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Prague’s Communist past is evident everywhere in the city. You may not notice the communist legacy on first sight but once you know what to look for it is easy to find Soviet reminders. After the Velvet Revolution, the city was quick in removing reminders of the Soviet occupation but many are still there.
- Hotel Praha
Communist era hotel Praha was once the favourite place in...
- Zizkov Television
Zizkov television tower soars 216 metres and is the tallest...
- Royal Gardens
The Royal Gardens in Prague, Královská Zahrada, is a...
- Fashion
Prague measures up to Paris, Milan or London if you are...
- Museums
Museums and Galeries in Prague. Prague has a lot to offer in...
- Restaurants
Prague sports many places where you can eat – restaurants,...
- Attractions
Prague is like an open-air museum full of attractions,...
- Language
Czech is a complicated language concerning grammar. It is a...
- Hotel Praha
The 20th century was a turbulent time for Prague. The city was occupied by Nazi forces during World War II, and much of the city was destroyed. After the war, Prague became the capital of Czechoslovakia once again, but in 1968 it was occupied by Soviet troops.
Prague was a city in a country under the military, economic, and political control of the Soviet Union (see Iron Curtain and COMECON). The world's largest Stalin Monument was unveiled on Letná hill in 1955 and destroyed in 1962.
- 8th century
- 100 00 – 199 00
- 399 m (1,309 ft)
- Czech Republic
- Overview
- The landscape
- The people
Prague, city, capital of the Czech Republic. Lying at the heart of Europe, it is one of the continent’s finest cities and the major Czech economic and cultural centre. The city has a rich architectural heritage that reflects both the uncertain currents of history in Bohemia and an urban life extending back more than 1,000 years.
The physical attractions and landmarks of Prague are many. Among the finest is the Charles Bridge (Karlův most), which stands astride the Vltava River. The winding course of the Vltava, with its succession of bridges and changing vistas, contrasts with the ever-present backdrop of the great castle of Hradčany (Prague Castle), which dominates the left-bank region of the city from behind massive walls set high on a hill. The narrow streets and little taverns and restaurants of the older quarters contrast with the broad sweep of Wenceslas Square and modern parks and housing developments, while the great 18th-century Baroque palaces have their own elegance and splendour. Seen from the surrounding hills, the many church towers make up a unique perspective, giving Prague its description as the “city of a hundred spires.” This architectural harmony was enhanced by post-1945 planning, which preserved the ancient core of the city as a major monument and carefully supervised all modern building. In 1992 the historic city centre was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
From its original small riverside settlements, Prague has spread over its hills, up river valleys, and along riverside terraces. The Prague metropolitan area covers 192 square miles (496 square kilometres).
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The city’s core, with its historic buildings, bridges, and museums, is a major centre of employment and traffic congestion. Around the core is a mixed zone of industrial and residential areas, containing about half the city’s population and nearly half its jobs. Surrounding this area is the outer city development zone, and beyond this is yet another zone of development containing new industrial areas, parks and recreation areas, and sports facilities. Finally, there is a belt of agricultural land and open countryside, where farms and market gardening projects satisfy Prague’s demand for food.
The lowest point in the city is 623 feet (190 metres) above sea level, and the highest point is 1,247 feet (380 metres) on White Mountain (Bílá hora). The climate of Prague is typically mid-continental, with temperatures there averaging 67 °F (19.3 °C) in July and 31 °F (−0.6 °C) in January.
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Prague has a homogeneous population. There is a small Slovak community, but the overwhelming majority of residents are Czechs. The city has a number of demographic peculiarities stemming mainly from the effects of World War II; there are more women than men, and a sizable proportion of the female population is past the age of fertility. The natural...
Mar 14, 2022 · Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images. Soviet troops march through Prague in September 1968, after invading the city to stop the momentum of the democratic reforms...
- Fred Frommer
Aug 20, 2018 · But nearly as soon as the movement came to life, it was crushed under the treads of Soviet T-54 tanks. On Aug. 21, 50 years ago, the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia killed the dreams of the ...
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Aug 20, 2018 · Czechoslovakia’s military was told to not intervene and Dubcek pleaded with his people not to use force. The death toll from the invasion has been put at between 82 and 137 people. Dubcek’s ...
