Prague

Prague
Czech: Praha
View of Prague Castle from Charles Bridge

Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: Praga Caput Rei publicae
(Prague, Head of the State; Latin)
Prague is located in Czech Republic
Prague
Coordinates:
Country Czech Republic
Founded c. 885
Government
 - Mayor Pavel Bém (ODS)
Area[1]
 - City 496 km2 (191.5 sq mi)
Highest elevation 399 m (1,309 ft)
Population (2009-12-31)[2]
 - City 1,249,026
 - Density 2,518.2/km2 (6,522.1/sq mi)
 - Metro 1,900,000
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 1xx xx
NUTS code CZ01
GDP per capita (recalculated - in purchasing power standards) € 42,800(PPS) (2007)[3]
Website www.praha.eu

Prague (pronounced /ˈprɑːɡ/; Czech: Praha pronounced [ˈpraɦa]  ( listen), see also other names) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Nicknames for Prague have included Praga mater urbium/Praha matka měst ("Prague – Mother of Cities") in Latin/Czech, Stověžatá Praha ("City of a Hundred Spires") in Czech or Zlaté město/Goldene Stadt ("Golden City") in Czech/German.[4]

Situated on the Vltava River in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural and economic centre of the Czech state for more than 1,100 years. For many decades during the Gothic and Renaissance eras, Prague was the permanent seat of two Holy Roman Emperors and thus was also the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

The city proper is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 1.9 million.[5]

Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, making the city one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, receiving more than 4.1 million international visitors annually, as of 2009.[6][7] Prague is classified as an alpha- world city.

Contents

History

The history of Prague spans thousands of years, during which time the city grew from a castle known as Vyšehrad to the multicultural capital of a modern European state, the Czech Republic.

Ancient age

The area on which Prague was founded was settled as early as the Paleolithic age. Around 200 BC the Celts established a settlement in the south, called Závist, but by the 1st century BC, they were replaced by the Marcomanni ( and possibly the Suebi), a Germanic people who either migrated westwards or were assimilated in the 6th century AD, during the great migration period following the collapse of the Roman empire, by the invading West Slavic people. According to legends, Prague was founded by Libuše and her husband, Přemysl, founder of the dynasty of the same name. Whether this legend is true or not, Prague's first nucleus was a castle on a hill commanding the left (western) bank of the Vltava River: this is known as Prague Castle, to differentiate from another castle, which was later, in the latter part of the 9th century, erected on the opposite right (eastern) bank the Přemyslid fort Vyšehrad, which is now wrongly considered as the oldest one.

The city became the seat of the dukes, and later kings, of Bohemia. Under Emperor Otto II the city became a bishopric in 973. Until Prague was elevated to archbishopric in 1344, it was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Mainz.

Prague flourished as a great slave market.[8] It was an important seat for trading where merchants from all of Europe settled, including many Jews, as recalled in 965 by the Jewish merchant and traveller Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub. The Old New Synagogue of 1270 survives.

King Vladislaus II had a first bridge on the Vltava built in 1170, the Judith Bridge, which was destroyed by flood in 1342.

In 1257, under King Ottokar II, Malá Strana ("Lesser Quarter") was founded in Prague on a place of an older village in the future Hradčany area: it was the district of the German people. These had the right to administer the law autonomously, pursuant to Magdeburg rights. The new district was on the opposite bank of the Staré Město ("Old Town"), which had a borough status and was defended by a line of walls and fortifications.

The era of Charles IV

A view of one of the bridge towers of the Charles Bridge

The city flourished during the 14th century reign of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and the king of Bohemia of the new Luxembourg dynasty. He ordered the building of the New Town (Nové Město) adjacent to the Old Town. The Charles Bridge was erected to connect the new district to Malá Strana. Monuments by Charles include the Saint Vitus Cathedral, the oldest Gothic cathedral in Central Europe, which is actually inside the castle, and the Charles University. The latter is the oldest university in Central Europe. Prague was then the third-largest city in Europe. Under Charles, Prague was, from 1355, the actual capital of the Holy Roman Empire, and its rank was elevated to that of archbishopric (1344). It had a mint, and German and Italian merchants, as well as bankers, were present in the city. The social order, however, became more turbulent due to the rising power of the craftsmen's guilds (themselves often torn by internal fights), and the presence of increasing number of poor people.

