As a resut of the Battle of Austerlitz, the Third Coalition against the French Empire, an alliance between, amongst others, Great Britain, Austria and Russia was disbanded. Austria was forced to sign the Treaty of Pressburg and Russia to retreat to its own territory.

Austerlitz Battlefield itself is today dominated by the Cairn of Peace (located on the map), a monument commemorating the war. Visitors to Austerlitz Battlefield can view the area and gain an understanding of the landscape occupied by the opposing armies on the day of the battle.

The best views can be seen from the numerous surrounding hills which defined the Austerlitz Battlefield including Zuran, from where Napoleon commanded his tactical success, the Pratzen Heights and Santon. Numerous plaques and information boards showing the military campaign are located in the surrounding area.

The Cairn of Peace has an adjoining chapel and a museum, allowing visitors to the Austerlitz Battlefield to view multimedia displays and exhibits about the battle, including the background and the aftermath. Exhibits are available in English, Czech, German, French and Russian.

Once a year, thousands of history enthusiasts descend on Austerlitz Battlefield to re-enact the conflict.

History of Charles Bridge

Construction of Charles Bridge began during the reign of Charles IV in 1357 to replace the Judita Bridge which had been damaged by a flood in 1342. When it was completed at the beginning of the fifteenth century, Charles Bridge, then known as “Stone Bridge” was the only means the of crossing the river, a vital connection between Prague Castle and the Old Town and a trade route. It was renamed as “Charles Bridge” in 1870.

This impressive 516 meter-long gothic bridge is made of Bohemian sandstone, with sixteen arches and three towers. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Charles Bridge was adorned with around thirty Baroque statues depicting saints and patron saints, and although there are now over seventy statues on the bridge they are all copies, the originals having been damaged, destroyed or moved for safekeeping. Many of them are now housed in Prague’s National Museum.

Charles Bridge has been the site of many important historical events in Czech history. In the 17th century, it was where the heads of those executed following the anti-Habsburg revolt were displayed, and it was the scene of ferocious fighting during the Thirty Years’ War. The bridge has also been subjected to many natural disasters, including several floods dating back as far as the 15th century.

Charles Bridge today

Today, Charles Bridge is a vibrant tourist attraction, with painters, traders and kiosks sprawled across it. Keep one eye out for pickpockets and the other on the view. The bridge itself is enchanting and offers great views of the city. Go early or late to avoid the crush of tourists in the middle of the day in high season.

Getting to Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge spans the Vitava – it’s hard to miss. Head west from Old Town Square down Linhartska and then on to Karlova, which will take you straight to one edge of the bridge. The bridge joins the west bank of the Vitava close to the Lennon Wall.

Communism Museum – Prague history

Following the World War Two, Czechoslovakia mostly returned to its pre-war territories. In 1948, the Communist Party seized power after gaining a lead in the 1946 elections. With the exception of the Prague Spring in 1968, when reformer Alexander Dubček headed the Czech Communist Party, Czechoslovakia had no liberal democracy; discontent was squashed by police and army units.

The 1970s saw increased dissidence in Czechoslovakia, represented by Václav Havel, seeking greater political participation and expression. In 1989, the Velvet Revolution peacefully restored democracy through student demonstrations in Prague. The protestor numbers grew until the entire Communist Party leadership resigned on 24 November. The collapse of communism in Czechoslovakia occurred simultaneously with the fall of communist regimes across Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary.

The Communism Museum in Prague was founded by Glenn Spicker, an American businessman and former politics student. Spicker spent $28,000 buying over a thousand artefacts and commissioned a documentary filmmaker Jan Kaplan, who had himself fled Czechoslovakia in 1969, to design the museum’s exhibitions. Kaplan’s vision for the museum was to create a three-act ‘tragedy’ in the displays, depicting the ideals of communism, the reality of poor life under the regime, and the nightmare of state terror.

Communism Museum – Prague today

The museum today provides visitors with an atmosphere of the era, aided by an interactive walk through mock-ups of daily life, including a school classroom, a child’s bedroom, a workshop and an interrogation room. The material is accessible: divided into themes, 62 panels describe with photographs what life was like under Communism.

The museum focuses on the period of totalitarianism in Czechoslovakia, stemming from the February putsch in 1948 to the Velvet Revolution in 1989. The temporary exhibition, Moments of the Velvet Revolution, is a collaboration with the Czech Press Agency (ČTK).

