16th - 19th SEPTEMBER  2005

Prague, at the heart of Europe and capital of the Czech Republic, was founded on the banks of the River Vltava over five thousand years ago. The historic heart of the old city is a World Heritage Site, which we will be visiting along with some of the lesser-known suburbs. Of note are the old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock and the Charles Bridge where we will encounter tourists. Some of our other venues will be quieter and less well known.

The Certovka Mill viewed through an arch of the Charles Bridge

(c) Sue Hayton, 2005

The Industrial Palace

(c) Sue Hayton, 2005

There are many gems of art nouveau both in the commercial centre and elsewhere and we will see many examples on our journeys, including Central Station, named after Woodrow Wilson, which boasts fabulous tiles in the station buffet. The site of the Prague Jubilee Exposition of 1891 is also a ‘must’ with many fine structures, including the ‘Industrial Palace’, a great steel framed exhibition hall with art nouveau detailing.

Transport will be another of our themes. We will look at a number of bridges over the river, including the Chechuv bridge, again in art nouveau style. We will visit the tram museum in a former tram depot, which contains a wide range of items connected with public transport in the city. Prague also boasts a refurbished funicular railway ascending the Petrin Hill designed in 1891.

Interior of the Central Station

(c) Sue Hayton, 2005

Some of the group in the fabulous brick sewers

(c) Sue Hayton, 2005