When Bohemia reached the Adriatic
Bohemia wasn't always a land-locked nation, which may surprise some cartographers. For a short time in the 1th century, one Bohemian king built a chain of power from Prague towards the Adriatic. How did he do that?
The lost church of St Philip and St Jacob
In the city of a hundred spires, it's hard to imagine that there were more belfries, towers and churches than there are today. The church of St Philip and St Jacob in Prague's Smichov district is one of the churches that no longer exists.
Prague’s Daring Dame: The Hotel Central
Prague, 1901. A city of soaring Gothic spires and grand Baroque palaces. Then, something new appeared. Something... different. On Hybernska street, a building bloomed into existence, its facade a swirl of pastel colours and floral motifs. This was the Hotel Central.
The Battle of Strigonia
Sixteenth century Europe was ablaze with one war after another. The epoch-defining conflict was the one between the Ottomans and the Hapsburg Empire. This changed European, and Middle-Eastern history. One of this war's battles included a contingent of Maltese fighting forces. This article explains how they came to be there and the story of that siege.
The significance of the little bridge
Prague's Můstek neighborhood and metro station has a fascinating story behind it. This area represents a remarkable convergence of medieval history and modern urban development. What appears today as a bustling transit hub and shopping district used to be a crucial defensive boundary between different sections of a growing medieval city. Visitors can still see the remnants of this history today.
This article explains the history and the legends behind this neighbourhood.
The Empress who transformed a city
When Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV died in 1740, he didn’t leave any male heirs. His daughter, Maria Theresa, inherited the role and became the first Empress of the Empire. Her influence can be directly seen in Prague, which became one of the major imperial cities because of her.
Macedonia and the Bulgarian Horrors
During my travels in North Macedonia, I was puzzled to see lots of references and mentioned to ex-UK Prime Minister William Gladstone. What would a 19th-century British statesman have in common with a modern nation-state?
The answer focuses on the interdependencies of foreign policy and 19th century realpolitik.
Banning Bohemian gargoyles
Gargoyles are an important architectural feature in Gothic buildings around Europe. These ornate water spouts depict grotesque creatures or human figures. As practical as they were, they seem to have existed from the 14th to the 16th century in Bohemia.
The Icelandic anomaly
In geopolitical terms, Iceland is a bit of an anomaly. It gained independence from Denmark, but found itself unable to defend itself. It joined NATO even though it doesn't have a standing army of its own. It's crucial to North Atlantic security but is it that crucial?
This article examines Iceland before NATO, and how it, and NATO, evolved together.
St Clements in Pořiči
Near Prague's city centre, but not quite close enough, St Clement's church is possibly one of the oldest religious structures in the city. It is more than 1000 years' old.