During Easter 1389, members of the Prague clergy announced that Jews had desecrated the host (Eucharistic wafer) and the clergy encouraged mobs to pillage, ransack and burn the Jewish quarter. Nearly the entire Jewish population of Prague (3,000 people) perished.[9][10]

During the reign of King Wenceslaus IV (1378–1419), Jan Hus, a theologian and lector at the Charles University, preached in Prague. In 1402, he began giving sermons in the Bethlehem Chapel. Inspired by John Wycliffe, these sermons focused on reforming the Church. Having become too dangerous for the political and religious establishment, Hus was summoned to the Council of Constance, put on trial for heresy, and burned in Konstanz in 1415. Four years later Prague experienced its first defenestration (the act of throwing someone out the window as a political protest - in this case, the city's councillors out the window of the New Town Hall), when the people rebelled under the command of the Prague priest Jan Želivský. Hus' death, coupled with Czech proto-nationalism and proto-Protestantism, had spurred the so-called Hussite Wars. In 1420, peasant rebels, led by the general Jan Žižka, along with Hussite troops from Prague, defeated the Bohemian King Sigismund, in the Battle of Vítkov Hill.

In the following two centuries, Prague strengthened its role as a merchant city. Many noteworthy Gothic buildings were erected, including the Vladislav Hall of the Prague Castle.

Habsburg era

In 1526, the Kingdom of Bohemia was handed over to the House of Habsburg: the fervent Catholicism of its members was to bring them into conflict in Bohemia, and then in Prague, where Protestant ideas were at the time having increasing success.[11] These problems were not preeminent under Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, elected King of Bohemia in 1576, who chose Prague as his home. He lived in the Prague Castle where his court saw invitations to astrologers and magicians, but also scientists, musicians, and artists. Rudolf was an art lover too and Prague became the capital of European culture. This was a prosperous period for the city: famous people living there in that age include the astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johann Kepler, the painter Arcimboldo, the alchemists Edward Kelley and John Dee, the poetess Elizabeth Jane Weston, and others.

Defense of Charles Bridge against Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War

In 1618, the famous second defenestration of Prague provoked the Thirty Years' War, a particularly harsh period for Prague and Bohemia. Ferdinand II of Habsburg was deposed, and his place as King of Bohemia taken by Frederick V, Elector Palatine; however the Czech Army under him was crushed in the Battle of White Mountain (1620) not far from the city. Following this in 1621 was an execution of 27 Czech lords (involved in the Battle of White Mountain) in Old Town Square and an exiling of many others. The city suffered subsequently during the war under Saxon (1631) and Swedish (1648) occupation.[12] Prague began a steady decline which reduced the population from the 60,000 it had had in the years before the war to 20,000. In the second half of the 17th century Prague's population began to grow again. Jews have been in Prague since the end of the 10th century and, by 1708, they accounted for about a quarter of Prague’s population.[13]

In 1689, a great fire devastated Prague, but this spurred a renovation and a rebuilding of the city. In 1713–14, a major outbreak of plague hit Prague one last time, killing 12–13,000 people.[14] The economic rise continued through the 18th century, and the city in 1771 had 80,000 inhabitants. Many of these were rich merchants who, together with noblemen of , and even origin, enriched the city with a host of palaces, churches and gardens, creating a Baroque style renowned throughout the world. After the Battle of Prague in 1757 the city was badly damaged during a Prussian bombardment.[15] In 1784, under Joseph II, the four municipalities of Malá Strana, Nové Město, Staré Město, and Hradcany were merged into a single entity. The Jewish district, called Josefov, was included only in 1850. The Industrial Revolution had a strong effect in Prague, as factories could take advantage of the coal mines and ironworks of the nearby region. A first suburb, Karlín, was created in 1817, and twenty years later population exceeded 100,000.

The revolutions that shocked all Europe around 1848 touched Prague too, but they were fiercely suppressed. In the following years the Czech nationalist movement began its rise, until it gained the majority in the town council in 1861. Prague had a German speaking majority in 1848, but by 1880 the German population had decreased to 14% (42,000), and by 1910 to 6.7% (37,000), due to a massive increase of the city's overall population caused by the influx of Czechs from the rest of Bohemia and Moravia and also due to ethnic mixing and assimilation.[16]

20th century

The First Republic
Main article: Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)
Stiassny's Jubilee Synagogue built in 1906 is the largest in Prague

The First World War ended with the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the creation of Czechoslovakia. Prague was chosen as its capital and Prague Castle as the seat of president (Tomáš Masaryk). At this time Prague was a true European capital with highly developed industry. By 1930, the population had risen to 850,000.

