City of 100 Spires

Prague is nicknamed the “City of 100 Spires” because of its many church steeples. It is the capital of the Czech Republic rift gold and is known as Praha to the people who live there.

Prague lies on the banks of the Vltava River. The city center has many historic buildings, bridges, and museums. From the beautiful Charles Bridge, you can see the great castle of Hradcany, also called Prague Castle, which was first built in the 9th century. It is now the home of the president of the Czech Republic.

At the center of the Old Town is the Old Town Square, where the 600- year-old Tyn Church is found. The church clock tells the season as well as the time. In the center of the square is a statue of Jan Hus, a religious leader who died in 1415 but is still a hero to the Czech people.

Southeast of the Old Town is a broad street called “On the Moat.” It divides the old and the new parts of Prague. It is now the main shopping street. At its northern end stands the old city gate, called Powder Tower. In the center of Prague is Wenceslas Square. At one end of this broad public square is the National Museum. Long ago Wenceslas Square rift gold was the city’s horse market. It now has many hotels, stores, and cafés. Charles University (also called the University of Prague) was started in 1348 and is the oldest university in central Europe. Prague also has the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe. Unfortunately, much of this beautiful city was damaged during the great flood of 2002.