Concierge of Albion Hotel Prague

Hotel Concierge provides:

• Tourist information
• Tickets for current cultural events available on the spot
• Confirmation of airplane tickets
• Sightseeing tours and trips through Prague and the Czech Republic
• Car rental
• Babysitting
• Dry cleaning

 Concierge of Albion Hotel provides different Prague sightseeing tours. You can visit:

Old Town's ancient town hall was established in 1338. The most popular part of its tower is the Astronomical Clock originally installed in 1410. The clock is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

Carolinum Prague was founded by Emperor Charles IV on 7th of April 1348. It is the oldest university north of the Alps. Thousands of German students left the university in 1420 when the reform preacher Jan Hus became rector. Today - since the 14th century this extensive block of buildings houses Charles University - the oldest university in the Central Europe. On the first floor there is a large assembly hall which is used for special celebrations (graduation ceremonies etc.). The baroque facade is a result of the renovations from the year 1718.

Clementinum Prague is the extensive baroque campus - established in the former Dominican monastery of St Clement between 1653 and 1723. It was the Jesuit College. It is the largest complex of buildings in Prague after Prague Castle. The Church of St Clemens and the Church of St Salvator are its part. When the Jesuits had to leave Prague in 1773, the Clementinum became the Prague University and National library.

Charles Bridge in Prague is a famous historical bridge. Its building started in 1357 under the patronage of King Charles IV, and completed in the beginning of 15th century. It was the most important connection between the Old Town Prague, the Prague Castle and adjacent areas until 1841. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them in baroque style from 1700. During the night Charles Bridge is a magical quiet place. But during the day it is an energetic place, with painters, traders and numerous tourists crossing the bridge.

Gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn was built in 1365 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. Its magnificent multiple

 steeples are 80m high. Between the early 15th century and the year of 1620 it was the main Hussite church in Prague. Entrance portal is decorated with scenes of Christ's passion and a huge Rococo altar on the northern wall. Right of the altar there is a tomb of the Danish astronomer Tycho de Brahe who worked at the court of the Emperor Rudolph II. The church has a grand-sounding pipe organ and occasionally there are concert venues.

Faust House was built in the 14th century and owned by the alchemists Prince Václav of Opava, Edward Kelley (16th century) and by Count Ferdinand Mladota in the 18th century, this Baroque mansion is associated with the legend of the devil.

Infant of Prague is a statue of the baby Jesus, which was according to the legend was made by pious monk who gazed upon the face of the Christ child. The devotion to the Holy Child Jesus has long been a tradition of the Catholic Church for a very long time and all miracles happening over centuries have been attributed to the Infant of Prague, the protector of the city. You can see the statue in the Church of our Lady Victorious.

Jewish quarter (Josefov) is the former Jewish ghetto of the town. The ghetto was most prosperous towards the end of the 16th century. Around this time the Maharal was supposed to create the Golem. Most of the quarter was demolished between 1893 and 1913. Only following sites were preserved:

• High Synagogue (16th century).
• Klaus Synagogue (16th century Baroque).
• Maisel Synagogue (16th century).
• Pinkas Synagogue (16th century). Now a memorial to Holocaust martyrs.
• Spanish Synagogue with Moorish interior (19th century).
• Old Jewish Cemetery 15th-18th century cemetery. Europe's oldest surviving Jewish cemetery.
• Old New Synagogue (13th century Gothic).
• Jewish Ceremonial Hall Prague (20th century Neo-Renaissance)

Kampa is an island in the Vltava River. It is separated by a narrow artificial channel to “The Devil´s Stream”. Kampa offers a possibility of borrowing a little boat, perfect for boat trip from the Charles Bridge to the Manesuv Bridge and back. The walkway along the Vltava River is in shade of trees and has two wooden water wheels at the ends. If you keep on a walkway you cannot miss Kampa Park with a new children playground.

Malostranske Square with the St. Nicholas Church is the center of Lesser Town. The largest Prague's church was founded by the Jesuits. The church was built in 1704-1755 and it is considered as the most beautiful baroque building of Prague. It was built during several periods leaded by significant builders Krystov Dientzenhofer and his son Kilián Ignác Dienzenhofer. Inside of the Church of St. Nicholas is gallery of the artworks. Sculpture decoration comes from Ignac Platzer and painting from Karel Skreta, Ignace Raaba and others.

Municipal House was built as a representative building of Prague, as a centre of Czech cultural and social life in 1905-1911. It is an impressive Art Nouveau house that catches attention of everyone, who visits the Republic Square in Prague New Town. It is situated next to the Powder Tower on the place of the former Royal Court from 1383 which was used as a seat of kings till the end of the 15 th century.

National Theatre Prague - the foundation stone was laid in 1868. On the 11th June 1881 it was inaugurated in honor of the visit of the crown price Rudolf. After 12 performances it was closed again to be completed. Unfortunately on the 12th August 1881 it was burnt down. It was rebuilt and reopened on the 11th November 1881. The technically perfect building was used for almost 100 years. Its reconstruction was completed on the occasion of the 100 years anniversary of its foundation.

National Museum was founded as the institution in 1818. The building of the museum was built in 1885-90. The main hall houses the exposition dedicated to the memory of the outstanding personalities of the Czech nation. Moreover it contains the exposition focused on the natural science.

