The
Charles Bridge is one of the
Prague's finest attractions. This stone bridge is linking the two
sides of Prague, the Vltava River flows beneath it. Protected
national monument. Its construction started in 1357 in the place of
the former Judita bridge originated from the 12th century,
under the auspices of King Charles IV., based on plans by architect
Peter Plat. The construction finished in the beginning of the 15th
century, from 16th to 20th century completed
with a collection of 31 statues and statuaries. The most interesting
statue, as well as the oldest, is that of John of Nepomuk. The
entrance to Charles Bridge is marked at both ends by towers: the Old
Town Bridge Tower and the Lesser Town Bridge Tower.
Location: Prague
The Emauss Monastery (Monastery Na Slovanech) was founded in the
mid of the 14th century by King Charles IV for the Slavic
Benedictines, who performed religious services in Old Church Slavonic
language. In 1371, a church was added to the monastery complex. It
became soon the centre of education and art. John Hus, the famous
czech priest and Jerome of Prague also belonged to the most famous
students of the monastery. In 1611 the building was plundered.
Finally it revived in the second half of the 17th century, when it
underwent a baroque reconstruction led by Spanish Benedictines. That
time the famous astronomist Johaness Kepler also lived among the
walls of the monastery. In the second half of the 19th century, the
monastery was rebuilt by the Beuron Benedictines (from south
Germany), who created a specific artistic style, the Art of Beuron.
At the end of the Word War II, the Emauss Monastery was seriously
damaged during the bombing of Prague in 1945, but the complex was
finally revived between 1966 and 1969. It later became the seat of
the Czechoslovakian Academy of Science. In 1990, it was returned to
the Benedictines and both the monastery and the church were
reconstructed for the next twenty years. The roof of the curch was
rebuilt in a very modern style. The building now is a national
cultural monument.
Location: Prague
The Prague Castle, an ancient symbol of the Czech lands, is the most significant Czech monument and one of the most
important cultural institutions in the Czech Republic.
The Prague Castle was founded in around 880 by Prince
Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty (Přemyslovci). It is
the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an
area of almost 70,000 m². A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of
a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical
buildings of various architectural styles, from Roman-style buildings
from the 10th century through Gothic modifications
in the 14th century.
The famous Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik was
responsible for extensive renovations in the time
of the First Republic (1918-1938). Since the Velvet Revolution, the
Prague Castle has undergone significant and ongoing
repairs and reconstructions.
