Prague, sometimes known as the city of a hundred spires, had developed by the 10th Century into an important trading centre where merchants from all over Europe gathered.

Situated on the River Vltava, the first bridge was built in 1170, to be replaced by the current Charles bridge in 1357.

The city boasts one of the worlds’ most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance to Neo-Classical and Art Nouveau, having suffered considerably less damage during World War II than some other major cities in the region.