abundance of baroque palaces such as the palaces of Clam-Gallas and Colloredo-Mansfeld. The old Jewish district contains several synagogues and one cemetery. Finish your visit to the old town with the Charles Bridge and marvel at the decorated Gothic architecture of the 17th and 18th century statues.

Image via Wikipedia

Malá Strana

As you walk down the Malá Strana you are transported back to the 18th century. Baroque architecture dominates the area, with some medieval and Renaissance elements. In the centre, the beautiful cupola of the Church of Saint Nicolas rises to the sky, while inside it is all gold and the stucco. The territory of the old jurisdiction of the Order of Malta offers a collection of Renaissance and baroque palaces around delightful squares. The district extends as far as Kampa Island and its mills, along the edge of the Vltava, as far as the Petrín Hill, which is populated by squirrels. Towards the Vltava the immense Wallenstein palate extends. Those who love quiet places will appreciate the baroque gardens of Vrtba and Ledebour.

Image via Wikipedia

The royal castle

In addition to the Gothic cathedral of Saint-Guy, the old royal palace and the Vladislav Hall which are covered with a very beautiful ribbed vault, you will see also the Roman church of the Convent of Saint-George. The museum of the convent of Saint-George presents masterpieces of old Czech art, and gothic art such as the Madonna of Saint-Guy. The castle picture gallery has works of Titian, Rubens and Guido Reni. Gold Lane will plunge you into the world of alchemy from the time of Rudolph II.

The Castle District

On Castle Square are several palaces worthy of interest, the Martinic Palace and its biblical Renaissance scenes, the Schwarzenberg Palace, which imitates Florentine architecture, the Tuscan Palace, inspired by the Roman Renaissance. The National Gallery holds a collection of European art, with works of Rembrandt, Cranach, Dürer and Savery. Loretánská Street with its palaces leads to the baroque monastery or Our-Lady-of-Lorette. Opposite, rises the front of the Cernín palace, between mannerism and baroque. Further on, the New-World district contains charming, small coloured houses.

Image via Wikipedia

The convent of Strahov has with two splendid libraries baroques and an art gallery.

The New City

The Venceslas square and the neighbouring streets have the aura of a truly animated town centre; it is bordered of buildings in Art nouveau or modern style. Nearby, the Mucha museum contains many works by the artist. Across the square, the avenue Na Príkope and the National avenue have beautiful house frontages of baroque and Art nouveau styles, and don’t miss the church Our-Lady-of-Snows, a vast unfinished Gothic building. The National Avenue and the National Theatre form a beautiful Art nouveau unit. The baroque is also present in the churches of Saint-Ignace and Saint-Jean-Népomucène-on-the-rocks, and the Amerika villa which holds the Dvorák museum. At the foot of the Vysehrad hill, are several cubist houses cubists worth the touring, and offers a pleasant walk on 17th century ramparts and in the cemetery of Slavín.

The outskirts of Prague

Image via Wikipedia

The Bertramka villa is where Mozart stayed whilst he was in Prague. The White Mountain was the site of the battle of 1620, with its baroque sanctuary and the Star castle, planned to form a star with six arms. A little further away is the abbey of Brevnov. On Letná Hill are Art nouveau and cubist houses, a national museum of modern and contemporary art with lots of works by Picasso, Kokoschka and Kupka. To the north is castle of Troja, which is decorated with sumptuous baroque frescos. The district of Vinohrady presents all the charm of an Art nouveau area. Lastly, lost in the suburban buildings, the bastion of Chodov is an architectural curiosity.

Around Prague Around the capital, several places are easy to get to. The Renaissance castle of Nelahozeves is at the edge of Vltava and holds a rich collection of paintings with an authentic Brueghel. A little further on, you will find the baroque castle of Veltrusy and the junction of the Elba and the Moldau at Melník, a good wine growing area. In the east, the church of Saint-Barbe of Kutná Hora will charm with the Gothic finishing of its ribbed vaults and its frescos from the fifteenth century. Further south is the castle of Konopiste with beautiful baroque rooms and the private apartments of the Archduke Franz-Ferdinand, the heir of the Emperor Franz-Joseph until his assassination in 1914. A visit to the royal fortress of Karlstejn is obligatory. The monastery of Zbraslav has a recently opened museum of Asian Art while the museum of Skoda de Mladá Boleslav will show you one of the oldest makes of car in the world.