Sights

Hradcany
Hradcany, the residential area around the west gate of Prague Castle, was made a town in its own right in 1320. Before it became a borough of Prague in 1598 it suffered heavy damage in the Hussite wars, and in the Great Fire of 1541. Nevertheless, the area is an outdoor museum of well-kept antiquities.
Hradcany Námestí has kept its shape since the Middle Ages. Startling Scwartzenburg Palace and other examples of baroque- and rococo-style residences make the area an architecture buff's dream.
A short walk west will bring you to Loretánskí Námestí, created in the 18th century when Cernin Palace (now home to the foreign ministry) was built. The square's main attraction is the Loreta (1626), an extraordinary baroque place of pilgrimage designed to resemble the house of the Virgin Mary. It's surrounded by several lovely chapels and an eye-popping treasury, which features the tasteful Prague Sun, made of solid silver and plenty of gold and inlaid with 6222 diamonds.

Prague Castle
With a magnificent cliff-top outlook, a 1000-year-old history going back to a simple walled-in compound in the 9th century, and a breathtaking scale that qualifies it as the biggest ancient castle in the world, Prague Castle is the indisputable centrepiece of the Czech capital. Spend at least half a day in awe here.
Prague Castle (Pražský Hrad, or just hrad to the Czechs) claims its 'largest' title by the following figures - 570m long, an average of 128m wide and occupying 7.28 hectares. As the most popular tourist attraction in Prague, at least there's plenty of room to spread out.
The castle has been the seat of Czech government since Prince Borivoj founded the first fortified settlement here in the 9th century, though president Václav Havel chose to live in his smaller (and less touristed) home on the outskirts of the city.
The most popular edifices include Gothic St Vitus Cathedral (1344), its rich decorations epitomized by the glittering Chapel of St Wenceslas; the Old Royal Palace (1135) and its jousting and coronation hall, still used for the swearing in of new presidents; and the Royal Garden (1569), where homesick Habsburgs surrounded their badminton courts with beautiful flowers and striking Italian Renaissance residences.
Don't miss Prague Castle's less famous attractions, such as the network of tunnels (1950) the communist government built for easy access to the bomb shelters. Other interesting artefacts include the Battling Titans statues (1767-70; Ignac Platzer), which oversee the hourly changing of the guards, and the Toy Museum, featuring one of the world's largest collections with items dating back to ancient Greece.

Josefov (Old Jewish Quarter)
This slice of Staré Mesto contains the remains of the once-thriving neighbourhood of Josefov, Prague's former Jewish ghetto.
The half-dozen old synagogues, a ceremonial hall and the powerfully melancholic Old Jewish Cemetery were perversely preserved by Nazi leaders, who declared them to be a 'museum of an extinct race'. Instead, all have survived as a memorial to seven centuries of oppression.
The Old-New Synagogue (1270) is Europe's oldest working synagogue; you step down into it because it predates the raising of Staré Mesto's streets against floods.
The Pinkas Synagogue (1535) is a handsome place of worship inscribed with the names, birth dates and dates of disappearance of 77,297 Bohemian and Moravian Holocaust victims, while the 1868 Spanish Synagogue, named for its striking Moorish interior, offers an exhibit on Jews in the Czech Republic from emancipation to the present day.

Malá Strana
Malá Strana (the Small Quarter) clusters around the foot of Prague Castle. Most visitors pass through on steep Royal Way, as they climb to the castle, but the narrow side streets of this baroque quarter are worth examining. Almost too picturesque for its own good, the district is now a favourite for movie and commercial sets.
Charming churches and palaces in the area date from the 17th and 18th centuries, with Renaissance facades that were later 'baroquified'.
Along the Royal Way, Nerudova Ulice is the quarter's most architecturally important street. Gems like the House of Two Suns, where poet Jan Neruda penned Tales of the Little Quarter (along with plenty of influential liberal essays and articles), and Bretfield Palace are two great examples of Czech artistry.
Dominating the quarter is St Nicholas Church, not to be confused with the eponymous chapel on Old Town Square. This exquisite building, with its huge green cupola, houses the largest fresco in Europe, Johann Kracker's 1770 Life of St Nicholas.

Old Town Square
The centrepiece of Staré Mesto is the huge 1.7-hectare (4.2 acres) Old Town Square. It has been Prague's working heart since the 10th century, and hosted its largest market until the beginning of the 20th century. It's surrounded by a maze of alleys and is home to some of Prague's most famous monuments.
It's also a great venue for outdoor concerts, political meetings and other public events. Nearby, Old Town Hall (1338), was cobbled from a series of row houses by a cash-poor city council. Though it took heavy damage in WWII, the famous Astronomical Clock (1410) survives. Visitors intent on ogling the mechanical marvel wait for the hourly show, when Death rings a bell and inverts his hourglass and a parade of apostles pass by, nodding to the crowd.
Stroll down the Royal Way to the Vlatava, where the Charles Bridge has endured traffic for 600 years - thanks, legend says, to eggs mixed into the mortar. Monuments and statues of historic importance, dating from 1657 to 1858, provide a dramatic frame for views up and down the river.

Petrin Hill
This 318m (1043ft) hill is topped with a network of eight parks, comprising one of Prague's largest green spaces. It's great for cool, quiet walks and postcard-perfect views of the 'City of 100 Spires.' Once upon a time, the hill was draped with vineyards, and you can still see the quarry that provided stone for most of Prague's Romanesque and Gothic buildings.
You can tone your thigh muscles hiking up from Hradcany or Strahov, or take the funicular railway for the same price as a tram ride. Just south of the cable-car terminus is Stefanik Observatory, where anyone can enjoy an enhanced view of a clear and starry night.
North of the terminus on the summit is Petrin Tower, a 62m (203ft) copy of the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1891 Prague Exposition. You can climb its 299 steps for a small fee. On a clear day, you'll be able to take in sublime views of the central Bohemian woodlands.

Karlstejn Castle
Karlstejn Castle is unquestionably the most photogenic castle in the Prague region. It's also the most visited castle in the Czech Republic - get there early to beat the busloads of tourists angling for that postcard-perfect snap.

Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary, better known by its German name, Karlsbad, is the most famous Bohemian spa. It was named for the Bohemian king and German and Holy Roman emperor Charles (Karl) IV who allegedly found the springs in 1358 during a hunting expedition. In the 19th century, royalty came here from all over Europe for treatment. Among the rich and famous who visited Karlsbad are Goethe, Schiller, Beethoven, Chopin, and Karl Marx.
This worldfamous spa has been known for its 12 medicinal mineral springs and you will get the chance to taste them. In Karlovy Vary you can also find historical and modern colonnades and locally manufactured glass and porcelain.

For Dutch speaking persons the following link is usefull for more information about Prague:  praag.startkabel.nl