A stroll through the Old City past Powder Tower (1475), the old town hall and other equally beautiful baroque architectural masterpieces leads to the Charles Bridge, one of the most photographed in the world.



Prague Castle was built on the Hradshin River by a property developer named Premysl sometime around 870, and Prague soon became the seat of the House of Premysl.

Vratislav I, the first Bohemian king, transfered the royal residence to Vysehrad Castle in 1085, probably due to a power struggle with his brother, Bishop Jaromir.

Prague Castle remained the seat of the bishops of Prague for many years. The Cathedral of St. Vitus, another early building, is also located on the castle grounds.

Prague grows.

Protected by the two castles, a sea of German and Jewish merchants and local craftsmen led to rapid expansion on both sides of the Muldau River. The largest fortified area was near the already ancient Prague Castle. Prague received its city charter in 1234 from King Wenceslas I, who made it his primary residence.

Shortly thereafter, the "New Town" districts of Mala Strana and Hradshin were ffounded. The fourteenth century brought yet more prosperity to Prague. In 1348 the first university in central Europe was founded here, Charles University, named after Emperor Charles IV.

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Prague was torn by two religious wars. The Hussite Wars (1419-1437) and the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) left deep scars.

The events that set off both of these conflicts started in Prague. These include the famous "defenestrations", in which Catholic officials and dignitaries were thrown out of windows by dissenters, the first time by Hussites, followers of rebel reformer Jan Hus, and later by Protestants, setting off the Thirty Years War.

The victims of the first defenestration did not fall far, but luckily landed in the arms of a mob waiting outside to lynch them. The second time was from an upper story, but the Catholics were saved because they fell into a heap of garbage. From the Catholic point of view, divine intervention prevailed. The two long, debilitating wars killed hundreds of thousands, setting back development for many years. Like other afflicted cities, Prague lost most of its international standing during this time.

Prague Spring.

In 1945, Prague became the capital of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia. Communist leadership precipitated a deep-seated financial crisis: the Soviet central planning bureau contributed to nearly complete economic stagnation.

In the spring of 1968, public criticism grew and much of the population became increasingly rebelious. Street demonstrations of the "Prague Spring" were news all over the world.

Ultimately, power struggles within the ruling party led to the invasion of Prague by Warsaw Pact troops on 21 August 1968, and the brief period of expression was ruthlessly put down.

It would be 1989 before Prague separated itself from Russian control, and in 1993 was named capital of an independent Czech Republic.