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Of the great cities within Europe I've had a chance to see; one which I would most highly recommend will be Prague, the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic. It has warm summers in addition to cool, but not extremely cold winters, and in 2011 was the sixth most visited city in Europe. The Vltava River is this city's focus, and also the principal points of interest are its history and culture, having ten major museums, historical exhibits and theaters. Fortunately a great deal of the old architecture survived the wars of Europe in the last century. Being a major capital in Eastern Europe, it has been at the middle of history for that area for 1000 years. At that point it became a trade center in Europe, and with the wealth that trade brings it became a seat of power for what would become the Kingdom of Bohemia. A sizable Jewish area was established, and the Old New synagogue, built in 1270 even now stands. Over the centuries Prague has had their ups and downs. The town flourished under the King of Bohemia Charles IV, who ruled from 1346-1378. A good deal of the architecture you will notice in the city comes from this period, such as Charles University (the oldest university in Central Europe), the Charles Bridge (the vital thoroughfare linking the right bank area to the castle area), the gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, and New Town (which is a charming district adjacent to Old Town). During this point Prague was the third biggest city within Europe, with just Rome and Constantinople bigger. Following Charles death the city experienced about 200 years of unrest, brought on generally by differences caused by religious beliefs and religious persecutions. Things settled down with Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, who had been chosen King of Bohemia in 1576 and procured residence in the Prague Castle. Rudolf was a forward thinker and a lover of art, and Prague grew to become the cultural capital of Europe. The year 1618 was the beginning of another turbulent time in Prague, as the devastating Thirty Years' War was fought particularly during the first seven years inside Bohemia. Famine and plague brought on by the war sent the population of Prague to plunge. Prague was to recuperate later on in the 17th century, and by the mid-1800s factories spurred by the Industrial Revolution were to give it an additional revitalization period. Both World Wars I and II deeply had an effect on the city, as was communism within the final half of the 20th Century. While we are able to see, Prague has had a explosive past, and I devote most of this piece to their past. That is certainly because a great deal of the things you will see there has a historical setting, and to really grasp this impressive city is to have a very good grasp of just what Prague has went through in the preceding 700 years. If you visit, for me an incredible dining experience was consuming the local cooking and having the local beer. They are both truly exceptional. There are literally countless bars and pubs, and the local food we believed was more Slovak with some German qualities. Like nearly all tourist cities, go to the out-of-the-way spots (the locals will point you in the right way) and stay clear of the touristy spots. Prague is really an interesting city with history old and new. Check out our website http://bestvacationeurope.com/ for information on other great cities in Europe, and for ways to navigate your way around Europe by train. Jim O'Connell is a writer who loves to travel, especially in Europe.
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Prague, great European cities, history of Bohemia,
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