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Prague Castle

The following are some of Prague’s most popular tourist attractions.

Prague Castle The Guinness Book of World Records lists Prague Castle as "the largest ancient castle in the world." This 1100-year-old castle watches over the city from its elevated perch and provides breath-taking views of surrounding areas. It is a favorite subject of postcards and paintings, especially as the sun sets behind it on the east. The Prague Castle grounds feature a lookout tower, several museums and palaces, the magnificent Royal Garden, the St. Vitus Cathedral and the Castle Picture Gallery, which contains works by Titian, Rubens, and Tintoretto. The Castle Picture Gallery contains the artworks that were left behind when the Swedish army looted the castle's art collection in 1648.

Castle Entrance Known as the "First Courtyard," the castle entrance features huge statues of battling titans that date back to the 18th century. The Presidential Guards at the entrance are a tourist favorite thanks to their changing of the guard ceremony every hour and the exchange of banners at 12 midnight. The guards are decked in impressive attire, courtesy of the costume designer of the movie "Amadeus," who was hired by then-President Vaclav Havel in 1989 to re-design the guard uniforms.

Old Town This is the historic city center of Prague and the site of some of its most popular old buildings and structures, including the Astronomical Clock, Jan Hus monument, Storch mural building and Estate Theater. The old town boasts of several historical churches such as St. James Church, GothicTyn Church, and Church of Our Lady.

New Town During the 14th century, New Town was built as an extension of Old Town. Its most popular venue is Wenceslas Square, site of numerous shops and restaurants. Much of New Town has been modernized and now features discos, arcades and art nouveau hotels. New Town also hosts the Disney-colored Jubilee Synagogue.

Lesser Town Lesser Town is located in the area just before Prague Castle and is notable for its amazing streets and churches, including the famous St. Nicholas Church. Near the Charles Bridge, tourists will find the Lennon Wall, which features handwritten tributes to John Lennon and grievances against the old communist regime.

Loreta Located in Lesser Town, this Baroque convent was built in 1624 and was said to be patterned after Santa Casa, the home of the Virgin Mary. According to legend, angels carried the original Santa Casa to Loreto, an Italian town.

Josefov A historical Jewish ghetto, Josefov is renowned for its unique and well-preserved synagogues, including the oldest active synagogue in Europe, the Old New Synagogue. Rumor has it, this is where the legendary Prague Golem rests. Josefov also features the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe and the house of acclaimed national artist Franz Kafka.

Prague Dancing Building Constructed in 1996, this building combines two structures that appear to be dancing: a curving narrow-waisted glass tower that appears to be clutching an upright building. Hence, it was nicknamed the “Fred and Ginger Building” after legendary dance partners Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

Petrinska Rozhledna Located on top of a hill, this tower resembles a smaller version of the famed Eiffel Tower. It is 299 steps to the top where tourists can enjoy some of the most beautiful views of Prague.

Charles Bridge Built during the 14th century, the Charles Bridge is one of the most impressive attractions in Prague. It is one of several bridges on the Vltava river and the most beautiful of them all. During the daytime, tourists love to stroll on the bridge and frolic on its crowded fairground. The best time to visit is at dawn when you can appreciate the bridge in all its splendor.

Museum of Communism Through rare photos, videos, writings and other mementoes, the museum takes visitors back to the days when Czechoslovakia stood behind the Iron Curtain. There are photos of the old Stalin monument in Letna terrace and other photos about how it was passionately destroyed. One of the most popular features is a video of protests that culminated in the Velvet Revolution. Ironically, for a museum dedicated to Communism, it certainly has a curious location -- between a casino and a McDonald's fast-food place.