About Prague & the CZ

Prague

Since the 9th century, Prague, known also as the “Golden City” and the "City of a Hundred Spires,” has been entwined with the history of Europe. Not only has it been the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Czech Republic, but it has also been a cultural, political, and educational Mecca since the reign of Charles IV (1346-1378). The storied history of the city includes the rule of the Habsburgs since the 1500s, the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 and the Nazi and Communist occupations. Vaclav Havel and the Velvet Revolution of 1989 led to NATO and EU memberships in 1999 and 2004 respectively, while the Czech Republic took its position as one of the shining economic and cultural lights of Europe. Fortunately, because it was not destroyed during World War II, Prague offers its visitors a thousand years of rich, cultural history and remains one of Europe’s most popular and dynamic destinations.

The Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has many famous cities, historic monuments and wonderful attractions outside of Prague, including the distinction of a small village just outside of the city which happens to be the geographical center of Europe.

To the east is Kutna Hora, a 13th-century town which rivaled Prague and was a center for European silver deposits and Bohemia’s central mint. Today, it is most famous for St. Barbara’s Cathedral (which doubled for Notre Dame in the movie “Les Miserables,”) and its designation as a Unesco World Heritage Site. To the south, another Unesco Site is Cesky Krumlov, the second most important city with its central castle and river making it a mini-version of Prague. Its romantic and storied history is enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of tourists a year with rich art collections, music festivals and an original baroque theater being the central attractions. The Czech Republic also had its share of tragedy in World War II in the town of Terezin which lies to the north of Prague. This ancient fortress town was used as a Nazi concentration camp where tens of thousands perished and many more were sent on to places such as Auschwitz.  To the west of Prague lies the town of Pilsen, home to the world famous Pilsner Urquell beer factory and museum. And, to the north and east of Pilsen is the famous spa town of Karlovy Vary, which is known for its curing waters, the world famous glassmaker Moser, and the national digestive drink called Becherovka, made from a secret recipe of 36 herbs.