Prague

With it's six hundred years of architecture virtually untouched by disaster or war, very few other European cities are as beautiful as Prague. This breathtaking city straddles the winding River Vltava, with a steep wooded hill to one side. Though nearly every other city in Europe underwent postwar redevelopment, Prague successfully retained its medieval layout and street facades with a rich mantle of Baroque, Rococo and Art Nouveau.

Prague has not always been a vacation destination. While the Iron Curtain was still in place, Prague was very rarely visited by vacationing westerners. However, since the 1990s, Prague has become one of the most popular destinations in Europe. It is now enjoying an economic boom much like the one seen in the 1920s.

Prague is full of can't-miss tourist destinations. Prague Castle is the most popular sight visited in Prague. Since its construction in the 9th century and through its four major reconstructions, the castle transformed itself from a wooden fortress surrounded by earthen bulwarks to the imposing form it has today. Rulers made their own additions so there is a mixture of styles.