Page 80 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

78  PR A GUE AREA B Y AREA

Street-by-Street: Old Town (West)

The narrow streets near Charles Bridge follow Prague’s
medieval street plan. For centuries, Charles Street (Karlova)
was the main route across the Old Town. The picturesque,
twisting street is lined with shops and houses displaying
Renaissance and Baroque façades. In the 17th century, the
Jesuits bought up a vast area of land to the north of the
street to house the complex of the Clementinum university.

d . Clementinum Observatory
s Church of St Francis This plaque records the tower
This Baroque church founding in 1783 of a state-
is noteworthy for its supervised seminary in place
huge cupola and its of the old Jesuit university.
underground corridors,
which are all that
remains of the original
Church of St Francis.
The Old Town Bridge Tower dates from
1380. The Gothic sculptural decoration on
the eastern façade was from Peter Parler’s
workshop. The kingfisher was the favourite
personal symbol of Wenceslas IV (son of
Charles IV) in whose reign the tower was
completed (see p139).

f . Smetana Museum A N E N S K Á
A museum devoted to the life and work
of composer Bedřich Smetana is housed
in this Neo-Renaissance building set on
the riverfront, which was once an
old waterworks.

St Anne’s Convent was
abolished in 1782. Some
of its buildings are now
used by the National
Theatre (see pp156–7).
0 metres 100
0 yards 100
g Knights of the
Cross Square
From the façade of the
Church of the Holy Key
Saviour, blackened Suggested route
statues overlook the
small square.
For keys to symbols see back flap

078-079_EW_Prague.indd 78 20/03/17 11:28 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.2)
Date 23rd October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm