If you are planning your trip to Prague, the first thing you should do is to find suitable accommodation there.
Here is one cool residence we would recommend you www.voytaresidence.com Voyta Residence is situated in the center of the Prague, 2 minutes slow walking from National Theatre (Národní divadlo), one of Prugue’s attractions and 1 minute from Vltava River, about 5 minutes walking from Charles bridge and Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí). On the one hand you can enjoy quiet old Prague surrounding and feel the flavor of its real everyday life. One the other hand – you are just 5 minutes far from active, bright, never sleeping touristic core of this town with all its entertainments.

At Voyta Residence you can rent:

- Twin room (two single beds, shared bathroom and toilet – 24 euro), Double room (double bed, shared bathroom and toilet – 24 euro), Triple room (three single beds, shared bathroom and toilet – 30 €). Prices per room / night

- Studios (living room/bedroom with fully equipped built-in kitchen unit, a shower and wc. The bedroom is equipped with: double bed . The studio apartment includes other equipment as a satellite TV, internet connection, refrigerator, electric cooker, electric kettle, kitchen sink and other kitchen equipment.) Price – 55 -80 euro depending on season.

- Apartments(one or two bedrooms plus living room plus kitchen, a bathroom with a bath-tub and wc. The apartment includes other equipment as a satellite TV, DVD player, internet connection, refrigerator, electric cooker, electric kettle, kitchen sink and other kitchen equipment.)Price: 65-195 euro depending on season.

Address of Voyta Residence: Vojtesska 18, PRAGUE 1. For booking please email here: info(at)voytaresidence.com (replace (at) with @ ) or call +420 224 933 776 .

Below you can find some pictures of this comfortable accommodation. Have a great time in Prague!

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Walking near Prague Castle and Royal Garden we arrived to Prague wine harvesting festival (vinobrani) and we decided to stay and check it out. Our participation consisted in tasting of young fermenting wine and purchase of some old wine for later.

Throughout southern Moravia local ‘vinobrani’ (wine festivals) celebrate the arrival of ‘Burcak’, the new, semi-fermented wine, in late August and early September. Visitors can also expect to be entertained by costumed jugglers, sword fighters and dancers. The weekend presents a full program, beginning with an evening costume procession. Other events and attractions include a knights’ tournament, an historical market, medieval music, dances, theater performances and plenty of opportunities to try the celebrated burcak. The grand finale comes with a display of fireworks.

The tasting and drinking of burcak has been part of Czech fall since old times. Tasting this young wine bring back so many memories from childhood, when this was only “alcohol” we have been allowed to drink.

Burcak is very young grape juice that is just starting fermenting. It is high in sugar and low in alcohol, but throughout fermentation the ratio between them is changing in favor of alcohol and wine is being born. We are not wine experts, but in our travels we learn little about flavor, color and taste.

From a wine producer we wound some interesting facts about the Czech wine production. The most productive part of the Czech Republic is the southeast part of Moravia. They have some vineyards in Bohemia and Prague, but Moravia with its plentiful sunshine, fertile soil and the right amount of rain gives grapes an excellent color, flavor and taste that give the wine the best quality that can be compared to quality of French and Italian wine.

We know that in north America it would be hard to find this wines, but if you look after small Czech, Polish, Slovak, Hungarian or Romanian store you could find them or you could order them. The California’s wine can’t even compare with the sweetness of this wines. You have to trust us by word.

While tasting the burcak you can listen some folk music or watch some folk dancing. It is a very popular event and you are surrounded all time by people all drinking burcak.

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The Prague Zoo is located in Troja, a border city quarter, but it is well accessible from the center. From the underground station on route C – Nadrazi Holesovice, take a bus number 112, leaving many times per hour, but it is often very full. Romantic souls can reach the Zoo by the steam boat leaving from the waterfront (Rasinovo nabrezi).

The Zoo is opened from 9 AM to 6 PM during the fall. The entrance fee is 70 Czk for an adult, 50 Czk reduced (children, students, seniors), but if you planning to stay in Prague for some time and you really are into animals, it is much better bargain to buy a permanent ticket for 500 Czk which is valid for one year. Children up to 3 years have a free entrance. In the Zoo there is a lift railway and a small train. These are both paid separately. For the pet owners there is an option to take your dog with you.

At the Zoo entrance we found out some interesting info. The Prague Zoo belongs to Czech most beautiful and biggest gardens, there were visitors already in 1931. First inhabitant of the Zoo was the wolf Lotty. During the whole twentieth century new occupiers from animal kingdom were increasing. In 2002 a big disaster hit the garden – flash flood which washed down more than half of the garden. Thanks to sponsors and donators things are now working as they should.

