Prague Oldest Buildings and Monuments

Posted July 7, 2009 by King Wenceslas

Prague Oldest Bridge – Charles Bridge:

The construction of the bridge started in 1357 by King Charles IV and was finished by the beginning of 15th century. Until 1841, the bridge used to be the only way for crossing Vltava river and a unique connection between the Old Town and the Lesser Town (Mala Strana and Prague Castle).

Prague Oldest Café – Slavia:

Grand Café Slavia is located in front of the National Theatre and was opened in the same year 1881 as the theatre itself . Cafe Slavia became a meeting place for Czech intellectuals, including former president Vaclav Havel.

Prague Oldest Baroque Garden – Wallenstein Garden:

Belongs to the Wallenstein Palace, a Baroque palace in the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) of Prague, built between1623 and1630 by Albrecht Wenzel von Wallenstein, Duke of Mecklenburg, the Wallenstein Palace is today the home of the Czech Senate.

The Oldest Hotel Guest Book – Radisson SAS Alcron hotel in Prague:

The guest book begun in 1932 and belongs to Alcron hotel which was constructed in 1930 and had the reputation of being Jazz-age Prague´s „in“ hotel.

The Oldest Meteorological Observatory in Prague – Klementinum:

The Klementinum astronomical observatory was founded in 1722, became famous shortly after its establishment and it’s keeping records since 1752. Today the Klementinum Complex is a National Cultural Monument and is the seat of the National Library.

The Oldest Preserved Fountain in Prague - The Singing Fountain:

Located in the Belvedere, the Summerhouse of Queen Ann in the Royal Garden at Prague Castle. This Renaissance fountain was established by Master Jaros between 1562 and 1568 after a drawing and wax model by the Italian painter Francesco Terzio of Bergamo.

The Oldest Model of Prague – Langweil’s model:

Called after its creator Antonin Langweil, a worker in Prague university library, who spent 11 years of his life (1826-1837) on this model. Langweil’s model of Prague is one of the most extraordinary and most admired exhibit in the Museum of the City of Prague.

The Oldest Cemetery in Prague – Vysehrad Cemetery:

Established in 1869 on the rests of Vysehrad Castle in Prague, the Vysehrad cemetery is the resting place of many famous Czech composers, scientists, writers and politics.

Prague Oldest Train Station – Masaryk Station (Masarykovo Nadrazi):

The oldest railway station in Prague designed by Antonin Jungling, in operation since 1845, it’s located in the New Town area of Prague, near the Republic Square (Namesti Republiky).

Oldest Embankment on Vltava River in Prague – Smetanovo Nabrezi:

Named after the Czech composer Bedrich Smetana and built between 1841 and 1845 as Prague’s first river bank built of stone.

Oldest Public Water Main in Prague:

Established in 1348, used gravity flow to bring water from the spring in today’s Na rybnicku street to the fountains in Karlovo and Wenceslas squares.

The Oldest Hospital in Prague – Na Frantisku:

Founded by Bohuslav Olbramovice on 1354 as hospital for the poor and played a pan-European importance in the history of the development of health care.

The Oldest Department Store of Prague – Haas House (Haasuv Dum):

Located in Na Prikope Street, next to Koruna Palace and built in Neo-Renaissance style on 1870 by the architect A. Linsbauera.

The Oldest Rotunda in Prague – Rotunda of St. Martin in Vysehrad:

The rotunda dates back to the reign of Vratislav II. It acted as a Parish Church between the end of the 11th century and the 14th century, then became a storage space for gunpowder. Today it retains a Neo-Romanesque Protal and a marble altar.

Prague Oldest Housing Estate – Invalidovna in Karlin, Prague 8:

It is made up of several different types of residential buildings for more than 4 thousand people, a business center and a kindergarten. The construction of the housing began in 1960 and lasted until 1965.