Places in Prague

Prague's Astronomical Clock

One of the greatest historical sights in the stylish capital of the Czech Republic is the Prague Astronomical Clock - the so-called Prague Orloj. It is located at the south wall of Old Town City. It has three main parts - astronomical dial (which displays the position of the Sun and the Moon), including the sky and astronomical details. The other part is called "The Walk of the Apostles". The third part is a calendar with medallions symbolizing the months of the year. The first clock, which was built on a spot, was errected in the distant 1410 by Mikulas of Kadan. Later, Gothic sculptures were added. In its history, the clock started and stopped several times, but it underwent various repairment. It also burnt down one time, but was restored. The astronomical dial is actually built as a replica of "astrolabe". Astrolabe is a tool used in Medieval times in astronomy. The other view is that the Orloj is a primitive planetarium, showing a model of the universe. In the astronomical dial you can see the planets, the constellation and the sun. The signs of the zodiac are also represented. The sun which revolves around the zodiacal circle is golden!

The largest castle in the world!

You might think that the biggest castle in the world is in England, or Scotland, or Austria, or Le Louvre... but you'd be wrong, because the largest castle in the world is the Castle of Prague. Built in 870, it is one of the oldest, too. During the years it was a convent, a Romanesque castle, a Gothic one. The Habsburgs turned it into Renaissance - by building some adjacent extensions. Unfortunately, during the Bohemian Revolt in 17-th century the castle was badly damaged.

Charles Bridge

The most famous bridge in Prague is called Charles Bridge (Karluv most). It connects the two banks of the Valtava river. The building of the bridge started in the 14-th century by King Charles IV and ended in 15-th century. What is interesting that in its place there was even odler bridge built by the Romans called Judith Bridge. By mid 19th century it was the most important connection between the 'old' and the 'new' parts of the capital. It is 516 metres long and 10 m wide, the material: sandstone and mortar. In the 18th century the famous baroque figures of people were installed. Actually most of them are saints. In the 1960s all the originals were replaced by replicas and the originals are now kept in the National Museum.

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