At this moment thousands of mammals are sheltered here, as well as over 1300 birds and almost 800 reptiles. They also fish, amphibians, shells and insects. It is not possible to write out all, come to see and you sure won´t be disappointed.
The Zoo is offering an interesting program to adopt one animal for one year. You become adoptive parent and a label with your name will be placed next to the animal´s location.

The most appreciated pavilions are the Indonesian Jungle and the Monkey Island where you can have a look at the luxuriant flora and fauna of the jungle or practically play with the cute lemurs.

After visiting the lower part of the Zoo we took the lift railway to the top part of the Zoo. From the chair you have a good view of the bird’s habitat.

On the top side of the Zoo you can take a brake and have a beer and a great sausage. To be honest was one of the best we eat in some time. The beer costs around 25 Czk and 20 Czk for a sausage.

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The Old Town Square is one of two main squares in the city centre. We have travel many countries and cities and we consider this square to be one of the most beautiful historical sights in Europe. Old buildings, ancient statues and magnificent churches are creating an epic image of this plaza.

First historical mention of this square is from late 12th century when the Old Town Square started life as the central marketplace for Prague. Over the next few centuries, many buildings of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic styles were erected around the market, each bringing with them stories of wealthy merchants and intrigue.

At the centre of the Old Town Square is the Jan Hus statue, erected on the 6th July 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of the reformer’s death.

The Old Town Square’s most notable sights are the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, the Old Town Hall Tower & Astronomical Clock and the stunning St. Nicholas Church.

The Church of Our Lady Before Tyn (Týnský Chrám) dominates one side of the Old Town Square. The spires of this powerful looking Gothic church, but with a Baroque interior, can be seen from all over Prague.

The Astronomical Clock on the side of the Old Town Hall Tower dates back to the 15th century. To appreciate this intricate construction to its fullest, we had to join the crowd in front of the tower to observe the procession of the Twelve Apostles: on the hour, every hour, a small trap door opens and Christ marches out ahead of his disciples, while the skeleton of death tolls the bell to a defiant statue of a Turk.

Beautiful St. Nicholas Church at the Old Town Square was completed in 1735. It replaced a parish church, mentioned in records dating back as early as 1273.

After so much walking and visiting we sit back and soak up the atmosphere over a beer at one of the many pavement cafés surrounding the square.

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Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti) is one of two main squares in the city centre, and a very popular place to stay.

Tourists can find many oportunities for entertainment, and the nightlife is great with clubs and casinos. In same area are many international shops which make this square to be Prague’s main shopping area. Wenceslas Square also offers easy walking access to all Prague’s sights & attractions. From here you can reach anywhere in the city centre.

The 750m long and 60m wide boulevard that makes up Wenceslas Square was laid out over 600 years ago during the reign of Charles IV. It was originally used as the main Prague horse market.

Over the years the square has been a regular parade ground for all kinds of organisations and political parties. From anti-communist uprisings to celebrations of national sporting achievements, this is where Czech’s come to let off steam. Wenceslas Square can comfortably hold up to 400,000 people!

At the top of Wenceslas Square, the statue of St. Wenceslas on his horse cuts a striking figure. This is good King Wenceslas (Vaclav), murdered over a thousand years ago by his brother, and now a Czech national hero.

In front of St. Wenceslas are two plaques in memory of those killed during the Communist era. One is dedicated to Jan Palach, a 20-year old student who set himself on fire in January 1969, in protest at the Soviet invasion.

Behind St. Wenceslas is the monumental National Museum, and just off to the left is the Prague State Opera.

One thing that we didn’t apreciate much is the “weed” sellers offering for sell thier stuff in very aggresive way. We don’t smoke and we don’t have anything against “smokers”, and personaly we think that it should be legalized, just to control it somehow. And to compare, the stuff sold in Prague doesn’t have same quality like the one sold in Canada for exemple. (Opinion of a smoker, not ours)

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From Charles Bridge visitors enjoy fairytale views of the Prague skyline. The wide expanse of the river flows beneath it, flanked on both sides by elegant buildings. Prague Castle towers above in its eminent position. Here you are truly in the center of the city.

We fascinated about this place. During the day the bridge is full of tourists from many corners of the world. Street artists sketch and musicians play; look out for the jazz band, who are particularly entertaining. But for a truly romantic and less crowded stroll, try early morning or any time in the evening. Then you can see the beauty of this place.

