Day 3
Prague Castle
Prague Castle
The Prague Castle, or Pražský hrad, is the largest castle in the world, covering an entire hilltop. It was home to the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors, and the presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. It dates back to the year 870 and remains the heart of Bohemia.
To get to the castle, we must walk across the river (who can complain if that grants us another trip across the Charles Bridge), then follow the “Royal Way” up Neruda Street.
At the top of the hill is the castle gate, which is really more of a fence with imposing statues guarding the entry.
One of the statures gracing Prague Castle's gate. Pleasantries abound.
The intimidating gate of the Prague Castle, with stabbing and clubbing.
Decorating the Pargue castle's gate is this sculpture of a crowned eagle with children.
The crux of the castle is the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral. Much of the cathedral is relatively modern construction, but some of the chapels date from the 1300s.
Suzanne, Mom, and Dad in the courtyard beside St. Vitus Cathedral, the largest church in the Czech Reqpublic. Saints Wenceslas and John of Nepomuk are buried here, along with Czech's crown jewels.
The Gothic spires of St. Vitus cathedral at the Prague castle.
The gothic spires of St. Vitus cathedral in Prague.
St. Vitus cathedral's Gothic facade in brilliant spring sunlight.
The nave in St. Vitus cathedral at the Prague Castle.
Light pours into the St. Vitus cathedral through its giant rose window.
The tomb of St. John of Nepomuk lies in the rear of the cathedral. Two tons of silver were used to make the baroque tomb. John lived from 1345 to 1393, when he was thrown off the Charles Bridge for not divulging the queen's confessions to Wenceslas I, king of the Romans and Bohemia.
We wandered around the grounds, through the alleys and around the other smaller buildings. Through the Golden Lane, by the Basilica of St. George, a red, Romantic church behind the cathedral, and we toured the Daliborka Tower and dungeon. We even took in the pomp and circumstance of the changing of the guard.
Mom and Dad on the Golden Lane in Prague's castle. This quaint lane is now home to tourist boutiques.
A statue on the Basilica of St. George at the Prague castle bearing a church beneath his arm.
At noon, the changing of the guard at the Prague castle is a dramatic affair. One squad of soldiers emerges from one castle building while another squad marches through a teeming crowd of tourists from the adjacent square. Banners are exchanged while a brass band plays from windows overlooking the square.
The green dome and roof of the St. Nicholas church from Prague Castle.
View from the Prague Castle. The main church in the old town square is center frame, while the baby-covered TV antenna is on the horizon.
After the castle, we were ready to sit and have a drink, and maybe some food too. We found a rooftop bar where we had a drink and relaxed, then we moved on to one of the restaurants that line the Vltava River.
Some graffiti on the walls leading up to the Prague Castle.
'Piss' is a public sculpture in Prgue's Little Quarter which features two men pissing into a Czech-shaped pool.
Mom, Dad, and Suzanne on the Vltava River looking toward Old Town Prague.
Mom at our dinner table overlooking the Vltava River and the Charles Bridge.
As the sun set, we headed over the Charles Bridge once more. Everything was bathed in a gentle, golden light that one only sees in spring.
Statue of John of Neponuk on the Charles Bridge in Prague.
Close-up of an Indian prince from the Statue of St. Francis Xavier on Prague's Charles Bridge.
The Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, the largest building in Prague's old town.
Tomorrow is our final full day in Prague and I feel we’re just scratching the surface. This vacation is going fast.