Praha, Hlavní Nádraží

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Central Station (Czech Praha hlavní nádraží) is the largest and most important railway junction in Prague and the whole Czech Republic. The station was first opened in 1871 and named after the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. The modern Art Nouveau building was built in 1901-09. designed by the Czech architect Joseph Fanta, aside from the previous neo-Renaissance building of the architect Ignaz Ulman. During the First Republic (as well as in 1948-53) the station was named after the American President Woodrow Wilson, a monument to which stood in the park in front of the station. The Nazis demolished the monument after the United States entered World War II (end of 1941). The territory of the station was expanded by the construction of a new building in 1971-1979, including a metro station. As a result of the construction, a significant part of the park was built up, and the historical building in the neo-Renaissance style was inaccessible for viewing from the side of the road.