Second World War
Main article: German occupation of Czechoslovakia

Hitler ordered the German Army to enter Prague on 15 March 1939 and from Prague Castle proclaimed Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate. For most of its history Prague had been a multiethnic city with important Czech, German and (mostly Czech- and/or German-speaking) Jewish populations. From 1939, when the country was occupied by Nazi Germany, and during World War II, most Jews fled the city.

In 1942, Prague was witness to the assassination of one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany - Reinhard Heydrich (during Operation Anthropoid). Hitler ordered bloody reprisals. At the end of the war Prague suffered several bombing raids by the USAAF. Over 1,000 people were killed and hundreds of buildings, factories and historical landmarks were destroyed (however the damage was small compared to the total destruction of many other cities in that time). Once the outcome of the war was decided and it was known that Germany would surrender to the Allies, the Prague uprising against the Nazi occupants occurred on 5 May 1945 two days before Germany capitulated, on 7 May. Four days later the Red Army entered the city. The majority of the German population either fled or was expelled by the Beneš decrees in the aftermath of the war.

Cold War

Prague was a city in the territory of military and political control of the Soviet Union (see Iron Curtain). The 4th Czechoslovakian Writers' Congress held in the city in 1967 took a strong position against the regime. This spurred the new secretary of the Communist Party, Alexander Dubček to proclaim a new deal in his city's and country's life, starting the short-lived season of the "socialism with a human face". It was the "Prague Spring", which aimed at the renovation of institutions in a democratic way. The Soviet Union and its allies reacted with the invasion of Czechoslovakia and the capital on August 21, 1968 by tanks, suppressing any attempt at work.

Era after the Velvet Revolution

In 1989, after the riot police beat back a peaceful student demonstration, the Velvet Revolution crowded the streets of Prague and the Czechoslovak capital benefited greatly from the new mood. In 1993, after the split of Czechoslovakia, Prague became the capital city of the new Czech Republic. In the late 1990s Prague again became an important cultural centre of Europe and was notably influenced by globalisation. In 2000 anti-globalisation protests in Prague (some 15,000 protesters) turned violent during the IMF and World Bank summits. In 2002 Prague suffered from widespread floods that damaged buildings and also its underground transport system. Prague launched a bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics,[17] but failed to make the candidate city shortlist. Due to low political support, Prague's officials chose in June 2009 to cancel the city's planned bid for 2020 Summer Olympics as well.[18]

Etymology

Bridges over the Vltava River, as seen from Letná

The name Prague is derived from an old Slavic root, praga, which means “ford”, referring to the city's origin at a crossing point of the Vltava River.

The native name of the city, Praha, however, is also related to the modern Czech word práh (threshold) and a legendary etymology connects the name of the city with Duchess Libuše, prophetess and a wife of mythical founder of the Přemyslid dynasty. She is said to have ordered the city "to be built where a man hews a threshold of his house". The Czech práh might thus be understood to refer to rapids or a cataract in the river, the edge of which could have acted as a means of fording the river – thus providing a "threshold" to the castle. Although there are a few weirs nowadays, however, no geological ridge in the river has ever been located directly beneath the castle.

Another derivation of the name Praha is suggested from na prazě, the original term for the shale hillside rock upon which the original castle was built. At that time, the castle was surrounded by forests, covering the nine hills of the future city – the Old Town on the opposite side of the river, as well as the Lesser Town beneath the existing castle, appeared only later.[19]

Main sights

The Astronomical Clock

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague has become one of Europe's (and the world's) most popular tourist destinations. It is the sixth most-visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin.[20] Prague suffered considerably less damage during World War II than some other major cities in the region, allowing most of its historic architecture to stay true to form. It contains one of the world's most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical and ultra-modern. Some popular sights include:

Milunić and Gehry's Dancing House

Geography

Prague is situated on the Vltava River in the centre of the Bohemian Basin. Similarly to Rome, the city of Prague is spread over nine hills: Letná, Vítkov, Opyš, Větrov, Skalka, Emauzy, Vyšehrad, Karlov and the highest Petřín.[4]

The city of Prague experiences a oceanic climate with warm summers and relatively cold winters.

