Good things come in twelvesOriginally called the New Synagogue, this holy place received its double moniker after other synagogues were built in Prague in the 16th century. It has survived nearly 750 years of turbulent history, and stands today in Prague’s Jewish Quarter as a powerful symbol of its ancient community.The synagogue’s Gothic design is simple, elegant and deeply symbolic. As well as the oldest active synagogue in Europe, it is also the oldest with a double-nave design: its six vaulted bays each have two narrow lancet windows, totalling twelve in representation of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Above the entrance is a carved design of twelve vines with twelve bunches of grapes, again symbolising the Tribes. Two central pillars surround the bimah, from which the Torah is read: the bimah’s base also incorporates the twelve vines. Home of GolemOne legend surrounding the synagogue’s origins is that its stones were transported by angels from the Second Temple of Jerusalem, which was demolished in 70 AD - on the condition that they be returned on the Messiah’s arrival, when a new temple is to be built there.Even more famous, however, is the legend of the Golem of Prague. The Golem was an artificial man or ‘robot,’ a monster made of clay by Rabbi Jehud Loew ben Bezalel in the 16th century. The Rabbi created the Golem to defend Prague from antisemitic attacks; it required no rest or sustenance, only the removal of the shem, a tablet bearing a Hebrew inscription placed in its mouth, on Shabbat. One day he forgot to remove the shem, and the Golem went on a rampage; the Rabbi removed the shem, and immobilized the Golem forever. The synagogue’s genizah, a storage place in the attic - which is not accessible to the general public - is reported to hold the Golem’s remains.

Chequered history Prague Castle is a 70,000m² complex of churches, palaces, halls, towers and gardens, and has been the seat of power for Bohemian Kings, Holy Roman Emperors and Czech presidents. The castle has a long history. The now ruined Church of the Virgin Mary was first built on the site in 870 AD; its oldest surviving building is the Basilica of St. George, founded in 920. Having weathered a number of wars and a great fire in 1451, the castle has undergone a number of renovations and rebuildings. Its architectural styles span a millennium, including wonderful examples of Gothic and Romanesque, and the castle houses several museums including the National Gallery collection of Bohemian art in St. George’s Basilica. Relics of Bohemia Another highlight is the Czech Crown Jewels in St. Vitus’ Cathedral; some of the oldest Crown Jewels in Europe, they include the Crown of Saint Wenceslas. During the Nazi occupation Reinhard Heydrich, the ‘Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia’ who took the castle as his headquarters, was rumoured to have worn the crown; an ancient legend states that any usurper who does so will die within a year and sure enough, Heydrich was killed eight months later. Today, the castle is the seat of Miloš Zeman, the Czech president and current head of state. His state rooms are open the first Saturday after 8 May every year. The castle is also host to numerous concerts and shows each year in its Spanish Hall, and outside St. Vitus on the Terrace of the Riding School. 

Historic centreSat between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge, Prague’s Old Town Square is a magnificent space surrounded by historic buildings. Its centre is dominated by a monument to religious reformer Jan Hus, whose martyrdom in 1415 sparked the Hussite Wars. Overlooking the square is the city’s main church, the Church of Our Lady before Týn, with its stunning 80 metre Gothic towers lit up spectacularly at night. The Old Town Hall is similarly imposing, and features an astronomical clock installed in 1410 - as with many of Prague’s landmarks, it is the world’s oldest still in operation. In the pavement in front are 27 crosses memorialising the Bohemian rebels beheaded on this spot in the 1621 Old Town Square Execution. From martyrs to marketsAlso found here is the more modest but no less lovely Church of St. Nicholas, a wonderful example of Baroque architecture with a white façade - and still in care of the Hussites to this day. Excellent classical concerts are held here alongside church services.Good street food (and great beers) can be enjoyed all year round, but the square becomes a truly magical place at Easter and Christmas when its medieval-style markets spring up. With stalls surrounding the statue of Jan Hus, the markets attract visitors from all over the world, selling everything from Christmas decorations to traditional Czech cookies, a warm honey liquor called medovina and festive potpourri.

Bridging the gapThere has long been a bridge across the Vltava river of Prague: records as far back as the 10th century talk of a wooden structure there. The first stone one was completed in around 1170 and named the Judith Bridge after Vladislav II’s wife. The Charles Bridge was built as a replacement when the Judith was badly damaged by floods (of which the Charles has itself since weathered its fair share). The first stone was laid in 1357, and the last finally in 1402. The name comes from King Charles IV, who ordered its construction - although it was simply called the Stone Bridge until 1870.Linking the two halves of Prague, the bridge is a majestic walkway, ten metres wide and stretching over half a kilometre in length. It sits atop sixteen massive arches, and walking along you are flanked by thirty baroque sculptures of various saints, added between 1683 and 1928 (although most are replicas, the originals being held in the Czech National Museum for safekeeping). The most famous is also the oldest, commemorating Saint John of Nepomuk, a patron saint of Bohemia whose death in the Vltava - he was thrown off the bridge at the orders of King Wenceslaus in 1393 - led to him being seen as a protector from floods and drowning. From old to newThe bridge is guarded by three towers. Two are at the Lesser Town end, and the other, a magnificent Gothic civic building, creates an arched entrance to the Old Town. All three can be climbed for a vista over the bridge. A popular attraction for its wonderful views of the river and Prague Castle, the bridge itself is a busy place: tourists jostle for good vantage points as painters, jazz bands and hotdog vendors vie for their custom. The early hours tend to be quieter.Far more than a piece of magnificent civil engineering, a visit to the Charles Bridge is an essential part of any trip to Prague: with an aura of Gothic grandeur, it truly captures the sense of the city as a medieval metropolis.

Mesmerising and beautiful, the Astronomical Clock has a unique way of announcing every hour.

The Vltava's ninth bridge connects the Rudolfinum with the Lesser Quarter, and embodies the spirit of Czech Modernism.

A stunning masterpiece of Gothic architecture designed by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.

Formerly the Jewish Ghetto, this historic enclave is surrounded by the Old Town.

This was the civil center of the old Jewish ghetto of Prague, just as the Old New Synagogue located beside it was the ghetto's religious center.