Getting to the Communism Museum – Prague

The museum is located in the center of Prague in the Old Customs House (Stará Celnice), V Celnici 1031/4, Prague 1. The entrance to the museum faces the Square of the Republic (náměstí Republiky) between Billa supermarket and Kolkovna restaurant.

Königgrätz Battlefield history

The decisive encounter of the war, the Battle of Königgrätz or battle of Hradec Králové, saw Prussian forces defeat those of the Austrian Empire near the Bohemian town of Königgrätz, inflicting significant casualties on the Austrian army.

The outnumbered Prussian infantry used their superior training and the Dreyse needle gun to win the battle – and the war – on their own. So far the Prussian artillery had been ineffective against the Austrians. It was the Prussian 7th and 1st Guards Infantries that attacked and destroyed most of the Austrians at Chlum, forcing the Austrians to retreat before any Prussian reinforcements had time to properly engage the Austrian flanks.

This momentous Prussian victory helped pave the way for future German unification.

Königgrätz Battlefield today

Fortunately, Königgrätz Battlefield is largely unchanged and allows visitors a real feel for the landscape that would have helped determine the outcome of the battle. The Museum, a branch of the Museum of East Bohemia, covers the events that took place on 3rd July 1866 when the Battle of Königgrätz took place.

There is also a lookout tower on the site which gives excellent views of Königgrätz Battlefield. Inside Chlum Museum, visitors can view the armaments exhibitions and find out more information about the battle and the war.

Getting to Königgrätz Battlefield

Just outside of the centre of Hradec Kralove, Königgrätz Battlefield is in the small town of Chlum. By car head for the E442 and exit onto the 325 – the battlefield is on your left.

Lobkowicz Palace history

Lobkowicz Palace was built in the second half of the 16th century by the Czech nobleman Jaroslav Pernštejn. Jaroslav’s sister-in-law, Maria Maximiliana Manrique de Lara y Mendoza brought the celebrated Infant Jesus of Prague statue from her homeland of Spain to the Palace, where it became well-known for its miraculous healing powers. The statue was later given to the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague, where it remains on display and attracts thousands of visitors each year. A copy of the Infant Jesus of Prague is on permanent display in the Lobkowicz Palace Museum.

The Palace came into the Lobkowicz family through the marriage of Polyxena to Zdeněk Vojtěch, 1st Prince Lobkowicz. In the centuries following that marriage, the Palace witnessed some of Bohemia’s most significant historical events. In 1618, the famous Defenestration of Prague took place when Protestant rebels threw the Catholic Imperial Ministers from the windows of the Royal Palace at Prague Castle. Surviving the fall, they took refuge in Lobkowicz Palace, where they were protected from further assault by Polyxena, 1st Princess Lobkowicz.

After World War One, and following the abolishment of hereditary titles in 1918, Maximilian Lobkowicz, son of Ferdinand Zdenko, 10th Prince Lobkowicz, demonstrated his support for the fledgling First Republic of Czechoslovakia by making several rooms at the Palace available to the government.

In 1939, the invading Nazi forces confiscated the Palace along with all other Lobkowicz family properties. The Palace was returned in 1945, only to be seized again after the Communist takeover in 1948. For the next forty years, the Palace was used for a variety of purposes, including State offices and as a museum of Czech history.

After the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and the subsequent fall of the Communist government, the Lobkowicz family once again became owners of the palace in 2002.

On April 2, 2007, after more than four years of planning, restoration and refurbishment, the Palace was opened to the public for the first time as the Lobkowicz Palace Museum, home to part of The Lobkowicz Collections.

Lobkowicz Palace today

Nowadays the palace holds one of the finest private art collections in Europe, including paintings by Canaletto, Breughel, original scores with notes by Mozart and Beethoven among other artefacts. Beyond the museum element, the architecture and history of Lobkowicz Palace and the history of the Lobkowicz family are fascinating in themselves.

The palace also has an excellent cafe and hosts frequent classical music concerts.

Getting to Lobkowicz Palace

The palace is located at the eastern end of the Prague Castle complex at the entrance by the Old Castle Steps.

The nearest metro and tram stop is Malostranská. From Malostranská tram stop walk up the narrow staircase to the Prague castle through the back entrance, the first 2 doors on the left. The nearest parking is Malostranské Square, in front of St. Nicholas Church.