Climate data for Prague
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: www.weatheronline.co.uk

Culture

Wenceslas Square and National Museum at night.
Rudolfinum - one of Prague's prestigious concert and exhibition halls

Prague is traditionally one of the cultural centres of Europe, hosting many cultural events.

Significant cultural institutions:

There are hundreds of concert halls, galleries, cinemas and music clubs in the city. Prague hosts Music Festivals including the Prague Spring International Music Festival, the Prague Autumn International Music Festival and the Prague International Organ Festival. Film festivals include the Febiofest, the One World and Echoes of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Prague also hosts the Prague Writers' Festival, the Prague Folklore Days, Prague Advent Choral Meeting g, the Summer Shakespeare Festival,[21] the Prague Fringe Festival, the World Roma Festival as well as hundreds of Vernissages and fashion shows.

Many films have been made at the Barrandov Studios. Hollywood movies set in Prague include Mission Impossible, Blade II and xXx. Other Czech films shot in Prague include Empties and The Fifth Horseman is Fear. Also, the music video to "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" by Kanye West was shot in Prague, and features shots of the Charles Bridge and the Astronomical Clock, among other famous landmarks. Prague was also the setting for the film "Dungeons and Dragons" in 2000. The music video "Silver and Cold" by AFI, an American rock band, was also filmed in Prague.

Forbes Traveller Magazine listed Prague Zoo among the world's best zoos.[22]

The Prague restaurant Allegro received the first Michelin star in the whole of post-Communist Eastern Europe.

With the growth of low-cost airlines in Europe, Prague has become a popular weekend city destination allowing tourists to visit its many museums and cultural sites as well as try its famous Czech beers and hearty cuisine.

Prague sites many buildings by renowned architects, including Adolf Loos (Villa Müller), Frank O. Gehry (Dancing House), or Jean Nouvel (Golden Angel).

Recent major events held in Prague:

Economy

Head office of Czech Airlines in Ruzyně, Prague

Prague's economy accounts for 25% of the Czech Republic's GDP[23] making it the highest performing regional economy of the country. According to the Eurostat, as of 2007, its GDP per capita in purchasing power standard is 42,800 €. Prague ranked the 5th best-performing European NUTS 2 level region at 172 % of the EU-27 average.[3]

The city is the site of the European headquarters of many international companies.

Since 1990, Prague economy structure has shifted from industrial to service-oriented. Industry is present in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, printing, food processing, manufacture of transport equipment, computer technology and electrical engineering. In services sector, most significant are financial services, commercial services, trade, restaurants and accommodations and public administration. Services account for around 80% of employment. There are 800,000 employees in Prague, including 120,000 commuters.[23] The number of (legally registered) foreign residents in Prague has been increasing in spite of the country's economic downturn. As of March 2010, 148,035 foreign workers were reported to be living in the city making up about 18% of the workforce, up from 131,132 in 2008.[24] Approximately one-fifth of all investment in the Czech Republic takes place in Prague city.

Almost one-half of the national income from tourism is spent in Prague. The city offers approximately 73,000 beds in accommodation facilities, most of which were built after 1990, including almost 51,000 beds in hotels and boarding houses capable of satisfying all categories of visitors.

Since the late 1990s to late 2000s, Prague was a popular filming location for international productions and Hollywood, Bollywood motion pictures. A combination of architecture, low costs and the existing motion picture infrastructure have proven attractive to international film production companies.

Prague TV tower with crawling "babies"

Prague is also the site of some of the most important offices and institutions of the Czech Republic.

Colleges and universities

See also Category: Education in Prague Several universities and colleges are located in the city:

Science, research and hi-tech centres

See also Category: Science and technology in the Czech Republic The region city of Prague is an important centre of research. It is the seat of 39 out of 54 institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, including the largest ones, the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Microbiology and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry. It is also a seat of 10 public research institutes, four business incubators and large hospitals performing research and development activities such as the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague or the Motol University Hospital. Universities seated in Prague (see section Colleges and Universities) also represent important centrs of science and research activities.

As of 2008, there were 13 thousand researchers (out of 30,000 in the Czech Republic, counted in full-time equivalent), representing 3% share of Prague's economically active population. Gross expenditure on research and development accounted for 901.3 million € (41.5% of country's total).[25]

Some well-known multinational companies have established research and development facilities in Prague, among them Siemens, Honeywell or Sun Microsystems.

