Prague and its surroundings are famous for its beautiful architecture of the Middle Ages and the New Age. Not for nothing this city is called the Paris of Eastern Europe. Prague is in no way inferior to it. The same can be said about its surroundings.
Castles in the vicinity of Prague
There is so much magnificent architecture: castles, palaces, fortresses, that one can’t help but wonder what to see around Prague. We will try to present to our readers the most interesting monuments with a brief description and photo.
Karlstejn Castle
The castle was built in the 14th century by the German Emperor Charles IV as a residence. His royal regalia were kept here. The center of Karlstejn is the Great Tower. There are murals with images of saints, decorated with jewels.
The altar in the chapel is of great interest because it is where all the royal regalia are kept. The vault in the chapel is designed in the form of the sky with the moon, sun, stars and five planets, which were known to scientists in those distant times.
Krivoklad Castle
The childhood of the aforementioned Emperor Charles IV was spent in this castle. And a century later it housed a medieval prison, in memory of which even today you can see the ancient instruments of torture, for which those times were so famous.
This prison is famous for its prisoners. For example, Edward Kelly, John Dee’s underling, was sitting here. Together they were alchemists and tried to make gold from mercury, to invent the philosopher’s stone or the fifth element for King Rudolph II.
Kokorzhin Castle
This castle was built in the 14th century, but it was first mentioned in writing in the 15th century. The main tower of Benfret reaches a height of almost 40 meters. It has an observation deck with magnificent views.
In the castle of Kokorzhin you can see a wonderful collection of paintings about the knights. There is a lot of furniture, utensils and household items from the Middle Ages and the New Age, as well as antique weapons of all stripes.
Konopište Castle
This castle was built by the local bishop in the 18th century in the Gothic style. Later Konopiste was rebuilt several times and changed the architectural style. Today it is famous for its collection of knight’s armor, weapons, war trophies, etc.
And the collection of antique weapons is one of the largest in Europe, it belonged to Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, who at one time killed hundreds of thousands of animals on the hunt and killed himself before the First World War.
Castle Czech Sternberg
The castle was built in the 13th century, has a very strong fortifications, thick walls and today is extremely popular among tourists. It is known for its large knight’s hall and excellent medieval architectural style.
On the walls and ceilings of the castle are many beautiful decorations and paintings, here you can safely make an adventure movie about the life of the knights. Today one of the descendants of the Sternbergs lives in the castle.
Castle Nelagozeeves
This castle was built in the 17th century and is of great interest not only to tourists but also to the inhabitants of Bohemia. It was here that the great Czech composer Antonín Dvořák was born.
The castle has a collection of paintings by great artists: Rubens, Velázquez and others. You can also find exhibitions of antique furniture, porcelain, glassware and other works of art and crafts in the halls of Nelagozeeves.
Old Towns in the vicinity of Prague
In addition to the remarkable castles of chivalry, near Prague, you can look at the small and cozy settlements that arose during the High Middle Ages and left their amazing imprint.
Stara Boleslav
It is a small town, with a population of no more than 15,000 people. He built the city in the early 10th century and named it King Boleslaw I. Old Boleslav is a must-see near Prague.
In this city you can see a magnificent Catholic church, a medieval tower, an ancient Romanesque basilica and many other cultural and historical sites.
Benatki over Jizerow
This small town with a population of 7,000 people is loved by tourists because. on its territory you can see the castle from the 13th century, where many centuries ago lived the famous astrologer King Rudolph II, he even today has many admirers.
Now the castle is housed in a museum of local history, where you can learn a lot about the history of the region. Children are sure to love the museum, where there are many skillfully made vintage children’s toys.
Wielke-Popowice
This village on the outskirts of Prague has many attractions, although only 2,000 people live here. In Veľké Popovice you can visit the Pluhonice Castle, the Veľkopopovice Brewery and its museum with a demonstration of beer brewing, etc.
Liberec
It is quite a large city with 100,000 inhabitants, one of the centers of tourism. Here you can see two ancient castles, the City Hall and the two large Catholic churches of Anthony the Great and Holy Cross.
There is an art gallery for art lovers. Tourists can visit the Ještěd TV Tower and the Museum of Northern Bohemia. Parents with children will be interesting to visit the local zoo, one of the most famous in Europe.
Kutna Hora
Kutna Hora – a small town on the outskirts of Prague has beautiful architectural sights in the Gothic style. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. The Church of St. Barbara is the second largest Catholic church in Bohemia.
There is an ossuary in the chapel of All Saints, located near the cemetery. The entire interior of the chapel is made of human bones. The sight is not for the faint of heart, but many tourists like it.
Tabor
In this city once stood a powerful fortress, of which today only one tower and some debris of the fortress walls remain. The tower has an observation deck from which you can admire the surroundings and the ruins.
This attraction is close to Prague – 70 km – if only by Russian standards. There you can also visit the Church of the Transfiguration and examine the treasure Tabor – more than 4 thousand old silver coins.
Mlada Boleslav
This Czech town with a population of 44,000 people is famous for the fact that in its borders is a factory for the production of cars Skoda Octavia, as well as a museum dedicated to the automaker.
Also near the city you can see the medieval fortress, standing on a rock, the old town hall, several Catholic churches, including. St. Jan Nepomnutycky, the monastery of the Tinorites, etc.
Other attractions near Prague
There are no less interesting places near Prague.
Terezin
It is a huge fortress built at the end of the 18th century. Its uniqueness is that it has almost completely preserved its original appearance, there were no reconstructions. That is why it is of particular interest to tourists.
The fate of this fortress is complicated. During World War I it was used as a hospital, and during World War II the Nazis set up a concentration camp within its walls. Since then, the small fortress has been a monument to the victims of genocide.
Today Terezín Fortress is open to visitors. They can visit the museum of the former concentration camp, places of torture and executions, barracks, where prisoners were held, imbued with the horrors of that terrible war.
“Aquapalace Prague
It is known throughout the Czech Republic water park area of almost 10 thousand square meters, with a huge number of rides and other attractions for children, ordinary people and fans of extreme relaxation.
It offers water slides for adults and teens, a wave pool for adults, “wild river” and other entertainment for all tastes. There are two pools for children: one for teenagers and one for very young children.
In “Aquapalace Prague” there is a large aquarium, where you can watch the life of sea creatures, and do it directly from the wave pool, which creates the feeling of being in the real sea.
Also in the pool “Water World” you can dive deep into a special tunnel for divers to engage in a fashionable now diving to explore the underwater world.
Aquapalace Prague has many saunas and steam baths, including Roman and Russian, for every taste. Fitness, including spinning, spa services, professional massages, whirlpools, exercise equipment, etc. are offered.
