Praha v legendách - anglicky

Prague in the Heart

Prague in the Heart is a collection of one hundred and eighty-nine true stories of events that have taken place in Prague over the past two hundred years. They show that the recent past has been no less dramatic and convoluted than in medieval times.

Franz Kafka, Jaroslav Seifert, Bohumil Hrabal, Jaroslav Hašek, Jan Patočka, Jiří Dienstbier and Václav Havel were all residents of Prague. Occupying armies marched through Prague. There was a battle for Czechoslovak Radio in the Vinohrady quarter of Prague. Czech patriots were executed in Kobylisy, Prague. Dissidents were detained at Ruzyně in Prague. A Reich‑Protector was assassinated in Prague. And neighborhoods like Smíchov, Karlín and Libeň, once industrial areas, recorded the history of the Industrial Age – a time when poverty was intertwined with achievement, progress, and hope for a better future.

77 Prague legends

Prague. A city with a thousand years of tradition. A city where you encounter history at every step. The pavement under your feet, the walls of the houses, churches and palaces you pass, the squares and hidden corners, are all imbued with a fascinating past you may often not even begin to suspect. Prague abounds in folk stories and historical legends and myths, some recorded by ancient chroniclers and some collected more recently by enthusiastic scholars.

77 Prague Legends is designed for all visitors to Prague who love to listen to mysterious stories.

Most of the 77 Prague Legends concern buildings and places that still exist, and can easily be found using our maps, which clearly mark the sites and setting of the tales recounted in the book.

77 Prague Legends is more than just interesting ­reading, for it can inspire you to explore for yourself the romantic and intriguing monuments and sights of Prague.

Alena Ježková (1966) is the author of many ­popular educational books about Prague and Czech ­history. She has won several awards for her work. Renáta Fučíková (1964) is a renowned illustrator with many ­international prizes to her name.

Prague astronomical clock

The most frequently visited monument in the historical centre of Prague – the Old Town or Prague Astronomical Clock – is rightly considered the best preserved medieval astronomical clock. Why is that? What times can be read on its astrolabe? Since when have wooden statues of the apostles made their promenade on it? What esoteric symbols do the stone statues conceal? Why did the alleged creator of the Astronomical Clock Master Hanuš have to be blinded? This book is about these and more secrets hidden in the bowels of this unique medieval work. Inspired by the calendar dial, it details important moments from the history of the Astronomical Clock in twelve chapters and in a final summary overviews its technical parameters.The Prague Astronomical Clock is revealing its secrets to you and will reward its admirers with originality and novelty.