. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava
river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area
is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million. The city has a temperate oceanic climate
with warm summers and chilly winters.
Prague has been a political, cultural and economic centre of Europe and particularly central Europe during its 1,100 year existence.
1348 Charles University is founded in Prague.
1348 Charles University in Prague (Universitas Carolina/Univerzita Karlova) is established as the first university in Central Europe.
1357 Emperor Charles IV assists in laying the foundation stone of Charles Bridge in Prague.
1419 First Defenestration of Prague: a crowd of radical Hussites kill seven members of the Prague city council.
1620 The Battle of White Mountain takes place near Prague, ending in a decisive Catholic victory in only two hours.
1621 Execution of 27 Czech noblemen on the Old Town Square in Prague as a consequence of the Battle of White Mountain.
1631 A Saxon army takes over Prague.
1787 Mozart's opera ''Don Giovanni'' receives its first performance in Prague.
1848 The Slavic congress in Prague begins.
1905 František Pavlík is killed in a demonstration in Prague, inspiring Leoš Janáček to the piano composition 1. X. 1905.