Prague (Praha), Czech Republic

Introduction

Prague lies on the River Vltava at the heart of Bohemia in the northeast of the country. It came into being with the foundation of Prague Castle as the main seat of the Premysl Dynasty in the 870s. The modern city is based around four historic towns (Hradčany, Mála Strana, Staré Mesto and Nové Mesto) merged by Emperor Joseph II in 1784, and the Jewish Quarter (Josefov).

History

Staré Mesto, the Old Town was first settled during the tenth century and is home to the Old Town Square. Charles IV, Bohemian king and Holy Roman Emperor, made Prague capital of Bohemia in the fourteenth century and it was to provide the setting for the wars between Jan Hus and the Catholic church in the early fifteenth century. In 1618 the Defenestration of Prague occurred when two Habsburg councillors were thrown from a window in Prague Castle. It was one of the triggers for the 30 Years’ War which saw Czechs lose civil and property rights through enforced Catholicization and Germanization, and...