Transport

Střížkov metro station on line C

Public transportation

The public transport infrastructure consists of an integrated transport system of Prague Metro (its length is 59 km with 57 stations in total), Prague Tram System (including the "nostalgic tram" no. 91), buses, the Petřín funicular to Petřín Hill, and five ferries: PID, Pražská integrovaná doprava (English: Prague integrated traffic system). All services have a common ticketing system, and are run by the Prague Public Transit(Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy, a.s.) and some other companies. Recently, Prague integrated transport coordinator (ROPID) has franchised operation of ferries on the Vltava river, which are also a part of the public transport system with common fares. Taxi services operate from regulated taxi stands, and from independent drivers who make pick-ups on the street.

Roads

Barrandov bridge at night, part of the Municipal Ring Road

The main traffic stream of cars leads through the centre of the city. The longest city tunnel in Europe with a proposed length of 5.5 km and with 5 interchanges with the surface is now being built to relieve congestion in the north-western part of Prague. The tunnel is called Tunel Blanka and it is part of the Municipal Ring Road. Construction started in 2007 and the tunnel is scheduled to be completed in 2011/2012. The southern part of the Prague Ring Road (with a length of almost 17 km) is also under construction with a proposed completion date of April 2010.

Rail

The city forms the hub of the Czech railway system, with services to all parts of the Czech Republic and abroad. There is also a commuter rail system known as Esko Prague which serves the Prague metropolitan area.

Prague's main international railway station is Hlavní nádraží (formerly called and sometimes still referred to as Wilsonovo nádraží). Intercity services also stop at the main stations Praha-Smíchov, Praha-Holešovice, Praha-Libeň and Masarykovo nádraží. In addition to these, there are a number of smaller suburban stations. In the future rail should play a greater role in Prague Public Transport System.

Air

Prague is served by Ruzyně International Airport, the biggest airport in the Czech Republic and one of the busiest in Central and Eastern Europe. It is the hub of the flag carrier, Czech Airlines,[26] as well as of the low-cost airline Smart Wings operating throughout Europe. Other airports in Prague include the city's original airport at the Kbely north-east district, which is serviced by the Czech Air Force, internationally too: The runway (9-27) at Kbely is 2 km long. The airport also houses the Prague Aviation Museum. Close to town the Letňany airport is mainly used for private aviation and aeroclub aviation. Another airport in the proximity is Aero Vodochody aircraft factory's on the north, used for testing purposes, as well as for aeroclub aviation. There are a few aeroclubs around Prague, such as the Točná airfield.

Sport

Synot Tip Arena - Eden football stadium, home to Slavia Prague

Prague is the site of many sports events, national stadiums and teams.

Twin towns—Sister cities

Prague is involved in a number of official as well as unofficial partnerships with other major world cities.[28] The city of Prague also maintains its own EU delegation in Brussels called Prague House.[29]

Official: Unofficial: Partner cities in the future:

Namesakes

Czech emigration has left a number of namesake cities scattered over the globe, though more heavily concentrated in the New World.

See also

  • Bethlehem Chapel
  • Infant Jesus of Prague
  • Golem of Prague
  • Districts of Prague
  • Famous people connected with Prague
  • Prague uprising
  • Prague Zoo
  • International Youth Leadership Conference (IYLC)
  • Atlas of Europe

