Prague
The name Prague emerges from the Czech word pražiti, meaning to roast or burn. A 19th-century mathematician named Bernard Bolzano counted over 500 spires in the city skyline, earning it the nickname City of a Hundred Spires. Early legends describe a prophetess named Libuše standing on a rocky cliff above the Vltava River. She prophesied that a great city would rise there whose glory would touch the stars. This vision led to the founding of Praha and its castle. The oldest written record appears in Chronica Boemorum between 1119 and 1125 by Cosmas of Prague. Linguist Antonín Profous corrected earlier theories in the mid-20th century. He argued the name refers to hot arid places due to the shale bedrock where the castle was founded. The English spelling comes directly from French usage. Archaeological deposits stretch deeper than 10 meters beneath the modern streets.
Charles IV ruled as Holy Roman Emperor from 1346 until his death in 1378. He transformed Prague into an imperial capital during this period. Construction began on St. Vitus Cathedral in 1344 within the largest courtyard of Prague Castle. Charles University opened its doors in 1347, becoming the oldest university in Central Europe. A new district called Nové Město or New Town expanded adjacent to the Old Town under his direct design. The Judith Bridge stood over the Vltava River until a flood destroyed it in 1342. Charles ordered the construction of the Hunger Wall south of Malá Strana during a famine in the 1360s. This fortification provided employment and food for workers and their families. By the 1470s, the city housed approximately 70,000 inhabitants across 360 hectares. It ranked as the third-largest city in the Holy Roman Empire at that time.
Easter 1389 saw clergy announce that Jews had desecrated the host wafer. Mobs pillaged and burned the Jewish quarter, killing nearly all 750 residents. Jan Hus preached radical reforms from Bethlehem Chapel starting in 1402. He was burned at the stake in Konstanz in 1415 after being summoned by the Council of Constance. Four years later, rebels led by priest Jan Želivský threw officials out of windows in Prague's first defenestration. Peasant rebels commanded by general Jan Žižka defeated Emperor Sigismund at the Battle of Vítkov Hill in 1420. The Hussite Banner measured roughly three meters wide with red fields sprinkled with white fleurs-de-lis. Swedish troops captured one such banner during the Battle of Prague in 1648. They took it to Stockholm where it remains today despite poor condition. Ferdinand II deposed Protestant leaders in 1621 following the Battle of White Mountain. Twenty-seven Czech Protestant leaders were executed in Old Town Square that same year. A great fire devastated Prague in 1689, sparking a major renovation effort. Plague struck again between 1713 and 1714, killing between 12,000 and 13,000 people.
Hitler ordered German Army entry into Prague on the 15th of March 1939. He proclaimed Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate from Prague Castle. Operation Anthropoid occurred in 1942 when Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš assassinated Reinhard Heydrich. Bloody reprisals followed this act against Nazi Germany's most powerful men. US bombing raids in February 1945 killed 701 people and injured over 1,000 more. An uprising erupted on the 5th of May 1945 four days before Germany capitulated. The Red Army entered the capital almost unopposed at daybreak on the 9th of May 1945. About 50,000 Germans fled or were expelled after the war under Beneš decrees. The world's largest Stalin Monument stood on Letná hill until its destruction in 1962. Students demonstrated at Strahov on the 31st of October 1967, sparking the Prague Spring movement. Soviet tanks invaded on the 21st of August 1968 to crush reforms led by Alexander Dubček. Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc committed suicide by self-immolation in early 1969 as protest. Riot police beat back student demonstrations in November 1989 during the Velvet Revolution.
The historic center of Prague received UNESCO World Heritage status in 1992. Romanesque foundations date from around 885 beneath what became Prague Castle. Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral began construction in 1344 but remained incomplete until the 20th century. Baroque Saint Nicholas Church stands as the best example of that style in Malá Strana. Art Nouveau Municipal House serves as a major civic landmark and concert hall. Frank O. Gehry designed the deconstructivist Dancing House known locally as Fred and Ginger Building. Adolf Loos created Villa Müller while Jean Nouvel constructed Golden Angel. The Old New Synagogue dates to 1270 and still stands today. Over ten major museums house collections ranging from glass to textiles to art. Hundreds of galleries, cinemas, and music clubs fill the cityscape. The Charles Bridge connects east bank districts to Malá Strana and castle areas. Petřín Hill features a lookout tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Prague accounts for 25 percent of Czech Republic GDP as its regional economy. Average salaries reached CZK 45,944 per month during the fourth quarter of 2020. Services make up approximately 80 percent of employment across the city. Financial and commercial services dominate alongside trade restaurants hospitality and public administration. Eight hundred thousand employees work in Prague including 120,000 daily commuters. Foreign residents numbered 351,734 as of March 2025 with 132,170 holding permanent residence. Tourism brings more than 8.5 million international visitors annually according to 2017 data. The city ranked fifth most visited European destination after London Paris Rome and Istanbul. Na příkopě street charges €2,640 rent per square meter making it among world's priciest locations. Over 73,000 beds exist in accommodation facilities mostly built since 1990. International film productions like Mission Impossible and Spider-Man filmed at Barrandov Studios. The Prague Spring International Music Festival draws global audiences every year. The National Museum covers disciplines from natural sciences to social sciences.
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Common questions
What is the origin of the name Prague?
The name Prague emerges from the Czech word pražiti, meaning to roast or burn. Linguist Antonín Profous corrected earlier theories in the mid-20th century by arguing the name refers to hot arid places due to the shale bedrock where the castle was founded.
When did Charles IV rule as Holy Roman Emperor and what changes did he make to Prague?
Charles IV ruled as Holy Roman Emperor from 1346 until his death in 1378. He transformed Prague into an imperial capital during this period by ordering construction on St. Vitus Cathedral in 1344 and opening Charles University in 1347.
How many people died during the Easter 1389 pogrom against Jews in Prague?
Mobs pillaged and burned the Jewish quarter during Easter 1389 killing nearly all 750 residents. This event followed clergy announcements that Jews had desecrated the host wafer.
On which dates did Soviet tanks invade Prague and when was the Stalin Monument destroyed?
Soviet tanks invaded on the 21st of August 1968 to crush reforms led by Alexander Dubček. The world's largest Stalin Monument stood on Letná hill until its destruction in 1962.
What is the current GDP contribution of Prague to the Czech Republic economy?
Prague accounts for 25 percent of Czech Republic GDP as its regional economy. Services make up approximately 80 percent of employment across the city with financial and commercial services dominating alongside trade restaurants hospitality and public administration.