Prague

Brief information

Prague is read not as a single old center, but as a city assembled from several former towns on both sides of the Vltava. The Old Town, New Town, Hradčany, Malá Strana, and Vyšehrad long lived separately, with their own rights and administration, and were finally united only in 1784. That is why the historic center here is important not because of one date, but because of the way different urban cores ended up next to one another.

The terrain helps reveal this. The Vltava divides Prague, the hills raise the Castle and other districts above it, bridges connect the banks, and the historic center is included on the UNESCO list precisely as an architectural and historical reserve. The city grew out of trading places by the river, fortified settlements, royal residences, and new quarters, so Prague’s plan still resembles a joining of several independent parts.

What to notice right away

You can compare three things: the river, the bridges, and the quarters on different banks. The Vltava does not merely pass through the city: it divides it into parts, while 18 stone and steel bridges show how Prague gradually connected these parts with one another. Charles Bridge is especially important because it replaced Judith Bridge, which was destroyed by a flood, and connected the eastern bank with Malá Strana and the castle district.

Within the historic center, it is worth noticing the difference between the Old and New Towns. The Old Town grew up by trade routes and a market square, while Charles IV founded the New Town nearby according to a predesigned plan. Even after many old quarters were demolished in the late 19th century, the new development preserved the character of the original layout. On the other bank, Malá Strana and Hradčany explain why Prague looks polycentric: they are not decoration around the castle, but traces of separate towns later brought together into one capital.