Prague Tour of Scenic & Historic Sights
Prague Castle, St. Vitus's Cathedral, Charles Bridge, & Old Town
Old Town Hall, Astronomical Clock, & Powder Tower
Jewish Quarter, Lesser Town, Music, & Dancing
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St. Vitus Cathedral. |
Statue in St. Vitus |
Tours
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Globus Avalon River-Cruise Tour
We were on a Globus Avalon small-ship river cruise tour that started in Prague, where there were two nights on the tour. Details of our time in Prague are detailed here. From Prague we were taken to Nuremberg, Germany to board The Avalon Tranquility for our seven-night cruise through Central Germany. For details of the ship, onboard activities, dining, and more go to Avalon Tranquility. For a summary of the daily excursions in each of the towns visited as well as some beautiful scenes viewed from the ship while cruising go to Central Germany Cruise. The tour ended in Paris where we spend two nights.
Prague Castle - St. Vitus's Cathedral
Within the Prague Castle is St. Vitus's Cathedral. This cathedral is very very impressive; it is one of the most awe-inspiring cathedrals that I have ever seen. It dates from the 10th century, but was not completed until 1929. Several buildings have existed on the present site. In about 925 Prince Wenceslas of Bohemia started a church there dedicated to St. Vitas. You have probably heard the Christmas carol that honors St. Wenceslas. He was killed by his brother in a grab for power. Because of what were thought to be miracles surrounding him, and due to his popularity with the people the Catholic Church made him a saint. The present structure was started in 1344, and he is buried there in the Chapel of St. Wenceslas. The main architect of the cathedral was the German Peter Parler, who also built the Charles Bridge and other things in Prague. A stairs in the cathedral leads down to the royal crypt. Among those buried there is Charles IV. There are a number of magnificent chapels in the cathedral. There are also many beautiful stained-glass windows. The gothic beauty throughout the building is quite amazing. See the pictures. The Bohemian crown jewels are stored in the cathedral. To unlock them requires seven keys, each one being held by an important person.
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Chapel in St. Vitus |
Window in St. Vitus |
Not far from St. Vitus's Cathedral is St. George's Basilica. This basilica is an example of a romanesque-style church. It dates from the 10th century. The Royal Garden came into being in the 16th century, but has been further developed in recent years. It contains the Ball Game Hall built in 1568.
Before leaving the Prague Castle we had some free time to walk around. We saw a marching band and some statues of battle scenes with an enemy about to be slaughtered. See the pictures. There is no doubt that they fought fierce battles in the past. We also saw the changing of the guard.
Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is one of the most important sights in Prague. It crosses the Vltava River. To the west of the river is where you find the Prague Castle and Lesser Town. To the East you find Old Town and the Jewish Quarters. The building of the bridge began in 1357 after Charles IV asked architect Peter Parler to build it. Parler was also the builder of St. Vitus's Cathedral. In the 17th century baroque religious statues were added to the bridge by catholics. The best way to see the statues and bridge is to walk across it.
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Musicians and guards near St. Vitus |
Battle scene statue near |
Old Town Square
The Old Town Square is large and dates from the 12th century when the market place moved there. It is a place to find musicians and artists and to walk around. Through years past numerous people have been executed in the Old town Square over religious or nationality conflicts.
Old Town Hall & Astronomical Clock
The Old Town Hall, near the Old Town Square, is where the city council administered city business starting in 1338. The building cannot be missed as its tower is 200 feet (61 meters) high. Mounted on the Town Hall Tower is the famous Astronomical Clock. The clock draws large crowds on the hour each day to see it work. See the pictures. Before the clock strikes the hour a skeleton sounds a death cry and an hour glass goes upside down. The Twelve Apostles are all presented one after the other. A cockerel flaps its wings and the clock strikes the hour. This fascinating clock appeared in the 15th century.
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Astronomical clock tower. |
Astronomical clock. |
Powder Tower & Municipal House
The Powder Tower is another interesting sight to see. It was used to store gunpowder. Construction on the tower began in 1475, but was interrupted and not finished until the 19th century. From the top of the tower there there are good views of Old Town and the Prague Castle across the river. Very close to the Powder Tower is the Municipal House, which dates from 1911. It is used for concerts and art exhibits. The Prague Symphony performs there. In downtown Prague there was a horse drawn carriage going down a cobble stone street. See the pictures.
Jewish Quarter
The Jewish Quarter is a short distance north of the Old Town Square. There you find a number of interesting synagogues including the Spanish Synagogue built in 1868 and the Old-New Synagogue built in the 13th century. The Spanish Synagogue has a Moorish dome. The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest European synagogue in use today. The stones of an ancient temple at the same location (The Old) are said to have been used in building the present building (The New).
The Old Jewish Cemetery is regarded as one of the most important sights to be seen in Prague. It was the burial place for jews from the 15th century into the 18th century. Due to limited space graves had to be placed upon top of other graves. Tombstones record a lot of history, and their placement in the cemetery is both interesting and spiritual.
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Horse drawn carriage in downtown |
Powder Tower. |
Lesser Town
Across the river from Old Town and south of the Prague Castle is Lesser Town. There are a number of things to seen there. The Church of St. Nicholas is known for its architecture and for the interior with its statues and frescoes. This church was built in the baroque style beginning in 1704. There are some gardens to view. The Vrtba Garden is considered to be the best of the Lesser Town public gardens. It has terraced gardens with well crafted statues. The Wallenstein Palace has many fountains and classical bronze statues throughout the attractive gardens.
Folk music & dancing
One evening we were entertained with Czech folk music and dancing during dinner. The music was great to listen to and the dancing was of high quality. The music included nice vocals and solos on some musical instruments that we had never seen before. The dancers did many dances dressed in different attire representative of their culture. It was very interesting and a great evening.
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Czech folk musicians. |
Czech folk dancers. |
River cruise-tour pages
For a description of the ship and onboard activities see the Avalon Tranquility. For a summary of the river cruise through Germany go to Central Germany Cruise. After sightseeing in Germany we were taken across Luxemburg to board a high speed train for a quick trip to Paris. The tour ended with two nights in Paris.
Photos by Sunny Breeding. We sell images and prints.
