MALÁ STRANA

Description

Essentials about the Malá Strana in brief

A walk through the narrow and picturesque streets of Prague’s Malá Strana is like a trip back in time. While in other parts of the city you often have to search for the sights, the Malá Strana is a sight in itself. A multitude of Baroque palaces and buildings, as well as numerous churches, museums and gardens, definitely make the Malá Strana, squeezed between the Vltava River and Prague Castle, one of the most beautiful districts in the world. For a walk along the cobblestone paths of the Malá Strana, you should definitely plan a few hours to discover all the splendor of this so unique quarter. Due to its attractiveness, Prague’s Malá Strana is indeed flooded day after day by veritable hordes of tourists. But away from this flood of tourists, you can also find many quiet streets and squares in the Malá Strana, where you can quietly make your own journey through time.

The history of the Malá Strana

The settlement of Prague’s Malá Strana probably dates back to the 9th century. Recent excavations suggest that in the first half of the 9th century there was already a kind of outer castle below Prague Castle, which was fortified by a wooden earth construction and a moat. At that time, Prague was already developing into an international trade centre, situated on the important transcontinental arterial road stretching from the Volga region to Andalusia.

In the middle of the 13th century, King Přemysl Otakar II expelled the resident population and settled North German colonists. He also founded the first new town on the grounds of the Malá Strana, which he granted city rights. Already in the 14th century the town was called “Civitas Minor Pragensis” – the name “Malá Strana” has remained since then.

During the reign of Emperor Charles IV, the city was considerably extended by a new wall ring (the so-called “hunger wall”) between 1360 and 1362. An area of the Hradčany quarter, the initially detached Strahov Monastery and St. Laurentius Church on the Petřín up to the Vltava was included. However, the settlement process in the Malá Strana did not unfold in the way expected, the predominant part of the newly acquired urban area remained undeveloped and was used for the cultivation of vineyards.

In the Hussite Wars of 1419/1420, Prague’s Malá Strana suffered so much destruction that it practically ceased to exist. Other fire disasters struck the town in 1503 and 1541. Kampa Island was raised and fortified with the fire debris from the Malá Strana. Thanks to the destruction of many buildings in the 16th century, however, the Malá Strana became such a beautiful part of the city. This provided sufficient space for the many noble palaces in the Renaissance style. During and after the Thirty Years’ War, many of the existing palaces and almost all churches were redesigned or rebuilt in baroque style. The former aristocratic palaces are now mostly used by authorities and embassies. The Malá Strana has been a part of Prague since 1784.

The sights of the Malá Strana

The Petřín Lookout Tower

The Petřín Lookout Tower is a 60-meter-high observation and broadcasting tower on Petřín Hill, modeled after the Eiffel Tower and built in 1891. From the tower you can enjoy a magnificent view of Prague’s Malá Strana, the Vltava River and Prague’s old town.

The Wall of Hunger

At a great distance from the old city wall of the Malá Strana, a new six-meter high and two-meter wide city fortification was built between 1360 and 1362, large parts of which have been preserved to this day. The wall is said to have received its name because of a famine that occurred at the end of the construction period. Incidentally, Franz Kafka wrote his story “On the Building of the Great Wall of China” in reference to the Wall of Hunger.

Mary of Victories

The Church of Mary of Victories, although much smaller than other churches in Prague’s Malá Strana, has significantly more visitors. This is due to the fact that it is a pilgrimage church, which is visited by numerous pilgrims from all over the world. The reason for the pilgrimages is the so-called “Prague Jesus”, a wax figure with a large crown, which is said to have performed all kinds of miracles during the times of the Counter-Reformation, which earned it the veneration of Catholics from all over the world. Mary of Victories was originally built by German Lutherans in the early 17th century. However, in the course of the Counter-Reformation, the church became the property of the Carmelite religious order.

Lobkowitz Palace

Lobkowitz Palace is the former city residence of the Bohemian noble family of Lobkowitz. The palace was built at the beginning of the 17th century and is one of the most famous palaces in the Baroque architectural style of Prague. Today it is the seat of the German Embassy in the Czech Republic. By the way, millions of Germans know Lobkowitz Palace from television. In the late summer of 1989, the palace gained worldwide fame when thousands of GDR citizens sought refuge on the premises of the FRG embassy in Prague after fleeing. On September 30, 1989, then-German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher was able to announce in a historic speech to the East German citizens who had fled that, after negotiations with the GDR and Czechoslovakia, their departure to the Federal Republic of Germany had been approved. This event went down in history as one of the milestones of the collapse of the GDR.

Wallenstein Palace

Located directly below Prague Castle, Wallenstein Palace is the largest palace in Prague. The monumental Baroque palace is called “Wallenstein Palace” after its builder and is best known for its beautiful gardens. The palace is now the seat of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

St. Laurentius Church

St. Laurentius Church is the namesake of Laurence Mountain (cz. “Petřín”). The church, which was started already in the 12th century, is today the cathedral church of the bishop of the Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic. Today, St. Laurentius shines in the Baroque style after a remodeling in the 18th century. Remains of the original Romanesque church can be found only in the choir and in the southern part.

St. Nicholas Church

St. Nicholas Church is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and magnificent churches of the Baroque period in Europe. Originally built in the Gothic style at the end of the 13th century, the church was rebuilt in the Baroque style after the Jesuits took over. Even more splendid than its exterior is the interior of St. Nicholas Church, whose richly decorated interior was the work of numerous renowned artists. The 1,500-square-meter ceiling fresco with images from the life of St. Nicholas of Myra stands out in particular. This makes the painting one of the largest of its kind in all of Europe. Those who are still able to walk well after a stroll through the Malá Strana can climb the tower of St. Nicholas and be rewarded with a beautiful view over Prague.

St. Thomas Church

Among the many churches of Prague’s Malá Strana, St. Thomas is also worth a visit. The collegiate church of the former Augustinian monastery was built as early as the 14th century as a three-nave Gothic basilica. In the 15th and 16th centuries, St. Thomas was expanded in the Renaissance style and finally remodeled in the Baroque style at the beginning of the 18th century. The rich church decoration was made by outstanding Renaissance and Bohemian Baroque masters. Especially famous are the ceiling frescoes of the church.