Over 12,000 headstones jostle for space in this quiet but pretty graveyard, the oldest of which belongs to the scholar Avigdor Karo and dates back to 1439.

In use until 1787, it is believed that there have been many more burials at the Old Jewish Cemetery than denoted by the headstones, probably layered one on top of the other. Amongst the crowded graves lie those of the creator of the golem, Rabbi Loew (d. 1609) and the former mayor of Prague’s Jewish Quarter, Mordechai Maisel (d. 1601).

Old Jewish Cemetery – Prague

The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague is among the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in the world and, along with the Old-New Synagogue, is the most important site in the Prague Jewish Town.

It is unclear when exactly the graveyard was founded. The oldest gravestone, however, is that of rabbi and poet Avigdor Kara, and is dated to 1439.

From the middle of the 15th century, the gravestones record a continuous timeline of burials. The final gravestone is dated 1787: three years before, Emperor Joseph II banned burials inside the city walls for hygienic reasons.

Because of Jewish custom which doesn’t allow for the abandonment of old graves and the fact that the community weren’t allowed to purchase grounds to expand the cemetery, there are a huge number of graves crammed into a relatively small space.

There are around 100,000 bodies buried there, many of which are marked under a many gravestones which denote bodies that have been stacked 12 layers deep. As a result, the surface of the cemetery is raised several metres higher than the surrounding streets.

The oldest gravestones at the Old Jewish Cemetery are plain. More decorated or ornate gravestones date from the 17th century, with symbolism which corresponds to occupation and reputation, and so on.

Old Jewish Cemetery – Prague

There are many famous people buried at the cemetery. It is possible to pay a little extra for an audio guide, and staff there are very welcoming and will answer any questions you might have.

National Geographic list it among the top ten cemeteries to visit in the world.

Old Jewish Cemetery – Prague

From the centre of Prague, the cemetery is a 30 minute walk via Václavské nám. By car it takes around 15 minutes via the Žitná road. There are also a number of connecting bus and tram routes which depart from Prague, Na Knížecí, every 20 minutes or so.

History of Prague Castle

Sprawled over an area of 70,000 m², the complex is made up of the large, Gothic Saint Vitus Cathedral, Golden Lane, Lobkowicz Palace and St. George’s Basilica as well as several other palaces, a monastery, viewing towers, museums and art galleries. It’s something of a Gothic fairy-tale: expect to be wowed.

Prague Castle itself was originally built in approximately 880 AD by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty and has since been the seat of Czech monarchs, religious leaders, Holy Roman emperors and heads of state, the latter function of which it still fulfils today.

Major rebuilding took place in the 14th century under King Charles IV (the Gothic styles date from this period, although the church was completed nearly 600 years later), and fortifications were strengthened in case of attack. A fire in 1541 destroyed large parts of the castle: Ferdinand I rebuilt and added the Belvedere for his wife. The last monarch to undertake major alterations was Empress Maria Theresa in the 18th century.

Hitler spent a night in the castle in 1939, and during Nazi occupation it was used by Reinhard Heydrich as his headquarters. After the war, the castle became the home of offices for the new communist government – today, it’s still the sear of the Head of State in the Czech Republic.

Prague Castle today

Today, Prague Castle contains a wealth of information, archeological findings, artifacts and exhibits showcasing Czech history and heritage. Attractions include the beautiful gothic architecture, tower views and crown jewels at Saint Vitus Cathedral, the changing of the Castle Guard, which occurs once every hour, and the many galleries in and around the Castle.

With such an array of attractions, visitors can start their day at Prague Castle’s information centres located in the second and the third courtyards. This is where you can find information, maps and even professional tours through Prague Castle. There are multiple admission packages – think about what you really want to see so you don’t end up disappointed or ripped off!

The castle complex is open every day, with shorter hours in winter and until 10pm most summer evenings – the golden evening light is glorious and the views bathe the city in warmth when you look down from the castle. There’s plenty of tourist facilities in the vicinity. You’ll need to produce ID before entering and may well be subject to a bag search.

Getting to Prague Castle

The castle is on the west bank of the Vltava: head for metro Malostranska which is a 5 minute walk away, or any of the tram stops along the same road. The gardens of the castle are lovely and good for relaxing in with a book and a picnic after a visit. It’s about a 20 minute walk from the Old Town, across Charles Bridge.