Prague

Prague (in Czech: Praha) is the capital city of the Czech Republic. It has served as the capital city of Czechoslovakia, as well as the centre of the Bohemian kingdom, since the ninth century. Today, the city of Prague is divided in 57 municipal districts and 22 administrative districts. The capital is headed by the Mayor, Pavel Bem, and the population consists of approximately 1,160,000 residents.

Many significant architectural styles can be seen in Prague, and the historic centre of Prague is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Most significant architecture in the historic centre was built in the 14th century under the patronage Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.

Significant structures in Prague are the Charles Bridge (Karlův most), the Prague Castle (Pražský hrad), as well as the Old Town, Lesser Town and the Jewish quarter. It also is the location of the Klementium and the Karolinum (Universita Karlova, or Charles University), which was founded in 1348 and is the oldest university north of the Alps.

As a developing area, the initial township that was to become Prague was situated on a hill overlooking the Vltava River, with the primary defensive structures ideally placed to overlook the valley to the north east and the curve of the river to the east. Prior to the building of the Charles Bridge, Prague was connected to the eastern bank by several wooden bridges. After the Judith Bridge was washed away in flooding, Charles IV commissioned a stone bridge as a testament to his reign and to signify the financial, cultural and architectural dominance of his city. Some remnants of what was the Judith Bridge remain on the western bank of the city.