From what we read from books King Charles IV commissioned the bridge. The foundation stone was laid in 1357. Charles IV’s favourite architect and builder, Peter Parler, oversaw the majority of the work. The initial idea was to build a functional construction for knight tournaments, and for many years the only decoration on the bridge was a simple crucifix. Later, the Catholic desire for ornamentation resulted in 30 statues being erected between 1600 and 1800.

There are now 75 statues on Charles Bridge, but most are copies, as floods and catastrophes over the centuries damaged the originals. Perhaps the most interesting, as well as the oldest, is that of John of Nepomuk (8th from the right as you cross towards Prague Castle).

The entrance to Charles Bridge is marked at both ends by towers: the Old Town Bridge Tower and the Mala Strana Bridge Tower.

The Old Town Bridge Tower is a beautiful Gothic tower guarding Charles Bridge, and heralding entrance to the Old Town. This blackened, aged gate was completed in 1380 and forms part of the old fortification system of Prague, built to protect the Old Town against northern invaders.

Although partially damaged by the failed attempt of marauding Swedes to occupy the Old Town in 1648, sculptures by Peter Parler (whose genius can also be seen in St. Vitus Cathedral) survive.

We climb the 138 stairs inside the tower to reach the tower gallery, for a bird’s-eye view over Charles Bridge, the Vltava River, the Old Town, Mala Strana and Prague Castle.

On the other side of Charles Bridge, guarding entrance to Mala Strana, is the very similar looking Mala Strana Bridge Tower.

If you come from the Old Town side of the city, this is the main entry point to Mala Strana, a lovely ancient quarter of Prague with restaurants, bars and boutique shops.

The Mala Strana Bridge Tower was built in the second half of the 15th century under the rule of King George of Podebrady. The model for its construction was the Old Town Bridge Tower.

Connected to the Mala Strana Bridge Tower by a walkway is a smaller tower, Judith’s Tower, the only remaining part of the original Prague bridge, the Romanesque Judith’s Bridge, which was destroyed by floods in 1342.

Inside the Mala Strana Bridge Tower is an exhibition which dedicated to the history of the bridge, with graphic descriptions of the invading armies that have passed along it.

Also this tower has stairs to the top, which we climb for a beautiful view over Mala Strana, Charles Bridge, the Vltava River and across into Prague’s Old Town.

For a great selection of places to stay with discount prices visit Prague Hotels more information.

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Around 870: Foundation of Prague Castle.
Around 926: Foundation of St. Vitus Cathedral in the grounds of Prague Castle.
965: Prague first reported in the narration of Ibrahim Ibn Jakub, a merchant.
973: Foundation of Prague bishopric.
10th century: Foundation of Vysehrad on the opposite bank of the Vltava river.
1085: Prague becomes the residence of the first Bohemian king Vratislav I.
1172: Construction of Judita´s Bridge, the 2nd stone bridge in Central Europe.
Around 1230: Establishment of the Old Town.
1257: Foundation of Mala Strana.
1310-1346: John of Luxembourg rules as the king of Bohemia.
Around 1320: Foundation of Hradcany, the area around Prague Castle.
1338: Foundation of the Old Town Hall – the importance of the city increases.
1344: Prague bishopric upgraded to archbishopric, beginning of St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert Cathedral (finished 1929).
1346-1378: Charles IV epoch – Prague becomes the capital of the Bohemian Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire.
1348:Foundation of the New Town and Charles University, the first university in Central Europe.
1419-1437: Attempts of the clergy to reform the church result in the Hussite’s revolutionary movement (Jan Hus – the reform preacher and martyr).
1526: The Hapsburg dynasty ascends the Bohemian throne (lasts until 1918).
1583-1611: Rudolf II becomes the king of Bohemia. Prague becomes the emperor’s residence and the centre of social and cultural life.
1618-1620: Defeat of the Czech nobles´ uprising; Czech language and Czech national consciousness begin to decline.
1784: Union of the four hitherto independent Prague urban units (Hradcany, Lesser Town, Old Town and New Town).
1784-1848: Period of Czech national revival, beginning of the industrial revolution, establishment of Czech institutions.
1918: Proclamation of the independence of Czechoslovakia. Prague becomes the capital of the new state.
1939-1945: Occupation by Nazi Germany.
1945: The Prague uprising, “liberation” of Prague by the Soviet army.
1948: Seizure of power by KSC after the February putsch.
1968: Prague Spring – an attempt to reform socialism, intervention of 5 states of the Warsaw Pact.
1989: Velvet revolution, Vaclav Havel elected President of Czechoslovakia.
1990: First free elections.
1993: January 1, Czechoslovakia splits in two and the Czech Republic is founded.
1993: January 26, Vaclav Havel elected first president of the Czech Republic.
1999: March 12, Czech Republic becomes a member of NATO.
2004: May 1, Czech Republic joins the European Union (E.U.).
2008: January 1, Czech Republic accedes to the Schengen agreement and removes internal borders with Schengen area countries. This allows travel to and from these countries without checks, both at land borders and airports.

