Hotel Prague

I'm in Prague, have traveled the world on various tours and I must mention that I am one of the best hotels that I have in my life.
I'm talking about Clarion Congress Hotel, and the Hotel is wonderful, with good rooms, good breakfast, confortable, integrated with a shopping and hotel inside the mall a subway station in minutes that gets you anywhere in the city .

Suggested itinerary itinerary in Prague, Czech Republic

Like Prague, our day begins as soon as possible: as you probably arrived earlier in the day or early in the morning, we left Stare Mesto, the Old City, the first of the two most famous neighborhoods of the city.

The green line has a stop, Staroměstská well Staroměstské Náměstí near the Old Town Square, our first destination: just leave the basement and walk the two blocks Kaprova below, in the opposite direction to cars.

Once you enter the square, the one that looks like the main building, in front, in pink and white, is the Kinsky Palace, which is now the headquarters of the National Gallery exhibition.

Beside the palace with two towers side by side, cathedral Matky Boží Týnem Pred, or Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, seems to hide behind a small yellow building.

Now look back and look for the largest crowd of tourists. They indicate, on the outskirts of the square, where to find Staroměstská Radnice, the Old Town Hall.

Over the centuries the building was earning several branches, but the tower Orloj, the astronomical clock, stands as the most viewed and photographed, especially when we are approaching a new time when small dolls emerge from within it - of course you do not expect that to happen.


Arriving by Staroměstská, walking to Staroměstská Radnice
Tip: after seeing the clock, keep walking a few feet in the opposite direction to Staroměstské Náměstí to reach a small square with a charming Hard Rock Cafe. Have lunch there and hit the leg region.

It is worth mentioning that the City of Old Town and Prague City Hall are very different things: to know the original, I have not done anything, just pick up the yellow line, which there will be a little tricky, and down at the station Náměstí Republiky.

Let's pass at City Hall at the end of the day, leaving the museum. It looks better.

Attractions: Václavské Náměstí and Narodni Muzeum

It is the place that I like less. Looks more like a desperate attempt to meet expectations. Of course I could be talking nonsense and Václavské Náměstí, or Wenceslas Square, be extremely important to the local culture, but to me, it sounded disjointed.

Recalling that Square is actually called a boulevard Wenceslas. You can walk through it and get to the Narodni Muzeum, the National Museum.

Update: June 13, 2011

The museum will close its doors on July 8, 2011 and will only work in mid-2015.

Leaving the vicinity of Staroměstské Náměstí, the Old Town Square, you can choose to make the journey via green line and get off on it exactly, in Muzeum.

The journey, on foot, in the screenshot below. And soon after, as exit towards the City Museum.


Leaving Staroměstské Náměstí, walking Václavské Náměstí ...

Václavské Náměstí ... leaving, walking to the City and to Narodni Muzeum
Tip Night: eating in restaurants Karlova early and do a night tour by Karlův Most. For those who enjoy a chat stake, there is a ballad there, next to the south tower of the bridge, which is self titled Europe's largest.

Day 2: The Best of Prague

Attractions: Starý Židovský Hrbitov and Staronova Synagoga

The secret is to walk, either within the neighborhood or going up the bank of the Vltava. How to ride a tram can not always go right, the nearest metro station remains the Staroměstská.

Follow the map the two best ways to reach Starý Židovský Hrbitov, the Old Jewish Cemetery. From time to time, several times a day, a guide is a tour through the paths of the cemetery in Czech, English and Hebrew.

Staronová synagogue, the Old-New Synagogue, is the first Jewish Temple on the European continent that still stands. Built in the 13th century, the synagogue is an important symbol of Jewish power: she survived numerous fires, demolitions and anti-Semitic attacks.

The place is very small and unobtrusive, but is also a landmark European.


Starý Židovský Hrbitov and Staronova Synagoga: walking in the neighborhood
Attractions: Most Karlův and Kampa

Time to cross one of the most famous bridges in Europe: Karlův Most, Charles Bridge, connects the two neighborhoods known city; Staré Město and Mala Strana, the Little Quarter.

There is a display of images in the north tower of the Charles Bridge worth the trip through the beautiful views it provides. Click here to watch the video.

Before following his path by Mala Strana, down the stairs that appear on your right at the very end of the bridge, where you will find a deck with delicious sweets in Misenska the street from Bila Kuzelka. Pass under the bridge and reach the Kampa park.

Who walks aimlessly through Kampa just arriving on the banks of the Vltava, the longest river in the country. Click to watch the video at the park entrance Kampa.

Attractions: Malostranské Náměstí (Kostel Sv. Mikuláše)

Go back to the bridge and continue your way until Malostranské Náměstí, the square of Mala Strana. There you will find Kostel Sv. Mikuláše, the Church of St. Nicholas. This is one of those that you can not stop in, have a touch miner in the air - cast the first stone who has not thought in Ouro Preto.


Departing from Charles Most toward Kostel Sv. Mikuláše the hotel Bila Kuzelka is the point "b"
Attractions and Nerudova Pražský Hrad

Nerudova is one of the most interesting streets of Europe: it climbed toward Pražský Hrad, Prague Castle, is a nice ride not only the destination, but the path that leads you to it.

On the street he lived during the mid 19th century, the writer Jan Neruda. His house, number 47, has two suns unmistakable on the door. Incidentally, be sure to notice the symbols indicating who owned the homes at a time when the numbers were not yet used, as the House of the Red Eagle and the Swan White House.

The Prague Castle alone is worth an entire trip, walk through it with a guide in hand: there are more than ten historical stops along the way, not always allowing entry attractions, but places full of history, as Katedrala Sv. Vita, or St. Vitus Cathedral, which brings together some chapels surrounded by Gothic frescoes, like St. Wenceslas, the most famous of them.

Infant Jesus of Prague

One of the strengths in strengthening tourism in Prague is undoubtedly the Infant Jesus of Prague, the pilgrimage site with more fame in Prague, Bohemia and best known abroad, is the Church of Our Lady of Victory. This church built in baroque style is the Karmelitská in the Little Quarter. The pilgrims' attention is particularly drawn to the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague, known worldwide by Bambino Prague, which is since 1628, in a tiny closet of silver on the altar on the right side. Your 'wardrobe consists roupa'é precious embroidered and decorated with colorful reliefs. The most valuable one embroidered by the Empress Maria Theresa. The Renaissance figurine, originally from Spain, was offered by Mrs. Lobkovic of Polyxena to the Carmelites.


The Infant Jesus of Prague received as gifts of gratitude, 60 dresses, decorated with gold, diamonds and pearls (including some from China, Brazil, the Philippines, Vietnam etc..), The most precious of them embroidered dress by austrohúngara Empress Maria Theresa.
The statuette is regularly watered so that the color of the dress always correspond with their liturgical season (eg, white for the holidays of Easter and Christmas, red for Holy Week, the lilac for the period of Lent and Advent, etc.).

Tips for visitors:
Some clothes the Child Jesus are exhibited in the museum located in the church, the entrance to the museum is free.
In the church are celebrated Masses in different languages ​​- Czech, English, French, Italian, Spanish.
On the last Sunday of May comes the ceremonial annual celebration of the anniversary of the coronation of Baby Jesus by the bishop in 1655.

Origin of devotion
This devotion, although already well known, needs to be explained so that people can enjoy throughout their origin, their theological foundations, its importance and its usefulness current sovereign.

The devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague, date of Bethlehem, passed by angels, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the Magi and is continued by the saints through the centuries, still following his progress ever upward. Took a concrete and universal under the title of the Infant Jesus of Prague. And under this title, this was eminently Carmelite devotion in its origin, until it became universal treasure of Christianity. It is actually a delicate flower and divine which germinated and flowered in the garden of Carmel and, blossoming under the vivifying warmth of Divine Flame, dismisses the world your comforter and soft aroma.

