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| Czech republic |
| Prague
- Praha |
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Prague is the capital and
largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of
the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3
million people. The city has a temperate oceanic climate, with
warm summers and chilly winters. Prague was first mentioned as
Casurgis, a Germanic city, on the map of Ptolemaios. Prague has
been a political, cultural, and economic centre of central Europe
with waxing and waning fortunes during its 1100-year existence.
Founded during the Romanesque and flourishing by the Gothic and
Renaissance eras, Prague was not only the capital of the Czech
state, but also the seat of two Holy Roman Emperors and thus then
also the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. It was an important
city to the Habsburg Monarchy and its Austro-Hungarian Empire and
after World War I became the capital of Czechoslovakia. The city
played major roles in the Protestant Reformation, the Thirty
Years' War, and in 20th-century history, during both World Wars
and the post-war Communist era. Main attractions include the
Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, the Jewish
Quarter, the Lennon Wall, and Petrín hill.
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