Holesovice
Tucked into a goose-necked loop of the Vltava on the Castle side of Prague, Holesovice is an up-and-coming tourist zone with new shops and bars and two spacious parks – Stromovka and Vystaviste. Local attractions include the Centre for Modern and Contemporary Art in the Constructivist Trades Fair building,and the National Technical Museum.
Josefov
Prague’s Jewish quarter witnessed oppression and suffering for centuries before the Nazis invaded during the Second World War. The tightly packed, insanitary buildings of the ghetto were mostly destroyed in the 1890s, but the Old Jewish Cemetery and several atmospheric synagogues survived. Best is the Old-New Synagogue, dating from around 1270.
Karlin
Perilously set on an outer bend of the River Vltava, Karlin suffered terrible damage during the floods of 2002. But this blue-collar industrial zone has rapidly recovered. The Karlin Music Theatre is the largest of many local nightspots providing light entertainment.
Mala Strana
Prague’s “Little Quarter” on the hillside below the castle hasn’t changed much since the 18th century. Endowed with parks and gardens as well as historic buildings, it is one of the city’s most delightful areas, overlooking the Old Town across the Charles Bridge.
Nove Mesto
Founded in 1348 by Charles IV and redeveloped in the 19th century, the New Town originally played host to Prague’s craftsmen and tradesfolk. Many of the city’s cultural and civic institutions are here, including the National Theatre, the State Opera ,and the New Town Hall. The most famous landmark is Wenceslas Square, home of the Velvet Revolution in 1989.
Ruzyne Airport (PRG)
Prague lies within two and a half hours’ flying time of virtually every major European city between Moscow, Lisbon, Helsinki, and Athens. The airport Ryzyne is linked to central Prague by regular minibuses; other buses run to Dejvicka, the nearest metro.
Smichov
Tourists come to this outlying westerly suburb to visit the Mozart Museum in the Villa Bertramka, where Mozart stayed as a guest of the Czech composer Dusek in 1787. Not long afterwards, Smichov’s vineyards and hopfields were replaced by factory chimneys. Today, many of these old industrial buildings have been converted into bars, shops and hotels for a fresh influx of residential settlers.
Stare Mesto
The heart of the city, Stare Mesto's historic buildings splendidly preserved. The focal point is the cobbled main square, on which stand the Jan Hus Monument, the Old Town Hall and its astronomical clock, and the Gothic spires of Our Lady of Tyn. Linking the Old Town with Mala Strana is the Charles Bridge with its gallery of saintly statues.
Vinohrady
East of the New Town, Vinohrady’s many late 19th-century buildings in Art Nouveau style give the area great period character. One is the Vinohrady Theatre on Namesti Miru. On the same square stands the Neo-Gothic church of St Ludmila with twin octagonal spires.
Vrsovice
Vrsovice is a district situated 1.5 km south of the city centre and well linked to the city centre by subway. It is a typical residential neighbourhood. Major attractions are: Gothic St. Mikulas church and Art Noveau building called Obcanské which now houses a bank.
Zizkov
Named after the Hussite leader Jan Zizka, winner of a historic battle against invading forces in 1420, this is an eastern suburb. A huge equestrian statue commemorates Zizka on Vitkov Hill, where the Communist-era National Monument (1927–32) symbolizes the Czech struggle for independence. Franz Kafka and the anti-Communist martyr Jan Palach lie buried in the extensive Olsany Cemeteries.
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