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The  site of Gehry’s Dancing House was originally occupied by a house in the Neo-renaissance style from  the end of  the 19th century. That house was destroyed during bombing  in 1945, its remains finally removed in 1960. The neighboring house (with  a small globe on the roof) was co-owned by Czech ex-president Vaclav Havel, who lived there from his childhood until  the mid-1990s, and supported the project hoping that the building would become a center of cultural activity. He ordered the first architectural study from Vlado Milunic (who has been involved in re-building Havel’s appartment in the  neighboring house). Afterwards the Dutch bank ING agreed to build a house there, and asked Milunic to invite a  world-renowned architect. Milunic  first asked Jean Nouvel, who rejected the invitation because of the small size of the site  (491 square meters); he then asked Frank Gehry, who and he accepted the challenge. Gehry had an almost unlimited budget, because ING wanted to create an icon in Prague.  The construction started in 1994 and the house  was finished in 1996.

The building is an example of deconstructivist architecture, with an unusual shape. It reflects a woman and man (Ginger Rogers and Fred Astair) dancing together. Construction is from 99 concrete panels each of different shape and dimension, each therefore requiring a unique wooden form.

Its unusual shape and technical solutions caused a big public debate. After ten years emotions are over, and the house has its place in modern Prague. In 2005 the Czech National Bank issued a gold coin with the motif of the Dancing House, as the final coin of the series “10 Centuries of Architecture.”

Czech president Václav Havel, who lived for decades next to the site, had supported it,

Originally named Fred and Ginger (after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers – the house vaguely resembles a pair of dancers) the house stands out among the Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings for which Prague is famous. Others have nicknamed it “Drunk House”.

On the roof is a French restaurant with magnificent views of the city. The building’s other tenants include several multinational firms. (The plans for a cultural center were not realized.)

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The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; “The Walk of the Apostles”, a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

History

The oldest part of the Orloj, the mechanical clock and astronomical dial, dates back to 1410 when it was made by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel, the latter a professor.

Later, presumably around 1490, the calendar dial was added and clock facade decorated with gothic sculptures.

In 1552 it was repaired by Jan Taborský, clock-master of Orloj, who also wrote a report on the clock where he mentioned Hanuš as maker of the clock. This was a mistake, and was corrected during the 20th century.

The Orloj stopped working many times in the centuries after 1552, and was repaired many times. Some speculate that the original maker’s eyes were gouged out in order to prevent him from making a similar clock for another country. After this he died touching the clock, at which point the clock stopped working and remained unrepairable for a number of years. In the 17th century moving statues were added, and figures of the Apostles were added after major repair in 1865-1866.

The Orloj suffered heavy damage on May 7 and especially May 8, 1945, during the Prague Uprising, when Germans directed incendiary fire from several armored vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun to the south-west side of the Old Town Square in an effort to silence the provocative broadcasting initiated by the National Committee on May 5. The hall and nearby buildings burned along with the wooden sculptures on the Orloj and the calendar dial face made by Josef Mánes. The machinery was repaired, the wooden Apostles restored by Vojtěch Sucharda, and the Orloj started working again in 1948, but only after significant effort [1].

There exists a good deal of misinformation relating to the construction of the Orloj[citation needed]. For a long time it was believed that the Orloj was constructed in 1490 by clockmaster Jan Růže (also called Hanuš) and his assistant Jakub Čech. Another fictitious story involves the clockmaker Hanuš being blinded on the order of the Prague Councillors.

Astronomical dial

The astronomical dial is a form of mechanical astrolabe, a device used in medieval astronomy. Alternatively, one may consider the Orloj to be a primitive planetarium, displaying the current state of the universe.

The astronomical dial has a background that represents the standing Earth and sky, and surrounding it operate four main moving components: the zodiacal ring, an outer rotating ring, an icon representing the Sun, and an icon representing the Moon.

