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Prague’s Old Town Square, with a view of the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, above, is a historic
gathering center that includes Old Town Hall and its Astronomical Clock, lower left. Construction of
Saint Vitus Cathedral, top left, began in 1344 and took 600 years to complete.

prompted the Thirty Years War, which did The tour’s most memorable moment
not end well for Bohemia. came on the final day, when Dagmar led us
Also on the tour are Old Town Hall and to the Clementinum’s Mirror Chapel for a
its Astronomical Clock, one of the city’s concert that began with Mozart’s Overture
major attractions, when every hour the to the Marriage of Figaro, followed by Vi-
Apostles and Saint Paul proceed one by valdi’s Four Seasons and several other
one past the clock’s two windows. Another classical favorites, and ended with the first
highlight is the inaptly named Municipal movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony,
House, a stunning Art Nouveau edifice con- played by the Royal Czech Orchestra. The
structed from 1905 to 1911 that houses Clementinum was originally an 11th-century
Smetana Hall, another fine concert venue. Dominican monastery, and after some tur-

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