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Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, lies in the heart of Europe and ranks amongst the most impressive historical cities in the world. Prague was established as a town when Prague Castle was built in 870. In the 11th century, the first Czech King, Vratislav I, chose Prague as his capital. The city has always played an important part in the history of the nation, country and Europe. Since medieval times, Prague has been distinguished as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Prague is not only a centre of cultural movements dating back for centuries (Art from every period in history can be found here), it also exhibits a unique collection of historical monuments, dominated by Prague Castle.
Prague occupies both banks of the Vltava River and consists of 6 districts: the Old Town, which includes Josefov (the Jewish Quarter, which remains intact despite WWII), New Town, Lower Town, Hradcany and Vysehrad. These districts house the majority of historical landmarks, museums and galleries.
Charles University, founded in 1348 is one of the oldest universities in Europe. In 1992, the historical core of the city (866 hectares) was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register as a town with a unique and lively blend of Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Cubist architecture.
Prague was one of nine European cities awarded the title European City of Culture in 2000. Prague has around 1.2 million inhabitants. Since May 1st , 2004 the Czech Republic has been a member of the European Union. For more information, visit the website www.pis.cz.
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