Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Prague's Four towns
Until about 1800, Prague was actually four distinct towns with
four town squares, all separated by fortified walls. Each town
had a unique character, which came from the personality of the
people who initially settled it. Today, much of Prague's charm
survives in the distinct spirit of each of its towns.
Castle Quarter (Hradčany):
Since the ninth century, when
the first castle was built on the promontory overlooking a ford
across the Vltava River, Castle Hill has been occupied by the
ruling class. When Christianity arrived in the Czech lands, this
hilltop—oriented along an east-west axis—proved a perfect
spot for a church and, later, the cathedral (which, according to
custom, must be built with the altar pointing east). Finally, the
nobles built their representative palaces in proximity to the cas-
tle to compete with the Church for influence on the king. Even
today, you feel like clip-clopping through this neighborhood in
a fancy carriage. The Castle Quarter—which hosts the offices of
the president and the foreign minister—has high art and grand
buildings, little commerce, and few pubs.
Little Quarter (Malá Strana):
This Baroque town of fine pal-
aces and gardens rose from the ashes of a merchant settlement
that burned down in the 1540s. The Czech and European nobility
who settled here took pride in the grand design of their gardens.
In the 1990s, after decades of decay, the gardens were carefully
restored. While some are open only to the successors of the for-
mer nobility—including the Czech Parliament and the American,
German, and Polish Embassies—many are open to visitors.
Old Town (Staré Město):
Charles Bridge connects the Little
Quarter with the Old Town. A boomtown since the 10th century,
this area has long been the busy commercial quarter—filled with
merchants, guilds, and supporters of Jan Hus (who wanted a
Czech-style Catholicism). Trace the walls of this town in the mod-
ern road plan (the Powder Tower is a remnant of a wall system
that completed a fortified ring, half provided by the river). The
marshy area closest to the bend—least inhabitable and therefore
allotted to the Jewish community—became the ghetto (today's
Josefov, or Jewish Quarter).
New Town (Nové Město):
The New Town rings the Old
Town—cutting a swath from riverbank to riverbank—and is forti-
fied with Prague's outer wall. In the 14th century, the king cre-
Homolce
(less than 1,000 Kč for an appointment, from 8:00-
16:00 call 252-922-146, for after-hours emergencies call 257-
211-111; bus #167 from Anděl Metro station, Roentgenova 2,
Praha 5). he
Canadian Medical Care Center
is a small, pri-
vate clinic with English-speaking Czech staff at Veleslavínská
1 in Praha 6 (3,000 Kč for an appointment, 4,500 Kč for a
house call, halfway between the city and the airport, tel. 235-
