Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated on the Vltava river in central Bohemia, it is home to approximately 1.2 million people. (It can be derived from jobs statistics, however, that an additional 300,000 work there without having registered as residents.)

Nicknames for Prague have included "city of a hundred spires" and "the golden city". Since 1992, the historic center of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. According to Guinness World Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world.

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague has become one of Europe's (and the world's) most popular tourist destinations. Prague was one of the few European cities relatively untouched during the World Wars, allowing its historic architecture to stay true to form. There are lots of old buildings, many with beautiful murals on them. It contains one of the world's most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical and ultra-modern. Some of the most known sights are:

• Old Town (Staré Město) with its Old Town Square
• The Astronomical Clock
• The picturesque Charles Bridge
• New Town (Nové město) with its busy and historic Wenceslas Square
• Malá Strana (Lesser Quarter)
• Prague Castle (the largest castle in the world) with its St. Vitus Cathedral
• Josefov (the old Jewish quarter) with Old Jewish Cemetery and Old New Synagogue
• The Lennon Wall
• Vinohrady
• The museum of Heydrich assassination in the crypt of the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius
• National Museum
• Vyšehrad castle
• Petřínská rozhledna, an observation tower on Petřín hill, which is nearly a 1:5 copy of the Eiffel Tower
• Žižkov Television Tower with observation deck
• The New Jewish Cemetery in Olšany, location of Franz Kafka's grave
• The Metronome, a giant, functional metronome that looms over the city
• The Dancing House (Fred and Ginger Building)
• The Mucha Museum, showcasing the Art Nouveau works of Alfons Mucha
• Places connected to writers living in the city, such as Franz Kafka.

Prague is a traditional cultural centre of Europe, hosting many cultural events.

Significant cultural institutions:

• National Theatre
• The Rudolfinum (home to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra)
• National Opera
• National Museum
• National Library
• National Gallery

There are hundreds of concert halls, galleries, cinemas and music clubs in the city. Prague also hosts Film Festivals, Music Festivals, a Writers Festival, hundreds of Vernissages and Fashion Shows:

• Prague Spring International Music Festival
• Prague Autumn International Music Festival
• Febiofest
• One World Film Festival
• Echoes of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
• Barrandov Studios
• Prague Writers Festival
• Prague International Organ Festival
• Prague Fringe Festival
• World Roma Festival
• Premiere of Mozart's Don Giovanni

The city contains eight universities and colleges including the oldest university in Central and Eastern Europe:

• Charles University (UK) founded in 1348
• Czech Technical University (ČVUT) founded in 1707
• Academy of Fine Arts (AVU) founded in 1800
• Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design (VŠUP) founded in 1885
• Institute of Chemical Technology (VŠCHT) founded in 1920
• Academy of Performing Arts (AMU) founded in 1945
• Czech University of Agriculture (ČZU) founded in 1952
• University of Economics (VŠE) founded in 1953

Being the cultural and economical center of Bohemia, Prague has attracted many famous people. Some of the best known are:

• Charles IV
• Rudolf II
• Jan Hus
• Bohumil Hrabal
• Franz Kafka - German Jewish writer
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Austrian German composer
• Antonín Dvořák
• Václav Havel
• Albert Einstein - German Jewish scientist
• Milan Kundera - Famous Writer