The background represents the Earth and the local view of the sky. The blue circle directly in the center represents the Earth, and the upper blue is the portion of the sky which is above the horizon. The red and black areas indicate portions of the sky below the horizon. During the daytime, the sun sits over the blue part of the background and at night it sits over the black. During dawn or dusk, the mechanical sun is positioned over the red part of the background.

Written on the eastern (left) part of the horizon is aurora (dawn in Latin) and ortus (rising). On the western (right) part is occasus (sunset), and crepusculum (twilight).

Golden Roman numbers at the outer edge of blue circle are the timescale of a normal 24 hour day and indicate time in local Prague time, or Central European Time. Curved golden lines dividing the blue part of dial into 12 parts are marks for unequal hours. These hours are defined as 1/12 of the time between sunrise and sunset, and vary as the days grow longer or shorter during the year.

Zodiacal ring

Inside the large black outer circle lies another movable circle marked with the signs of the zodiac which indicates the location of the sun on the ecliptic. The signs are shown in anticlockwise order. In the photographs accompanying this article, the sun is currently in Aries, and will be moving anticlockwise into Taurus next.

The displacement of the zodiac circle results from the use of a stereographic projection of the ecliptic plane using the North pole as the basis of the projection. This is commonly seen in astronomical clocks of the period.

The small golden star shows the position of the vernal equinox, and sidereal time can be read on the scale with golden Roman numerals.

Old Czech time scale

At the outer edge of the clock, golden Schwabacher numerals are set on a black background. These numbers indicate Old Czech Time (or Italian hours), with 24 indicating the time of sunset, which varies during the year from as early as 16:00 on winter to 20:16 on summer. This ring moves back and forth during the year to coincide with the time of sunset.

Sun

The golden Sun moves around the zodiacal circle, thus showing its position on the ecliptic. The sun is attached to an arm with a golden hand, and together they show the time in three different ways:

1. The position of the golden hand over the Roman numerals on the background indicates the time in local Prague time.
2. The position of the sun over the curved golden lines indicates the time in unequal hours.
3. The position of the golden hand over the outer ring indicates the hours passed after sunset in Old Czech Time.

Additionally, the distance of the Sun from the center of the dial shows the time of sunrise and sunset.

Moon

The movement of the Moon on the ecliptic is shown similarly to that of the Sun, although the speed is much faster. The half-silvered sphere of the moon also shows the Lunar phase.

Computer Model of Prague Orloj

The movements of the various mechanical parts of the astronomical dial are too slow to appreciate in real time, but become easier to comprehend using a computer model of Orloj. An animated picture and a spreadsheet that ‘constructs’ the clock for each moment in the year and at each place in the world is to see in a Didactic explanation

Animated figures

The four figures flanking the clock are set in motion at the hour, these represent four things that were despised at the time of the clock’s making. From left to right in the photographs, the first is Vanity, represented by a figure admiring himself in a mirror. Next, a Jew holding a bag of gold represents greed or usury. Across the clock stands Death, a skeleton that strikes the time upon the hour. Finally, the infidel Turk wears the Turban.

There is also a presentation of statues of the Apostles at the doorways above the clock, with all twelve presented at noon.

Calendar

The calendar below the clock was added in 1870.

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I arrive on a beautiful day of 1 October at the Prague international airport. The customs procedures have been easy and fast. Everything was done in less than 5 minutes. Maybe all this speed was because it was the only plane at that time.

The transfer from airport to the old city (17km) was by taxi which are available at airport and it doesn’t cost more than 20Euro (30$). If you have book a room to some hotel you can ask the hotel for this service.

I rented a small studio from Voyta Residence. The studio is located in the centre of Prague on a quiet street Vojtesska behind the National Theatre. The building has a good location and I was able to reach all main sights by foot. Wenceslas square, The Old Town square or the Charles Bridge is not further than a five minute walk. The same counts for all main theatre houses as well as numerous galleries. The Prague Castle and other sites can be easily reached by tram or by subway. The residence has free WiFi internet available. As recommendation first thing to buy when you arrive in Prague is a map or you can download one here.

The administrator of the residence is a guy named Lucas who speaks good English. I ask him a lot of questions on how to find different things in Prague.

First thing I have noticed entering the room was the open window and the balcony of the apartment across street. Nice view. A small balcony was changed in a suspended garden. So first thing I did was to take a shoot of the balcony and view from the window.

After 1 hour of rest I went to visit the Orloj Clock. The clock is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square and is a popular tourist attraction.
More info soon…

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