Prague - The City and its River

Kateřina Bečková

Prague

The City and its River

The appearance, character, and life in Prague has been from the beginning heavily influenced by Vlatava, river, whose flow has prepared the relief of the landscape for the settlement of the Prague basin and to later form a city, which grew into a metropolis. The city has slowly subjugated the river during its history. People of Prague have learnt to use its energy in mills and later in power plants, to span the river with different kinds of bridges, to modify the banks and the islands, to build an enbankment. The greatest changes have probably come during the 19th century. The banks of Vltava, until that time used as economic peripheries, have tranformed into desirable locales with elaborate buildings, cultural centres and elegant concourses.
In the first part the author shows the historical closeness of Prague and Vltava, in the times, when especially the practical functions of the river were at the forefront, even though today it's viewed more like an aesthetic element, completing the picturesque view of the city. In the second part she's guiding us through current photographs of interesting objects and places connecting Prague and Vltava, whether it's historic mills, weirs, embankments, islands, water towers, bridges, as well as the river as a place of the social life of the city.

Contents:

The City and its River
The City and its River: A Guide

The islands, bridges, and embankments of the Vltava
The statues on Charles Bridge
A map of the places mentioned in this book
Monarchs, artists, architects, builders, and politicians
List of illustrations
About the author

Karolinum, Prague 2017, 200 x 260 mm, 200 pages, English, ISBN 978-80-246-3292-6