Hollar's Prague, then and now

Wenceslaus Hollar drew his home city in 1636. Most of what he saw is still there.

An etched view of Prague across the river: the stone bridge with its tower, the spires of the Týn Church and the roofs of the Old Town

Hollar was born in Prague in 1607 and left as a young man. He passed through again in 1636 with an English embassy, drew the city from the hills on the castle side of the river, and etched the view in Antwerp in 1649.

What is still there

The castle and St Vitus, the stone bridge and its towers, the spires of the Týn Church across the river. The bridge was called simply the stone bridge then; it has been Charles Bridge since the nineteenth century.

What isn’t

The city walls of the New Town, most of the wooden mills on the river, and many of the smaller churches. Bring a copy of the print to the viewpoint and play spot the difference.