Welcome to Prague

Prague. Perched on a bend of the Vltava River in the heart of Central Europe, it is one of the few major European capitals that was not bombed flat in World War II. Walk its streets today and you walk through a thousand years of virtually intact history — Gothic towers, Baroque churches, Art Nouveau facades, and cobblestone lanes that have barely changed since the Middle Ages.

The Czechs call their capital Zlatá Praha — Golden Prague — a name earned partly from the way sunset gilts its limestone spires and partly from the sheer density of artistic and intellectual wealth packed inside. Mozart premiered Don Giovanni here in 1787 and declared that 'Prague understands me.' Franz Kafka was born in the Jewish Quarter. Einstein taught at Charles University. Kings and Holy Roman Emperors made it the center of their world.

Today, you are going to explore eight of Prague's most extraordinary landmarks — from the enormous castle complex perched above the city to the fairy-tale lookout tower at the top of a forested hill. Pojďte! (That is Czech for 'Let's go!')