Prague， capital of the Czech Republic and one of Europe's most beautiful cities， has finally come into full bloom. Its compact（緊湊的）medieval center remains an evocative maze of cobbled lanes， ancient courtyards， dark passages and churches beyond number（數(shù)不清的）， all watched over by an 1100-year-old castle with liveried（穿規(guī)定制服的）guards.
In counterpoint to the city's venerable past， Prague's social life is incredibly youthful， mixing young Czechs in search of urban adventure with hordes of 20-something expats in search of the romanticism of Golden Prague. Though veteran travelers complain that their secret treasure has been discovered by the world， the evening sun still shimmers across the city's domes（圓頂）and spires（尖頂）， the clatter（嘈雜的談笑聲）and chatter（喋喋不休的講話）of Czechs enjoying an after-work drink spills from the open doors of back street pubs， and from the window of the public recreation center， Dvorak's（德沃夏克，十九世紀(jì)下半葉捷克的音樂(lè)家）folksy（有民間風(fēng)味的）symphonies are recounted with an out-of-tune（走調(diào)的）piano. In some ways， Prague carries on as it always has.
Prague sits amid the gentle landscapes of the Bohemian plateau（波西米亞高地）， straddling（橫跨）the Vltava River （伏爾塔瓦河）， the Czech Republic's longest river. Central Prague consists of five historical towns： Hradcany， the castle district， on a hill above the west bank； Mala Strana， the 13th-century 'Little Quarter'， between the river and castle； Stare Mesto， the gothic（哥特式的）'Old Town' on the Vltava's east bank； adjacent Josefov， the former Jewish ghetto（*人區(qū)）； and Nove Mesto or 'New Town'， to the south and east of Stare Mesto.
Within these historical districts - linked by the landmark Charles Bridge（查理大橋） - are most of the city's attractions. The whole compact maze is best appreciated on foot， aided by Prague's fine public transportation system.
In counterpoint to the city's venerable past， Prague's social life is incredibly youthful， mixing young Czechs in search of urban adventure with hordes of 20-something expats in search of the romanticism of Golden Prague. Though veteran travelers complain that their secret treasure has been discovered by the world， the evening sun still shimmers across the city's domes（圓頂）and spires（尖頂）， the clatter（嘈雜的談笑聲）and chatter（喋喋不休的講話）of Czechs enjoying an after-work drink spills from the open doors of back street pubs， and from the window of the public recreation center， Dvorak's（德沃夏克，十九世紀(jì)下半葉捷克的音樂(lè)家）folksy（有民間風(fēng)味的）symphonies are recounted with an out-of-tune（走調(diào)的）piano. In some ways， Prague carries on as it always has.
Prague sits amid the gentle landscapes of the Bohemian plateau（波西米亞高地）， straddling（橫跨）the Vltava River （伏爾塔瓦河）， the Czech Republic's longest river. Central Prague consists of five historical towns： Hradcany， the castle district， on a hill above the west bank； Mala Strana， the 13th-century 'Little Quarter'， between the river and castle； Stare Mesto， the gothic（哥特式的）'Old Town' on the Vltava's east bank； adjacent Josefov， the former Jewish ghetto（*人區(qū)）； and Nove Mesto or 'New Town'， to the south and east of Stare Mesto.
Within these historical districts - linked by the landmark Charles Bridge（查理大橋） - are most of the city's attractions. The whole compact maze is best appreciated on foot， aided by Prague's fine public transportation system.