Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is a city with a unique and unmatched atmosphere. Its history covers centuries of events, from the Holy Roman Empire to the current democratic republic, passing through the Habsburgs, the German Protectorate or communism. All these stages have left their mark on the city. The architecture, which combines Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles, and the 200 churches that have given it the nickname of the «city of 100 towers» make up a different city that hides many secrets for the traveler. Join us and discover 25 Curiosities of Prague, the city of 100 towers.
Before starting these curious facts about Prague, some brief notes that will help us locate it. 1.3 million people live in the capital of the Czech Republic, but its metropolitan area has a population of almost 2.6 million inhabitants. The city is crossed by the Vltava River, its historic center was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
25 Curiosities of Prague
1. The historic center of Prague was not bombed during World War II, so the monuments and buildings we see are the originals.
2. Prague is one of the 20 most visited cities in the world.
3. When talking about the origin of Prague, a legend is always mentioned. They say that it was founded by the duchess and prophetess Libuše and her husband, Přemysl, in the 8th century. She had a vision and from the top of a cliff above the Vltava River she said: «I see a great city whose glory will touch the stars» and then she ordered that a castle and a city be built at the foot of it which she called Prague.
4. Historians, however, claim that the Czech name Praha comes from an ancient Slavic language word: práh. Práh means «ford» and refers to the crossing point or ford of the Vltava River that was in the place where the city is today.
5. Prague Castle is the largest in the world. It has more than 700 rooms.
6. One of the most curious places in Prague Castle is the Golden Alley. First the permanent guard of the castle and then goldsmiths lived in its colorful little houses. Currently there are artisan shops, but it retains all its medieval flavor.
7. The Bridge of Carlos It is one of the icons of the city and one of the most recognizable images of Europe. Its construction began in 1357 and for centuries it was the only bridge that connected both sides of the city.
8. The history of the famous Charles Bridge tells that the day on which the foundation stone was to be laid, attended by King Charles IV, was determined by astrologers and was done at 5:31 on July 9, 1357. Which gives a numerical correlation that they believed would attract good fortune: 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1.
9. The Old Town Square contains several of the Prague curiositiesamong them the decoration of the façade of some of its buildings, its drawings, which are unique, have given the buildings their name: the Stone Ram, the Golden Unicorn or the Blue Brooch.
10. There you can also see the oldest astronomical clock in the world. It was installed on one of the walls of the Old Town Hall in 1410. When the hour strikes, a dance of automatons begins, along with the chimes, in which we see the twelve apostles parade and four other figures come to life, among which death is represented.
11. Although the legend of the Prague astronomical clock says that the clock’s builder was blinded so that he could not build another one like it, there is currently a replica in the Hongdae district in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
12. One of the Prague curiosities It was discovered in 2002 when repairs caused by terrible floods began. A passage was found leading to the basement of one of the oldest buildings in Prague located at 1 Haštalská Street. In the underground, behind a door closed for centuries, a complete alchemy laboratory from the 16th century was found.
13. From this house at No. 1 Haštalská Street, according to old documentation, there were three tunnels that connected it with the Prague Castle, the Old Square and the place where a barracks used to be located and today the Palladium shopping center is located.
14. The narrowest street in Prague is approximately 50 c. wide and has a traffic light to prevent those who travel along it from getting stuck inside.
15. In Prague there is a Beer Spa. You can go there and relax in tubs that contain beer instead of medicinal waters.
16. One of the curiosities of Prague hidden in the Malá Strana neighborhood They are the gardens of the Wallestein Palace, where the Senate of Parliament is located. It contains a large lake, beautiful gardens and a mysterious wall known as «the grotto» made of artificial stalactites among which people have fun looking for animals and grotesque faces.
17. The Žižkov Television Tower in Prague is one of the buildings most hated by the city’s inhabitants. They think it is ugly and breaks the harmony of the capital. One of its curiosities are the 10 giant black babies that climb it.
18. One of the Prague curiosities is that its inhabitants are the ones that consume the most beer per capita in the world.
19. In Prague there are many original sculptures. One of the latest installed and currently receiving the most visitors is the Kafka one, which has movement.
20. Another sculpture that attracts attention is that of a man hanging by one arm. They say it represents Sigmund Freud. It is located on Husova Street and was installed in 1997. Some tourists from afar have thought that it was a suicide.
21. In its Jewish neighborhood you can admire what they say is the most beautiful synagogue of the world. It is known as the Spanish Synagogue.
22. On the Charles Bridge, among the 30 statues that you can see there, the one of Saint Juan Nepomuk (Saint John of Nepomuk) who died in Prague in 1393. Touching that statue assures you good luck and returning to the city.
23. The center of Prague is Wenceslas Square, which honors the patron saint of Bohemia. The equestrian statue of the saint is a favorite meeting place for locals, so it is always surrounded by people.
24. We could not finish these curiosities without talking about one of the most emblematic modern buildings in the city: the dancing house. It was designed by architects Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry facing the Vltava River. The name Gehry originally chose for the building was “Ginger and Fred” as it reminded him of the famous American dancers.
25. To say goodbye to the city and these curiosities of Prague, you can climb Petřín Mount, at the top of the Malá Strana neighborhood, where you will find a tower with a certain resemblance to the Parisian Eiffel Tower from whose observatory you can see a spectacular panoramic view from the city.
Other Curiosities of Cities
And if you are an inveterate traveler, you can discover with us curiosities about Europe, based on the most curious facts about other wonderful cities, which will surely interest you, such as:
As you can see, the capital of the Czech Republic has endless interesting places to discover. What did you think of our selection of Prague curiosities? Do you know any that we have not taken into account? Tell us so we can expand this list of curiosities.
Image: Bertik