Prague/Chapter 2
THE FAMOUS VIEWS OF PRAGUE.
No visitor to Prague should omit to ascend the Petřin hill (tramcar No. 5 from the City and funicular railway), whence can be obtained one of the best and most complete birdseye-views of the “golden“ Prague, the “City of Hundred towers“.
The river Vltava flows through the centre of Prague.
On its right bank are: the Old Town with the Joseph Town (formerly Jewish Quarter), the New Town and the Vyšehrad (the “Acropolis“ of Prague, formerly the seat of the pagan gods; there is here now a magnificent church of St. Peter and Paul and cemetery having a mausoleum and memorials of illustrious Bohemian patriots).
In the backgrounds to the East at the foot of the Žižka hill three independent municipalities are to be seen, that form integral parts of the Capital: Karlín, Žižkov, Královské Vinohrady.
On the left bank of the river are situated: the Small Town (Malá Strana) with numerous old palaces of artistic design; the Hradčany (the “Kremlin“ of Prague and the reputed residence of Libuša, the semimythical foundress of the City):
Further on to the South is an independent suburb Smíchov, the home of industry.
Malá Strana and Hradčany are connected with the Old Town by the historic Charles Bridge, with its ancient towers and open air sculpture gallery of Saints, chiefly in the baroque style. That of St. John of Nepomuk is in the middle of the Bridge.
South of the Charles Bridge a modern bridge: the Francis Bridge can be seen and close to it, the Bohemian National Theatre, a building in the renaissance style.
Next to this a short bridge connects the beautiful Sophia’s Island with the embankment.
The South part of the New Town is connected with the suburb Smíchov by Palacký’s Bridge (named after the greatest Bohemian Historian).
At the foot of the Vyšehrad is a railway steel bridge. Further North of the Charles Bridge is a Foot Bridge, close to which is the “Rudolphinum“, Picture Gallery and Concert Hall.)
Another stone bridge further on to the North East, is named after the greatest Bohemian modern poet: Svatopluk Čech Bridge. There are three other bridges down the stream connecting the suburbs Holešovice and Bubna with the North part of the New Town and with the suburbs Karlín and Libeň.
Rodin rightly styled Prague:
“THE ROME OF THE NORTH.“
Both cities are situated on the banks of a great river, which is dotted with pretty green islands connected by fine bridges with the embankments.
Both cities, built on the sides of surrounding hills have magnificent buildings and towers which seem to “kiss the very clouds“.
In each of them prevail a combination of marvellous harmony and completeness of various styles of architecture from different ages.
In Rome monuments of Emperors mix with Christian traditions, relics of religious art with the renaisance: in Prague the Slav world is combined with Italian and German culture without losing its own characteristics but uniting with the same in a higher harmony of remarkable originality and of most exquisite charm.
Romanesque churches, Italian palaces, sublime spires of Gothic cathedrals, original baroque buildings, old wooden mills, modern houses are reflected in the silver stream of the river, that is a glory of Prague . . . .
Other fascinating views of the city can be obtained: from the platform at the entrance to the Royal Castle (close by the Statue of St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Kingdom of Bohemia); and from the gardens of the Strahov Monastery.
The restaurant called: The “Golden well“ (Zlatá studna) (Malá Strana, Sněmovní ulice 23) is famous for its charming view of the City especially in the evening, when the bells of the “hundred“ towers are calling to vespers.