Czech Republic

Its distinctive tower is what makes the New Town Hall (now a cultural centre) so unmistakable - it is... the famous face of Charles Square, the largest open space in Prague, at almost 80,000 sq. m. (20 acres). The original building, erected after 1348, already had two wings housing the offices and the prison. It was extended to a four-winged complex with an arched courtyard in the early 15th century, and the tower followed 40 years later. The building took on its current form in 1559, when it was remodelled during the Renaissance. There is a wonderful view from the tower. In 1419, the place went down in history as a result of Prague's first defenestration, when supporters of the reformer Jan Hus, who had been publicly burned four years previously, threw the town councillors out of the windows, starting the Hussite Wars. more

The Premonstratensian Strahov Monastery dates back to the year 1140. However, the Romanesque building... originally built on this site did not survive the frequent fires. Today's baroque complex was built in 1742-1758 according to designs by Anselmo Martino Lurago. The baroque Church of Our Lady's Ascension of Roman origin was also given its present appearance at the same time. More than a century earlier, Giovanni Domenico Orsi created the magnificent Theological Hall, which is decorated with frescos from the 18th century. In the Philosophical Hall, visitors can admire the ceiling fresco by Franz Anton Maulbertsch (1794). The affiliated Museum of National Literature exhibits valuable prints and manuscripts from the very early period as well as samizdat literature (underground literature) which was not allowed to be published in socialist Czechoslovakia and was distributed via clandestine channels. more

The first Habsburg ruler Ferdinand I brought the Jesuits to the city in 1556 in an attempt to halt the... protestant Hussites who were becoming increasingly stronger and to anchor the Catholic faith. This led to the creation of the Jesuit College at the end of Karlova street, just before the Charles Bridge. It is still the city's second largest complex of buildings and includes three churches. Today, the grounds mainly serve the National Library and the State Technical Library. At the Clementinum's own weather-station, meteorological measurements have been taken since 1775. If you go on the guided tour, you can visit the baroque Library Hall of Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer which dates from the year 1722. You can also climb the 58 metre (190 ft) high tower. Once you have conquered the 172 steps, you will be rewarded with an incredible panorama of the Charles Bridge and the Bridge Towers at both ends. Classical music concerts are held in the baroque Mirror Chapel nearly every day. At the weekends, a small flea market is regularly held in the inner courtyard. more