Further reading

Guides

Culture and society

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Total area and land area, by NUTS 2 regions - km2
  2. ↑ Population: by area, region and district of the Czech Republic in January – June 2009 (preliminary results)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Regional GDP per inhabitant in 2007". Official site. Eurostat. 18 Feb. 2010. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/1-18022010-AP/EN/1-18022010-AP-EN.PDF. Retrieved 22 Apr. 2010. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Přívlastky hlavního města Prahy". PIS, Pražská informační služba, Prague Information Service. http://www.pis.cz/cz/praha/zakladni_info/privlastky_hlavniho_mesta_prahy. Retrieved 14 Jun. 2009. 
  5. ↑ Eurostat. "Urban Audit 2004". http://www.urbanaudit.org/DataAccessed.aspx. Retrieved 20 Jul. 2008. 
  6. ↑ "Development of incoming tourism to the Czech Republic in 2008". Official site. Czech Tourism. 2009. http://www.czechtourism.com/eng/uk/docs/press-centre/studies-and-statistics/articles-commentary/statistiky2009.html. Retrieved 30 September 2009. 
  7. ↑ “How Tourism Has Changed Prague Since The Fall Of Communism” Tayfun King, Fast Track, BBC World News (6 Feb. 2009)
  8. ↑ "The Cambridge Economic History of Europe: Trade and industry in the Middle Ages". Michael Moïssey Postan, Edward Miller,Cynthia Postan (1987). Cambridge University Press. p.417. ISBN 0521087090
  9. ↑ "The Prague Pogrom of 1389". Everything2. April 1389. http://www.everything2.org/title/The%2520Prague%2520Pogrom%2520of%25201389. Retrieved 16 Jun. 2009. 
  10. ↑ "The former Jewish Quarter in Prague". prague.cz. April 1389. http://www.prague.cz/jewish-quarter/. Retrieved 16 Jun. 2009. 
  11. ↑ "Religious conflicts". Prague.st.
  12. ↑ The Kingdom of Bohemia during the Thirty Years´ War
  13. ↑ Prague, The Virtual Jewish History Tour
  14. ↑ M. Signoli, D. Chevé, A. Pascal (2007)."Plague epidemics in Czech countries". p.51.
  15. ↑ Prague. 1911 Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
  16. ↑ The Erosion of "Gemeinschaft": German Writers of Prague, 1890–1924, by Peter Horwath, German Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Feb., 1981), pp. 9–37
  17. ↑ Prague Assembly Confirms 2016 Olympic Bid
  18. ↑ It’s Official – Prague Out Of 2020 Bid
  19. ↑ "drexler blog". Drexler, novinky.cz. 11 Jul. 2008. http://drexler.blogy.novinky.cz/0807/o-vzniku-nazvu-praha. Retrieved 14 Jun. 2009. 
  20. ↑ www.radio.cz. "Prague, sixth most visited city in Europe". http://www.radio.cz/en/article/65335. Retrieved 26 Nov. 2006. 
  21. ↑ ABOUT FESTIVALS, Summer Shakespeare Festival 2009, AGENTURA SCHOK, spol. s r.o., Praha
  22. ↑ The World's Best Zoos. ForbesTraveler.com. 5 November 2007.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Prague Strategic Plan, 2008 Update". Official site. City Development Authority Prague. 2010. http://www.urm.cz/uploads/assets/soubory/data/strategicky_plan/angl2008_web.pdf. Retrieved 22 Apr. 2010. 
  24. ↑ "Foreign resident numbers stable". News. Prague Post. 21 Apr. 2010. http://www.praguepost.com/news/4214-foreign-resident-numbers-stable.html. Retrieved 25 Apr. 2010. 
  25. ↑ J. Pechlát (2010)."Prague as a knowledge city-region" In: Teorie vědy, XXXI/3-4 2009, The Institute of Philosophy of the AS CR, p. 247-267.
  26. ↑ "Imprint." Czech Airlines. Retrieved on 4 February 2010.
  27. ↑ WFDF. "Prague, Czech Republic to host the WFDF World Ultimate Club Championships 2010". http://www.wfdf.org/index.php?page=news/WUCC_2010_Press_Release.html. Retrieved 10 Sep. 2008. 
  28. ↑ "Prague Partner Cities" (in Czech). © 2009 Magistrát hl. m. Prahy. http://magistrat.praha-mesto.cz/72647_Partnerska-mesta. Retrieved 2 Jul. 2009. 
  29. ↑ www.prazsky-dum.cz. "Prague House". http://www.prazsky-dum.cz/aj/index.html. Retrieved 20 Apr. 2007. 
  30. ↑ "Berlin's international city relations". Berlin Mayor's Office. http://www.berlin.de/rbmskzl/staedteverbindungen/index.en.html. Retrieved 1 Jul. 2009. 
  31. ↑ "Frankfurt -Partner Cities". City of Frankfurt am Main. http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=502645. Retrieved 5 Dec. 2008. 
  32. ↑ "Cooperation Internationale" (in French). © 2003-2009 City of Tunis Portal. http://www.commune-tunis.gov.tn/fr/mairie_cooperation1.htm. Retrieved 31 Jul. 2009. 
  33. ↑ "Madrid Official Website". Madrid City Government agreement. 23 Oct. 1989. http://www.munimadrid.es/portal/site/munimadrid/menuitem.dbd5147a4ba1b0aa7d245f019fc08a0c/?vgnextoid=4e84399a03003110VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=1ccd566813946010VgnVCM100000dc0ca8c0RCRD&vgnextfmt=especial1&vgnextfmt=especial1&idContenido=d9ecc435a6b5b010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD&rmEspecial=285cea336ba9a110VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&rmCapitulo=bf0f77d586cf2110VgnVCM1000000b205a0aRCRD. Retrieved 19 Apr. 2009. 
  34. ↑ "Kyoto City Web / Data Box / Sister Cities". www.city.kyoto.jp. http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/databox/sister.html. Retrieved 14 Jan. 2010. 
  35. ↑ "Saint Petersburg in figures - International and Interregional Ties". Saint Petersburg City Government. http://eng.gov.spb.ru/figures/ities. Retrieved 23 Nov. 2008. 
  36. ↑ "Twinning Cities: International Relations" (PDF). Municipality of Tirana. www.tirana.gov.al. http://www.tirana.gov.al/common/images/International%20Relations.pdf. Retrieved 23 Jun. 2009. 
  37. ↑ Sister city list (.DOC)
  38. ↑ "Jasło Official Website - “Współpraca Międzynarodowa Jasła” (Jasło's Twin Towns)". http://www.jaslo.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=100. 
  39. ↑ "Bratislava City - Twin Towns". © 2003-2008 Bratislava-City.sk. http://www.bratislava-city.sk/bratislava-twin-towns. Retrieved 26 Oct. 2008. 
  40. ↑ Praha, Texas, Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved on 24 Feb. 2009.
  41. ↑ History of Prague, Oklahoma, City of Prague, OK official website. Retrieved on 24 Feb. 2009.
  42. ↑ Prague, Saunders County, Virtual Nebraska, University of Nebraska. Retrieved on 24 Feb. 2009.
  43. ↑ Heritage of New Prague, Minnesota, USA, New Prague Chamber of Commerce website. Retrieved on 24 Feb. 2009.

