Hradcany
Situated on the hill overlooking Prague, Hradcany is made up of Prague Castle, St Vitus' Cathedral and the Strahov Monastery ' places which are all steeped in history. The Museum of Military History, the Royal Gardens and the Toy Museum are also nearby.
St Vitus' Cathedral was commissioned by Charles IV (1316-1378) and its foundation was laid in 1344. However, work on it went on for 600 years before being finalised in 1929, meaning the architecture is from many different periods and in different styles. Attractions inside include the Crown Jewels, the crypt and the South Tower. The Strahov Monastery was founded in 1140 by the Premonstratensian Order although its present day baroque appearance dates from the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Mala Strana
Covering the area just below Hradcany and bordering the river, Mala Strana is just across Charles Bridge from the main city. Now home to many foreign embassies occupying a number of buildings built by the Catholic nobility, the area is full of palaces, gardens and baroque churches, including the Church of St Nicholas (Sv Mikulas). Open daily, this is an example of Prague baroque architecture - it was built between 1702 and 1753 by Christoph Dientzenhofer and later also by his son. Frequent concerts and recitals (both at lunchtime and in the evenings) are held here, featuring the works of Mozart.
Other buildings of interest include the Czech National Assembly, the Liechtenstein Palace, the Smiricky Palace and Petrin Hill to the west.
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