New Town Hall Prague is a gothic complex of buildings from the late 14th and early 15th centuries, rebuilt in the renaissance style in the 16th century. It contains a tower with Our Lady Chapel, two gothic halls with ribbed vaults and a renaissance hall. During 1377 - 1784 the seat of the New Town Prague authorities.

Nerudova Street in Prague is a part of the Royal Road. The narrow medieval street leads from the Charles Bridge to the Prague Castle. It is named after Czech writer and journalist Jan Neruda. This charming street offers beautiful baroque houses, hotels, restaurants and small souvenir shops.

Old Town Square was Prague's heart since the 10th century and its main market place until the beginning of the 20th century. There are beautiful pastel-colored buildings of Romanesque or Gothic origin with fascinating house signs. The Old Town Square is located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge. Today it is popular meeting place it sees its share of celebrations (New Year's), holiday markets (Christmas and Easter), and protests. On occasion, hockey and football (soccer) games are shown on huge screens, drawing large crowds of fans. It offers visitors a tourist information office, number of restaurants, cafés, shops and galleries.

Petrin Hill is a large park located closes the Lesser Town Prague. On the top of the hill is an Observation Tower which is small copy of the Eiffel Tower in Paris built for the Prague Exhibition in 1891. It takes 299 steps to the top but the panoramic view is worth it. From the station Ujezd to the top of the Petrin Hill you can go by walk or you can use the funicular. Another point of attraction on the Petrin Hill is House of Mazes, a house with maze of concave and convex mirrors which make everyone look either too small or too long, stretched out or wide.

Powder Tower is 65m-tall gothic tower established in 1475 as the one of the 13 entrances to the Old Town. In 1483 it was left unfinished because the king moved to Prague Castle. Between 1875 and 1886 the tower was rebuilt and decorated. The gate acquired its present name in the 17th century when it was used to store gunpowder.

Prague Castle was founded around the year 880. The first walled building was the Church of Virgin Mary. Other churches, dedicated to St. George and St. Vitus, were founded in the first half of the 10th century. The Prague Castle was not only the seat of the head of state, but also of the Prague bishop. The period of the rule of King and later Emperor Charles IV (the middle of the 14th century) was a time of prosperity for Prague Castle, for then it first became an imperial residence. The royal palace was magnificently rebuilt and the fortifications strengthened. Building began on the Gothic church of St. Vitus on the model of French cathedrals.

The Hussite wars and the following decades, when the Castle was not inhabited, caused the dilapidation of its buildings and fortifications.

The next favourable time came after 1483. New fortifications were built and, together with them, defense towers on the northern side (the Powder Tower, the New White Tower and Daliborka). The splendid Vladislav Hall was the biggest secular vaulted Renaissance hall in the Europe of that day. During the 16th century the Castle was rebuilt in a renaissance style. During the rule of Rudolph II.in second half of the 16th century the Prague Castle was settled permanently and it began a grand centre of the empire. The northern wing of the palace was founded, with today's Spanish Hall, to house his precious artistic and scientific collections. The Prague defenestration in 1618 started a long period of wars, during which Prague Castle was damaged and robbed. It was used by the country's ruler only exceptionally and temporarily.

In the second half of the 18th century the last great rebuilding of the Castle was carried out, making it a prestigious castle-type seat. But at that time the capital or the empire was Vienna. In 1929 the Cathedral of St. Vitus was completed. After the foundation of the independent Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 Prague Castle again became the seat of the head of state. Today Prague Castle, besides the seat of the head of state, is also an important cultural and historical monument. The crown jewels are kept in Prague Castle, as are the relics of Bohemian kings, Christian relics, art treasures and historical documents.

Wax Museum Prague is the first Wax Museum in Prague. It was opened in March 1997 by Zdenek Kocik who decided to build a team of the best Czech sculptor, architects and stylists. Due to the huge number of visitors, another two museums were opened near the Karlstejn Castle and in Cesky Krumlov. Don’t miss wax figurine of celebrities as Albert Einstein, Franz Kafka, Vaclav Havel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salvador Dali or Lady Diana Spencer. Museum is opened daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Wenceslas Square Prague was a horse market. It is the main centre of modern Prague surrounded by shopping centers, cinemas, hotels, restaurants and cafés. In the middle of the square is a monument of St Wenceslas on a horse accompanied with sculptures of four Czech patron saints. The 750 m long and 60 m wide square has been the scene of a great deal of Czech history. In 1969 a university student Jan Palach burnt himself to death in protest against the Warsaw Pact invasion and in November 1989 protest meetings against police brutality were held here and led to the Velvet Revolution and the end of communism in Czechoslovakia.

Wallenstein Palace in Prague was built between 1624 and 1630 by Albrecht von Wallenstein, generalissimo of the Habsburg armies, it was meant to overshadow even the Prague Castle. It is so large that 23 houses, three gardens and the municipal brick kiln had to be razed to make way for the palace and its grounds. There are also splendid gardens laid out as they were in those days. Now it houses the Senate of the Czech Republic.

Also you can visit following cities and castles: Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne, Ceske Budejovice, Cesky Krumlov, Plzen, Kutna Hora, Terezin, Hluboka nad Vltavou Castle, Konopiste Castle and Karlstejn Castle.