Prague is the fairy tale capital of Europe - a city that survived WWII unscathed and preserves 1,000 years of architecture. But behind the beautiful facades lie dark legends, alchemist secrets, and one of the world's most complex clocks.
The World's Oldest Working Astronomical Clock
The Prague Orloj has been telling time since 1410 - and it shows much more than hours:
- Shows Old Bohemian Time, Babylonian Time, and Sidereal Time
- Displays the zodiac position, moon phases, and sunrise/sunset
- The 12 Apostles parade on the hour (added in 1490)
- The skeleton (Death) rings a bell as a mortality reminder
- Legend says the clockmaker was blinded to prevent copies
The Alchemy Capital of Europe
Emperor Rudolf II (1576-1612) turned Prague into the world capital of alchemy and mysticism:
- Golden Lane was named for alchemists trying to make gold
- Rudolf employed John Dee and Edward Kelley (famous occultists)
- The Golem legend originated in Prague's Jewish Quarter
- Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler worked here
- Rudolf owned the world's strangest collection of curiosities
The Beer Capital of the World
The Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world - and Prague is its capital:
- Czechs drink 140+ liters per person annually
- Beer is cheaper than water in most restaurants
- Pilsner was invented in Czech Republic (Plzeň, 1842)
- Budweiser (the original) is Czech, not American
- Prague has microbreweries in medieval monasteries
More Prague Secrets
Why Prague Survived WWII
Prague is one of the few major European cities that wasn't bombed in WWII. The Nazis planned to keep it as a "museum of the extinct Jewish race" and preserved its architecture. Later, Soviet forces liberated it mostly intact. This is why Prague has more medieval buildings than most "medieval" cities.
Fun fact: Hitler visited Prague Castle in 1939 and considered making it his retirement home!
The Defenestrations of Prague
Prague is famous for throwing people out of windows. "Defenestration" (from Latin fenestra = window) happened at least three times in Prague history. The most famous was in 1618, when Protestant nobles threw Catholic officials out a castle window - starting the Thirty Years' War.
Franz Kafka's Prague
Kafka was born and died in Prague, and the city shaped his surreal writing. He called it "the little mother with claws" - beautiful but inescapable. You can visit his birthplace, his grave, and a bizarre rotating sculpture of his head made of 42 moving panels.
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