City Attractions
Pytloun Kampa Garden Hotel Prague **** is located in the historical centre of Prague on one of the most beautiful city islands in the world – Kampa. Thanks to its attractive location in Prague 1, the hotel is a mere stone’s throw from some of the famous monuments in Prague such as the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Lichtenstein Palace, the Lennon Wall, the Church of St. Nicholas and the Church of Our Lady Victorious which houses the famous wax statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. A stroll to nearby Old Town Square or to Petřin is also a pleasant walk.
Charles Bridge
Charles bridge is considered to be one of the most astonishing civil gothic-style buildings in the world and offers a unique view of Prague castle and the Old Town. It is protected by two towers on each side of the river: Old Town tower and Lesser Town tower. Famous sculptors of baroque decade Braun and Brokoff helped to decorated it by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of those in baroque-style, originally built around 1700 but now all statutaries are replaced by replicas. From 15th century it was part of the coronation route of Czech kings took, which ended at the St. Vitus Cathedral.
The bridge was built in 1357 during the reign of perhaps the greatest Czech ruler Charles IV, after whom it was named. It is 516 meters long and 9.5 meters wide with 15 stone pillars. It is said that during construction the eggs were added into a mortar. Charles bridge existence has been threatened several times by floods and as a matter of interest for several years since r.1905 the electrit tram was going across the bridge.
Prague Castle
The Prague Castle is the traditional place of Czech kings and since 1918 it is also a residence of the President of the Czech Republic. It was most likely founded in around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Přemyslid Dynasty. According to Guinness World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of nearly 70,000 square meters and is also inscribed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Prague Castle buildings represent all architectural styles of the past millennium.
The dominant buildings of the Prague Castle complex are St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert cathedral, which is also the resting place of many Czech kings. In this place there are also kept Czech crown jewels. Among the most beautiful interiors of the castle belong monumental Vladislav Hall, probably the largest secular vaulted space without internal columns throughout Europe at that time. In the castle there is the Golden Lane, the original place, where lived people such as stablemen,gunners and goldsmiths. In the area of the Prague castle you can also find St. George's Basilica, Daliborka, where used to be a prison.
The Golden Lane
A lane named after the goldsmiths who originally lived on this lane at Prague Castle in the 17th century. Unfortunately, no golden pavements or roofs await you here. Historical small and tightly-packed houses with colourful facades lend this place a charming historical atmosphere and you absolutely must make sure to come here when visiting Prague Castle. The lane is currently home to a lot of little shops selling typical goods for tourists and Czech souvenirs as well as an exhibition of armour and museum of torture. You have to pay an entrance fee to enter the lane, but it is open longer than the castle. However, if you enter after 5 p.m., it is free of charge although the shops will be closed. Prague Castle and the Golden Lane are very close to our Hotel Kampa Garden *** in Prague 1: set off on foot in the direction of Malostranské náměstí and then continue on in the same direction up the hill to Prague Castle.
Lennon Wall
Our secret tip for an interesting place to visit near (5 minutes’ walk) our 3* hotel in the centre of Prague which is literally a pilgrimage site where you can pay tribute to a legend. The history of this wall dates back to the 1960s when it served as a canvas for people to protest with slogans targeted against occupation of Czechoslovakia and the socialist regime. After the death of John Lennon (†1980), his name appeared on this wall written in chalk and it was then that the immortality of this place was born in the form of spiritual and artistic freedom. People brought and still bring flowers, the wall is gradually added to with more and more wonderful graffiti and inscriptions inspired by John Lennon and snippets of Beatles songs, and despite having been painted over several times, it still lives and breathes the spirit of freedom. There is no entrance fee.
Church of St. Nicholas
About 10 minutes’ walk from our 3* hotel Kampagarden by Charles Bridge stands the most famous Baroque church in Prague – the Church of St. Nicholas. Today’s church is one of the most valuable Baroque monuments and stands on the site of the former Gothic parish church dating back to the 13th century. It was built between 1704 and 1755 and its decorations are regarded as one of the most beautiful presentations of Baroque Prague. Artificial marble on the columns and cornices, frescoes on the 70-metre dome by František Xaver Palko and Johann Lukáš Kracker, the main organ built from 4,000 parts and standing up to 6 m high, right through to the façade with a life-size statue of St. Nicholas which is a clear example of the Roman Baroque. A regular holy mass (church service) is held here every Sunday at 8.30 p.m. Several hundred concerts are also held in the church every year, these being dominated by the series of six main concerts entitled “Concerts at St. Nicholas – Ave Maria and more”. Information about the opening hours and entrance fees can be found on the official website www.stnicholas.cz.
Old Town Square
Old Town Square is the heart of the Old Town, which was originally a small settlement with the market on the so-called Jewis island. It covers an area of nearly one hectare and it is a major landmark of historical Prague. Determining building of the square is undoubtedly the Old Town Hall built in Gothic style, which dates from the fourteenth century. The tower is famous for its magnificent astronomical clock, built in 1410.
It is the oldest type of clock in Europe. Crowds of tourists gather in front of the clock every hour to witness the procession of miniature figures. The north of the square is bordered by the 18th century St. Nicholas Church.
Tyn Church, or The Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, dominates other side of the Old Town Square. The two spires of this powerful looking, Gothic church with a Baroque interior can be observed from all over Prague. Have you noticed that the left tower is smaller and narrower? Such towers are popularly called Adam and Eve.
Petřín funicular
The Petřín View Tower was directly inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris which is five times higher. It was built by the Czech Tourist Club, which had attended the Exposition Universelle in 1889 in Paris and decided to construct a similar tower in Prague starting two years later. Two spiral staircases wind around this – one for the journey up and the other for the way down. The lookout tower has two observation decks. The upper deck is at a height of 55 metres and it is needed to walk up 299 stairs to get to the top.
The lookout from tower itself offers an extraordinary breathtaking view when the magnificence of medieval Prague and beautiful czech landscape can be observed in its naked beauty. In a cloudless day you can see a legandary Czech Mountain Říp. To reach the peak of Petřín Hill you can use either a cable railway or nice footpath.
