Malá Strana, or the Small Quarter, lays at the foot of Prague
Castle. It started up in the 8th or
9th centuries as a market settlement, and was chartered in 1257 by Premysl
Otakar II. Charming churches and palaces in the area date from the 17th and
18th centuries, with Renaissance facades that were later altered to a more
baroque style.
Nerudova Ulice contains the House of Two Suns, where poet Jan Neruda penned Tales
of the Little Quarter, and Bretfield
Palace. But dominating the quarter
is St Nicholas Church, not to be confused with the eponymous chapel on Old
Town Square. This building, with its huge green
cupola, houses the largest fresco in Europe, Johann
Kracker's 1770 Life of St Nicholas. Also fine for strolling are the
grounds of Wallestein Palace,
where summer concerts are often held, and quiet Vojan
Park, established in 1248.
Old Town Square
Old Town Square
has been Prague's working heart
since the 10th century, and hosted its largest market until the beginning of
the 20th century. It's surrounded by a maze of alleys and is home to some of Prague's
most famous monuments. Landislav Saloun's brooding sculpture of Jan Hus
dominates the square. It was erected on July
6th, 1915, 500 years after the religious reformer was burned at the
stake.
Prague Castle
Prague Castle
is the center piece of the city because, perched upon the top of a cliff, it is
said to be the largest ancient castle in the world. It started as a small,
enclosed fortress a thousand or so years ago built by Prince Bořivoj and grew
from there. The castle has been the seat of Czech government since that time,
though President Václav Havel chose to live in his smaller home on the
outskirts of the city. Some parts of the castle, like the Spanish Hall and Rudolf
Gallery, are only open one Saturday
a year, usually in early May. The rest of the castle's collection of
architectural and artistic marvels, created over the course of the last
millennium, is on exhibit the year round.