The Golden City

The “Golden City,” of course, is Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic or Czechia. It is one of the oldest cities in Central Europe and was the most crucial metropolis in the region for many centuries. Prague was a multicultural city with Czech, German, and Jewish populations. It was also a tremendously rich place, being a cultural, political, and economic hub in Europe. Because of that fact, it was probably called golden, maybe because of the many golden tower roofs visible from afar or the myths surrounding alchemists working in the city. There are plenty of other legends about Prague; one well-known is the story of the Golem, a monster who was said to live in the Jewish quarter. For sure, though, it can be said that Prague accumulated an astounding assembly of architecture over many centuries, reaching from medieval Gothic buildings to baroque and art nouveau structures. No wonder the city is a living museum of European history today.