DK Travel : Prague

At the geographical heart of Europe, Prague’s beautiful cityscape has been carved and sustained by a variety of emperors, artists and religious communities, from the Gothic exuberance of its castle and cathedral, to the dignity of the medieval Jewish Cemetery, and the 19th-century opulence of the “new” town. Under Communist rule, Prague was off the tourist map, but since 1989 the city has seen a surge of visitors eager to take in this spectacular city.

The Loreto

Pilgrims have visited this Baroque shrine to the Virgin Mary since the 17th century. Visitors can see priceless ornaments in its treasury.
The Mad Barber

When a local barber foresook his home and family after he became caught up in alchemical pursuits, his daughters ended up in a brothel and his wife killed herself. He is said to haunt the vicinity of Karlova and Liliova streets, hoping to return to his honest profession and make amends.
The Red Lamb

One of the street’s more unlikely symbols, the scarlet sheep adorning this façade has an alchemical significance so arcane, not even the current house owner can explain it. Not that it matters – it remains in place as one of the city’s many charming idiosyncrasies.
The Shooter

In a chase scene, Dolph Lundgren leaps from a rooftop at Prague Castle and lands, miraculously, on the National Theatre; Prague audiences were unimpressed by this lack of authenticity in 1995.
The Three Fiddles

They say a demonic trio screeches on their instruments here on moonlit nights. The house was home to a family of violin-makers in the early 18th century, and the sign advertised their trade. Like many of the other buildings on this street, it is now home to a restaurant.
The Three Lillies

Although their image no longer adorns the façade, the three flowers remain atop the house. The house also lends its name to a feverish tale of passion and thunderstorms by Jan Neruda. Many of the author’s tales were set in houses such as this one.
The Trial

The protagonist Joseph K. of Kafka’s 1925 novel finds himself accused of a crime he did not commit.
The Two Suns

This house was the birthplace of the much-loved Czech poet and author Jan Neruda (1834–91), after whom the street is named. Traditionally this was the writers’ and artists’ area of Prague, and Neruda conveyed the Bohemian atmosphere of Malá Strana in his work. The connection continues today with the quarter’s many small art galleries and craft shops.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Daniel Day Lewis and Juliette Binoche played an unhappily married couple living on Radnické schody during the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion, in the 1988 film adaptation of Milan Kundera’s dark novel about love, relationships and betrayal (see Milan Kundera).
The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Kundera’s non-linear tale of love, politics and the betrayals inherent in both.