THE CONVENT OF PRAGUE

The Sovereign Pontiff Paul V appointed the Venerable P. Domingos de Jesus Maria (General of the Discalced Carmelites and confessor of His Holiness), with its legacy of the Austrian Emperor Ferdinand II, who defended the rights of God and the Catholic Church against the prince palatine of Pfalz, bitter Calvinist, who seized the throne and became king crowned in Prague. Fernando II put all their hope in the intercession of Mary and the prayers of the Venerable P. Sundays. On the day of the Lord revealed to Assunçao this holy religious victory of the Catholic armies. Before entering battle, imposed the Brown Scapular to the Emperor of Austria, the Duke of Bavaria and all soldiers; horseback riding and taking a crucifix and a showing of hands with one another quadrozinho of the Holy Family, which had been desecrated by heretics, urges soldiers to beg Protective Mary against the enemies of Catholicism. Three hours sufficed to disperse the Calvinist large army of 100,000 men. The Emperor as a testimony of gratitude, founded convents of Carmelites in Vienna, Prague and Gratz.

Is this the convent of Prague Infant Jesus will choose to shine their sovereign power and love.

The Princess of Lobkowitz Polyxene

It was one of the most distinguished and pious ladies of his time, knowledgeable of voluntary poverty in which they lived the Carmelite Fathers and the high esteem in which the Christian people they taxed after the miraculous victory of White Mountain, obtained by the prayers of the Venerable P. Sundays. He had, among his memories of family, the image of the Child Jesus, that his mother, Princess Manrique de Lara (the royal family of Spain), had offered him as the most valuable wedding gift and she in turn had to received from Santa Teresa de Jesus.

In 1628, this pious princess, as driven by a higher power, must understand that letting go of that baby gift and give it to the Carmelite Fathers, who would like their best and most devout custodians. It presents the facts in the convent, and before the whole community, delivered to Father Prior, venerable
Fr Joao Luis Assunçao of the beautiful image, saying: "My Father, I give you more of what I wanted. Honor this image of Baby Jesus and nothing will be lacking. " The image was exposed for the veneration of the religious oratorio choir, where the acts took place godly community.

The words of the august donor found to scratching. God lavished their thanks to the convent that possessed the Divine Child: never lacked necessary; been showered with blessings upon the spiritual and temporal while there preserved the devotion to the Infant Jesus (Chronicles of the Discalced Carmelites of the Province of Austria).

Profanity image

In 1631, protesters returned to occupy the city of Prague; plundered churches and monasteries spreading everywhere the fire and looting. The image of the Child Jesus not escaped the destructive fury of the enemies of Catholicism: broke her hands and threw it into a corner. So the venerable image would be buried under the rubble, and without his faithful devotees, because the Carmelites were forced to flee not perish in such carnage. The terror, misery and desolation reigned in the city of Prague and its people, threatened with death by the fierce invaders.

Meeting image

Was precarious peace in the year of 1635 that brought the Carmelite convent to its former, almost all of it in ruins. For lack of resources and personnel were consuming work of restoration, undertaken turn in an environment of insecurity and shyness, from the presence of Protestants. The religious, sunken in more astounding misery and reduced to extreme destitution, rose to heaven the most ardent supplications to obtain true peace and relief in the terrible difficulties that were going through. Their applications - with great astonishment of the religious - were not seen in the sky. What explained this confusing and difficult situation was the coming of P. Cyril of the Mother of God in 1637, which once had been the Novitiate of Prague, and was most devoted to the Child Jesus. This holy religious, not realizing that God wanted to bless the community and the city while the Infant Jesus was not honored as he deserved, asked the Superior permission to search the image of the Child Jesus, telling him: "If we honor the new, He give security '. Obtained the license after repeated efforts has the great fortune to find so desired image behind the altar.

Sightseeing in Prague - Astronomical Clock

One of the biggest tours of Prague's Astronomical Clock, installed in the town hall of the Old City since the fifteenth century, the Astronomical Clock in Prague is a beautiful example of the accuracy of the old master watchmakers.

In the main square of the medieval town, the clock served as a source of information for the general population, and shows the time in different measurement systems used then as the Roman and Germanic and the bohemian. The hours are just one of many functions, because the clock still shows the time of sunrise and sunset for each day of the year, the zodiac sign and the lunar cycle, and many other information, including a calendar.

Punctually every hour, a true spectacle happens when the clock strikes the bell and makes parading effigies of Christ's apostles on its facade.

The most amazing is that the mechanism that moves its hands and the dolls is still the original fifteenth century, with minor improvements made ​​in the sixteenth century.

A real crowd is waiting in the square at each change of time, is very beautiful!