A brief history of Prague and the Bohemian Crownlands

The Myth The legends tell us that there were once two brothers, Cech and Lech, leaders of their people, who went out in search of new lands to settle. When they came to the mountain Rip, they looked out over the landscape and they saw that it was fertile and pleasant. So they agreed that they should split up and Lech go north and Cech go west. Thus were born the nations of the Czechs and the Poles. Cech died, and his son Krok became ruler. And Krok had three wise and beautiful daughters; Kazi, Teta and Libuse. Each had their own magical gift. Kazi could speak to the gods, Teta could heal the sick, and the wisest and most beautiful of them all, Libuse, also had the most important power she could foretell the future. When Krok died, the people chose Libuse as their queen, and she ruled wisely for many years. But one day two men who had dispute over land came to her. When she ruled in favour of the younger man, the older burst out in a fit of anger, spit rained from his mouth as he shouted Shame to men that are ruled by a woman! Because whereas their hair is long, their wits are short! His discontent spread among the people like a rot, and soon they demanded that Libuse be married to a man, so that they be ruled by a king. Roman times Celtic tribes The name What is now the Czech Republic has for most part of history been known as Bohemia. The name comes from the first people that we know by name that inhabited these lands, the Boii. The Boii were a Celtic tribe. Although we now associate the word Celtic mostly with Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, this ethnic group has its origins right here in Central Europe, whence they spread all over the continent. The richest Celtic grave found in Europe is at Stonehenge, and the chieftain buried there came from the Celtic heartland in Bohemia. The most precious items in the grave are some hair adornments made of gold and this people were indeed famous for the metallurgical skills, surpassing even their southern relatives, the Romans. The Boii were fierce warriors as well, named a after their first prince, Boi, meaning cruel, sacking Rome in the early days of the Roman empire, and later accompanying Hannibal and his elephants across the alps. Prague and surroundings were inhabited already during these times, and the Boii built a number of fortresses, of which the biggest one is Zavist south of Prague. Anyone wanting to experience the mysterious atmosphere of this ancient site can combine it with a visit to the nearby town of Zbraslav with a lovely castle and a medieval church. You can easily get there by bus from Smichovske Nadrazi in thirty minutes. Another fortress is located in the beautiful park Prokopske Udoli, which has a unique rock landscape with several caves and an intriguing abandoned quarry. The park is also home to an underground aircraft factory built by the Nazis and now used as a military base. Although, virtually tourist-free, the area is popular for recreation and sports among the locals and there are several places where you can stop for a drink. The easiest way of getting there is to take the yellow underground line to the stop Hurka and follow the signs to Prokopske Udoli. Once there, you can take a leisurely stroll through the landscape to the picturesque village of

Hlubocepy, which has several pubs. After refreshing yourself with a nice cold Czech beer you dont have to worry about walking back, because there is a convenient bus that will take you all the way back to Andel and the yellow line. And by the way, if you were wondering about the connection between the name of the country Bohemia and The Celts were replaced by the Germanic tribes Boi Germanic tribes The Huns The Franks The Avars Samo Great Moravia The Mongols Middle Ages The Duchy of Bohemia Borivoj and St Ludmila The Holy Roman Empire St Wenceslas and Boleslav Bretislav The Kingdom of Bohemia The Premyslid kings and the silver mines of Kuttenberg St Agnes Premysl II Otakar and Rudolf of Habsburg John of Luxembourg and Elizabeth Premyslovna Charles IV Wenceslas IV, the Wizard Zito, and John of Nepomuk John Wycliffe, John Huss, Milic of Kromeriz, Iron John The First Defenestration and the Hussite Revolution Hussite Wars and anti-Hussite crusades

John Zizka and the Taborites The Adamites The Reformation The discovery of the Americas and the end of the silver mines The Jagellons, the Turkish Wars and the siege of Vienna