In the geographical heart of Europe lies a city shaped by emperors, authors and artists. With its gothic exuberance, 19th-century opulence and 20th-century modernism, Prague truly is a city like no other. From graffiti walls to shocking beer facts, here are 11 things you never knew about this glorious European capital.
1. It’s home to the largest castle in the world. Dating back to the ninth century, Prague Castle spans an impressive 18 acres and is home to stunning cathedrals, chapels, royal palaces and gorgeous ornamental gardens…
2. There is a graffiti wall devoted to John Lennon. Since 1980, it’s been repainted numerous times and is laced in graffiti lyrics from Lennon and The Beatles…
3. The Charles Bridge has some rather mathematical significance. Former Czech king Charles IV laid the first stone of the bridge at precisely 5.31am on July 9, 1357. A superstitious man, the king was so into astrology and numerology that he chose this date because of its written form: 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1 (year, day, month, time). Bet you didn’t know that!
4. The city is home to the longest river in the Czech Republic, the Vltava…
5. According to legend, Hitler planned to preserve Prague’s Jewish quarter in his retirement plan. Strange it may be, but the former Nazi leader wanted to settle in the city and make the area a museum to preserve the memory of ‘the extinguished race’…
6. Even if you’ve never been to Prague, you’ve probably heard of its famous Astronomical Clock. Well guess what: if you’re about in Southeast Asia, in Seoul to be precise, you’ll find an exact replica in the mega-popular Hongdae district…
7. The city’s famous Dancing House was inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Designed in collaboration with Canadian-American Frank Gehry and Croatian-Czech Vlado Milunić, the building symbolises yin and yang. In this case, the blending of communism and democracy.
8. Unsurprisingly to many, the locals drink more beer per capita than any other nation in the world – they live in the home of Pilsner, after all. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, each Pragueite consumes roughly 155 litres of beer a year!
9. Often voted Prague’s most hated landmark, the Zizkov Tower has statues of climbing babies on it. Czech artist David Cerny is about as controversial as it gets – his specialty is combining the thought-provoking with the utterly bizarre, after all. Thoughts?
10. Charles Square was once the largest town square in the whole of medieval Europe. What’s even more impressive is that it is still one of the largest in the world. And just in case you’re wondering, it used to be simply called ‘Cattle Market’. Charles is far posher.
11. You can actually climb the 299 stairs of The Petřín Lookout Tower to get an incredible view of the city!
Got Praguelust? You need to see these magical places before you leave the city!
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