2.

) PRAGUE
-​ location: in central Bohemia, on the Vltava river
-​ population: 1,3 million
-​ residence of the President, seat of the government and Parliament
-​ important moments in Prague’s history
-​ it became the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia in the 9th century
-​ during the reign of Charles IV the Charles University, the New Town, the Charles Bridge
-​ 15th century - hussite war
-​ 1918 - Prague became capital of the newly independent Czechoslovak republic
-​ May 5th 1945 - citizens revolted against German occupants and held the city until the Red Army came
-​ Prague Spring of 1968
-​ top landmarks and their description
-​ Petřín (west o)
-​ 327 m tall hill with a Petřín Lookout Tower at the top (built in 1891 as a copy of the Eiffel Tower)
-​ Old town hall with astronomical clock
-​ it became the administrative centre of the Old Town of Prague in 1338
-​ during the last days of the occupation by Nazi Germany it served as a centre of the uprising, it was set on fire in May
1945 and had to be repaired later on
-​ the clock was built in 1410, it’s made up of 3 parts, at the top there are figures of the 12 apostles with their attributes
(they were destroyed in 1945 and replaced in 1948 by woodcut statues), the clock was fully repaired in 2005
-​ Charles Bridge
-​ its foundation stone was laid down by Charles IV in 1357, since then it was damaged by flood 3 times
-​ 30 sculptures, 1st (statue of Bruncvík) was destroyed and in its place stands a copy, the last sculpture placed was a
group of statues of St. Cyril and Methodius (1928)
-​ Powder Gate Tower - 65 m, staircase is made up of 186 stairs
-​ the foundation stone was laid down in 1475, since 1478 its construction was conducted by Matěj Rejsek
-​ its name dates back to the 18th century when the tower was used as a storage for gun-powder
-​ Clementinum - a building complex
-​ it was the 1st Jesuit college in Prague, its construction began in 1556
-​ next to the church of St. Salvatore stands a statue of a Prague student (1847)
-​ above its building stands the Astronomical Tower (68m high) - on its dome stands a statue of Atlas holding a globe
-​ Baroque Library Hall - today it is called the National Library
-​ Meridian Hall, Mozart Hall (Rococo paintings), Music Hall
-​ Prague castle
-​ a UNESCO World Heritage site
-​ founded around the year 880 by Prince Bořivoj, it serves as the seat of the president
-​ the Crown Jewels are kept here
-​ St Vitus Cathedral - part of the Prague castle complex, the most important church in Prague
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-​ culture
-​ National Museum -​ the State Opera
-​ damaged twice (1945, 1968), symbolically opened to the -​ ballet, dramas, operas
public on 28th October 2018 -​ events:
-​ National Theatre -​ Prague Spring International Music Festival - classical
-​ first opened in 1881, then in 1883 after a fire music festival, lasts until June 3rd
-​ what they play in May 2025: The Bartered Bride by -​ Prague Folklore Days (July) - largest folk dance event in
Smetana, The Beauty and the Beast by Hrubín,... Central Europe with a parade at the end
-​ decorated with art pieces by Tulka, Wagner, Myslbek,... -​ Festival of the World Cultures (June)
(the National Theatre Generation)
-​ education -​ sport
-​ Charles University -​ watch sports at a number of stadiums (O2 Arena)
-​ the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague -​ swimming pools (Aquapalace Praha, swim centres - Klánovice,
-​ the University of Chemistry and Technology Ládví)
-​ skatepark in Holešovice, golf resorts, gyms
-​ shopping
-​ wide variety of products and shops -​ Old Town Square - boutiques and souvenir shops
-​ clothes shops fast foods on Wenceslas square -​ Havel’s Market located in the city centre
-​ Palladium shopping centre on the Republic Square (largest -​ SAPA market - Vietnamese shopping centre and market,
indoor shopping mall in Prague) restaurants, grocery shops, small shops,...
-​ transportation
-​ metro (5:00 am - midnight): -​ buses
-​ network totals 65.2 km in length -​ they fill gaps in the metro and tram transportation
-​ 3 color coded lines: A,B,C networks
-​ 61 stations including 3 transfer stations -​ night lines run every 30-60 minutes
-​ the trains run every 2-4 minutes or 5-10 minutes -​ 5 ferries
-​ trams -​ operational from April to October,popular with tourists
-​ network totals 142 km -​ 2 cable cars
-​ day service is covered by lines 1-26 -​ 1 goes u Petřín hill (130 m)
-​ night service is covered by lines 91-99 -​ 1 transports passengers over the Prague ZOO
-​ fare: differs based on age and time limit
-​ personalities connected with Prague
-​ Franz Kafka (1888-1924)
-​ novelist and writer from Prague who wrote in German, he was from a Jewish family
-​ he struggled with self doubt, burned most of his works and asked his friend (Max Brod) to do to the same to the remnants of his
unfinished work after his death, his request was ignored
-​ the protagonists of his works were often lost and isolated, they faced bizarre problems
-​ his works dealt with feelings of anxiety, alienation, absurdity and guilt
-​ The Metamorphosis (1912), Amerika (published posthumously (=posmrtně) and named by Max Brod), The Trial (1914)
-​ Dora Diamant - Kafka’s last lover, she was 12 years younger
-​ Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939)
-​ Czech Art Nouveau painter, illustrator and graphic artist, he was born in south Moravia as the eldest of six
-​ author of the Slav Epic (a cycle of 20 paintings depicting Czech and Slavic mythology), which he created in the years 1912-1926
-​ he was commissioned to decorate the Lord Mayor’s Hall in Prague
-​ in 1910 he moved to Prague, in 1918 he designed a hundred crowns banknote for the Czechoslovak Republic
-​ in 1939 he was arrested and interrogated by the Nazis and died shortly after his release
-​ Emil Zátopek
-​ Czech long-distance runner, won 3 gold medals in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki and broke olympic records each time
-​ wheezing and panting while running earned him the nickname Czech Locomotive
-​ his wife was a successful sportswoman, she won a gold medal in the javelin throw at the 1952 Olympics