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Administrative seats of Czech regions Czech Republic
Brno • České Budějovice • Hradec Králové • Jihlava • Karlovy Vary • Liberec • Ostrava • Olomouc • Pardubice • Plzeň • Prague • Ústí nad Labem • Zlín
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World Heritage Sites in the Czech Republic Flag of the Czech Republic

Český Krumlov · Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž · Holašovice Historical Village Reservation · Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc · Jewish Quarter and St. Procopius' Basilica, Třebíč · Kutná Hora · Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape · Litomyšl Castle · Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk · Prague · Telč · Tugendhat Villa, Brno
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European Union Capital cities of the Member States of the European Union European Union
Netherlands Amsterdam · Greece Athens · Germany Berlin · Slovakia Bratislava · Belgium Brussels · Romania Bucharest · Hungary Budapest · Denmark Copenhagen · Republic of Ireland Dublin · Finland Helsinki · Portugal Lisbon · Slovenia Ljubljana · United Kingdom London · Luxembourg Luxembourg City · Spain Madrid · Cyprus Nicosia · France Paris · Czech Republic Prague · Latvia Riga · Italy Rome · Bulgaria Sofia · Sweden Stockholm · Estonia Tallinn · Malta Valletta · Austria Vienna · Lithuania Vilnius · Poland Warsaw
European Capitals of Culture

1985 Athens · 1986 Florence · 1987 Amsterdam · 1988 West Berlin · 1989 Paris · 1990 Glasgow · 1991 Dublin · 1992 Madrid · 1993 Antwerp · 1994 Lisbon · 1995 Luxembourg City · 1996 Copenhagen · 1997 Thessaloniki · 1998 Stockholm · 1999 Weimar · 2000 Reykjavík · Bergen · Helsinki · Brussels · Prague · Kraków · Santiago de Compostela · Avignon · Bologna · 2001 Rotterdam · Porto · 2002 Bruges · Salamanca · 2003 Graz · 2004 Genoa · Lille · 2005 Cork · 2006 Patras · 2007 Luxembourg City and Greater Region · Sibiu · 2008 Liverpool · Stavanger · 2009 Linz · Vilnius · 2010 Essen · Istanbul · Pécs · 2011 Turku · Tallinn · 2012 Maribor · Guimarães · 2013 Košice  · Marseille