Prague is often called ‘the world’s most beautiful city’ and with good reason. Like a picture book of history, each building in the city shows a different time. We have our own beautiful cities of course (Bath and Chester often are rivals for the title). But what can we learn, about helping all our cities being just as pretty?
Ancient Buildings are Treasured
The main reason that Prague is so beautiful is that it’s full of ancient buildings that are looked after, rather than being demolished to make way for new glass buildings. The only ‘blot on the landscape’ is Zizkov Tower (a new building that’s tall and grey and some say looks like an electric toothbrush). Prague even has its own ‘mini Eiffel Tower!’ Inspired by the original (built for the 1889 Paris World Fair), this is around a fifth of the height, but looks quite similar.
Firstly, there is the Old Town. Here, you find structures from the medieval days. Prague Castle (one of the biggest castles in the world) sits on a hill, looking down over the city. Prague also has splendid Baroque and Gothic buildings. These styles use curves and sharp points. And inspired by Art Nouveau, some buildings have faces or flowers carved into their sides!
In England, we have seen developers bulldoze Birmingham Central Library (a magnificent Victorian building), Euston Railway Station entrance (a magnificent architecture relic) and the art-deco Olympic pool where Johnny Weissmuller (who played Tarzan) used to swim. Recently, England’s second-oldest pear tree has been demolished to make way for the disastrous HS2 project (which will do nothing to stop climate change, and kill around 22,000 wildlife yearly once built).
Ten Percent of Prague is Green Space
Prague has beautiful parks throughout the city, plus lots of lovely urban woodland a short tram journey out of the city. The train system is also very good, you can reach Prague easily from anywhere else. Prague is also home to many vineyards, so most wine is from the local city.
The main park is Stromovka, which has a whopping 257 acres of green space with ponds and bridges and paths, right in the centre of the city. Beer is one of the ‘national drinks’ in the Czech Republic and many parks have kiosks where you can buy a beer, to relax and sip while enjoying the views.
Riegrovy Sady is unique in that it’s not just located in an affluent area of Prague, but it’s modelled after a classic English garden, from the 19th century. The park (with a view of Prague Castle) is situated in the district of Vinohrady (so-named as it used to be covered with vineyards), a beautiful area of pastel-coloured art deco buildings along with plenty of people-watching cafes and outdoor markets.
A City of over 500 Churches
Whether you are religious or not, this has got to be a good thing. Prague preserves its heritage buildings, and most churches are open all the time including overnight (not locked to prevent people needing them to pray at difficult times).
