During the decades of Soviet-imposed isolation, very few westerners ventured to beautiful Prague, but once the Czech Republic had won its freedom in the Velvet Revolution, all that changed. Prague is now one of the most popular city break destinations in Europe and the streets around the main sights are packed with tourists for much of the year. Welcome to a Gothic fairyland of pinnacles, towers and fabulously ornate castles and palaces! With some six hundred years of architecture virtually untouched by natural disaster or war, few other cities anywhere in Europe look as good. Straddling the winding River Vltava, with a steep wooded hill to one side, the city retains much of its mediaeval layout and the street facades remain smothered in a rich mantle of Baroque, Rococo and Art Nouveau. It’s true to say that not everyone in the Republic has been enamoured of the changes that have come with the embracing of mass tourism, but no amount of commercialism will ever nullify Prague’s magical appeal..
