Fodor's Citypack Prague, 2nd Edition

by FODOR'S

• ISBN13: 9780679002529
• ISBN10: 0679002529
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 1999-05-01
• Publisher: Fodor's

Summary

These ingenious city guides package a concise full-color miniguide together with a full-size color map in a sturdy plastic sleeve. This convenient two-in-one travel resource is perfect for the on-the-go traveler who only needs the highlights in brief. The Mini-guide Color photos throughout The top 25 attractions Itineraries, walks, tours and excursions Capsule reviews of key hotels, restaurants, shops, nightlife, and more Concise travel facts about getting there and getting around The Foldout Map Detailed city coverage in full-color Fully indexed Neighborhood blowups Public transport, hotels, points of interest, parks, and more--all listed on map Easy to store in durable plastic sleeve

Table of Contents

life Introducing Prague Prague in Figures Prague People

A Chronology People

Events from History

How to Organize Your Time Itineraries Walks Evening Strolls

Organized Tours Excursions

What's On Top Sights Strahov Monastery

Novy Svet Loretto Shrine Sternberg Palace

Petrín Hill Prague Castle St. Vitus's CathedralSt. George's Basilica

Neruda Street St. Nicholas's Church, Malá Strana Wallenstein Palace

Charles Bridge National Theater Decorative Arts Museum

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

"Golden Prague," "Prague the hundred-towered," "the most beautiful city in Europe": such clichés are certainly true, though they tell only part of the story. Ocher in color, many of the city's buildings can gleam like gold, especially in the glow of the late afternoon sun; the skyline is punctuated by the uncountable towers, turrets, and steeples; and Prague's beauty is incontestable.


The site is superb, with rock bluffs above a broad and curving river, and steep slopes rising through orchards and woodland. Human activities have enhanced what Nature provided so generously, crowning the heights with great churches and palaces, emphasizing the slopes with terraced gardens, precipitous streets, and flights of stairs, and marking the course of the river with a sequence of foaming weirs and bold bridges.


Over a thousand years of history is expressed in stone: the foundations of the first Christian churches can still be seen, while below the sidewalks of the Old Town are vaulted cellars that once formed the ground floor of medieval merchants' houses. In the 17th and 18th centuries the Baroque style transformed the city's appearance. In the 19th century came great landmarks such as the National Museum and National Theater -- testimony to the Czech nation's self-confidence -- followed by the extravagances of art nouveau. Even the radical architects of the first half of the 20th century managed to insert their innovative buildings into the urban scene with a minimum of disturbance.


In spite of (or perhaps as a result of) military defeats, occupation, and denial of citizens' rights, the four distinct quarters that form Prague's historic core are in a near-perfect state of preservation. They are the Castle district (Hradcany), the Lesser Town (Malá Strana) at its foot, the Old Town (Staré mesto) across the river, and the New Town (Nové mesto) laid out in the 14th century.


Beyond is a ring of rundown suburbs, largely 19th-century, then an outer circle of high-rise housing projects and satellite towns built during the last 40 years. These suburbs are where most Praguers live. For many, life after Communism remains gray, the struggle to make ends meet greater than ever. Others have embraced the new freedom with alacrity; there's an obvious enjoyment in the previously forbidden pleasures of making and spending money. The continuing stream of visitors from abroad adds an extra element of vibrancy and has vastly improved the places to eat and to stay. Entrepreneurs are everywhere, opening shops, cafés, and bars. There's excitement in the air, particularly among the young, as Prague claims its rightful place in a Europe from which it has been long excluded.

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Excerpted from Prague by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.