A former industrial center, Smichov is located on the left bank of the Vltava river. Now it is a home to several large office buildings, multiplex cinemas, and a major shoping mall. Still, it betrays hints of what it used to be in days long gone in Bertramka, a villa that once hosted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It has a long magnificent embankment.

Prague's most famous square, lined with hotels, fast food outlets and chain stores. Continually the most significant place in Czech history - from the declaration of the independent Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 to Jan Palach setting fire to himself in 1969 in protest against the Warsaw Pact invasion to the defining moment of the Velvet Revolution have all taken place here.
Less a square than a boulevard, Vaclavske Namesti has the shape of a very long (750 m, total area 45,000 m²) rectangle, in a northwest–southeast direction. The street slopes upward to the southeast side. At that end, there are two obvious landmarks: the 1885-1891 National Museum Building, designed by Czech architect Josef Schulz, and the statue of king Wenceslas. The northwest end runs up against the border between the Nove Mesto and the Stare Mesto.

The National Theatre constitutes the embodiment of the Czech nation’s desire to come into its own. People from all strata of society contributed generously to a fund to build this symbol of nationhood and the ceremonious laying of the foundation stone of this edifice on 16th May 1868 proved to be an all-nation political demonstration.
The National Theatre was opened for the first time on 11th June 1881 to honour the visit of Crown Prince Rudolf. Subsequently there were 11 more shows after which the theatre was closed down to finish the building work. While this was in progress a fire broke out on 12th August 1881 which destroyed the copper dome, both the stage and auditorium. The fire was regarded as an all-nation catastrophe and generated immense determination to raise funds once more: within 47 days one million florins were amassed.
The National Theatre was officially opened on 18th November 1883 with a performance of Smetana’s opera Libuše composed for this gala occasion.
Currently this historically extremely important and beautiful edifice, together with the annex of a modern building which is home to the administration and also includes the main box office, serves as the main stage of three National Theatre ensembles: drama, opera and ballet.

Karlův Most is a famous historical bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of 15th century. The bridge was originally called the Kamenný Most or the Pražský Most but has been the Karlův Most since 1870.
The bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by three bridge towers, two of them on the Lesser Quarter side and the third one on the Stare Mesto side. The Stare Mesto bridge tower is often considered to be one of the most astonishing civil gothic-style buildings in the world. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, erected around 1700.
During the night Charles Bridge is a quiet witness of medieval times. But during the day it changes its face into a very busy place. Painters, owners of kiosks and other traders compete for the attention of numerous tourists crossing the bridge.

Wide avenues, elegant hundred-year-old galleries, monumental squares: the Stare Mesto, born of a 14th-sentury planning project, revolves around the enormous Vaclavske Namesti, once the focus of Czech opposition to the Soviet occupation.
To the south of Nove Mesto lies the legendary cradle of the princes of Bohemia, the “other” castle, perched on Vysehrad Hill and overlooking the Vltava.
You can reach it by walking up Vratislava street and, as with many other places in Prague, the visit is a magical trip back in time, far from the bustle of the center.

Nestled under Petrin Hill , Malá Strana slopes down from Hradcany to the Vltava in a cascade of red roofs, which are interspersed with lush gardens and vineyards. In Malá Strana there has barely been a new building since the 18th century, and the whole area, with its medieval layouts of alleys, passageways, steps, and cul-de-sacs, is ideal for walking. Its baroque palaces try to outshine each other with statues and hidden gardens.
A cable car ride leads to the top of the hill and the Belvedere, with a tiny replica of the Eiffel Tower. In this romantic spot, time stands still as Vltava casts its hypnotic spell…

Winding alleys, galleries and passage-ways. The historic heart of city is bursting with a panoply of styles: Roman cellars, dark Gothic towers, Renaissance houses and exuberant Baroque facades. The weight of history is everpresent. In Old Town Square the proud statue of Jan Hus revives the memory of the execution of ten Hussite leaders, who were captured by the Catholics in a battle of White Mountain (1620).

Completed in 1354, this seventy-meter-high tower features the famous 16th-century Astronomical Clock (orloj), an important symbol of Prague. For a rare view of the Old Town and its maze of crooked streets and alleyways, climb the ramp or ride the elevator to the top of the tower.