What is the Czech Republic famous for? How many things can you think of? Here are some suggestions:

Prague

Prague is a very famous European city and many people travel to see it. It is known as 'the city of 100 spires' and the 'pearl of Baroque' - Prague has a lot of Baroque-style architecture. It is more than a thousand years old, so there is a great deal of history to see.

There is an area in Prague which is called the Mala Strana, or little town. Here there are very narrow streets, and very old buildings dating back to the Renaissance - that's from the -fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries - and Baroque churches. Within Mala Strana there is actually an island called Kampa - it's a bit like Venice because the buildings rise straight out of the water!

The Charles Bridge is the most famous bridge in Prague. It was built in 1400, and now many people travel to squeeze across it together, admiring the view!

The old town and its square are really the key parts of Prague - this is where the marketplace is, and it is also where the old Jewish Quarter can be found. There are only a few thousand Jews living here now: before World War II there were 50,000, but the invasion of the Nazis meant that the Jewish population was nearly wiped out. The old Jewish buildings still remain, with the Synagogues, Jewish Town Hall and Ceremonial Hall standing.

Wenceslas Square is also a centre for culture: there are lots of theatres, cinemas, restaurants and shops.

But there are other key cities too. These include Brno, Ostrava, Plzen (which is well-known for its breweries) and Olomouc.

Castles

There are almost 1000 castles and ruins throughout the Czech country. It has a lot of history that has been well-preserved over time. For example, there is Karlsejn, which is one of the most popular castles near Prague, founded by Charles IV in 1348. There are about 40 well preserved castles, all of which are very popular with visitors. It is thought that the most popular attraction for people visiting Prague is Prague castle. This building dates back to the ninth century and has been the seat of the Czech rulers throughout history. The Czech President lives there now.

Literature and the Arts

There are quite a few famous Czech writers: some go back as far as the ninth century! From the twentieth century we have Franz Kafka, Milan Kundera and the playwright Václav Havel, amongst the many.

The Czech film industry is becoming more powerful, and the Czech Republic has a strong tradition in animated and puppet films; the most popular are those are produced by a Czech film producer called Jirí Trnka.

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