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Prague Castle, home of kings, princes and presidents,
is also the site upon which Prague was founded in the ninth century. In
legend, Princess Lubuse, who had the gift of prophecy, declared that the
city should be established in the forest where an old man was building
the doorway (praha) to his house. Prague Castle is a large complex,
including a huge Gothic cathedral, old palaces, courtyards, gardens, museums,
and the present day administrative offices of the Czech Republic. |
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Tip: There are three different entrances to Prague
Castle – if you approach through the Old Castle Steps (eastern entrance)
or the First Courtyard (western entrance), you'll climb up some steps, which
is fun. Alternatively, you can take the trams that go along Marianske hradby
and Jeleni, get off at Prazsky hrad, and walk across the Powder Bridge (no steps for little
kids to climb) to the Second Courtyard. |
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In holiday seasons, it can take an hour to go through security lines for eastern and western entrances. Try taking the trams to Prazsky hrad stop, and enter through the Second Courtyard. |
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Also, the castle is open in the evening in summer –
it's truly memorable to see it at night. |
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Tip: Prague Castle tickets are good for two consecutive days, so no need to rush to see everything at one go. |
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Battling Titans – When you visit Prague Castle,
if you start at the western entrance, you'll pass through a gate flanked
by two huge Titan statues, each with a giant sword and big hulking stick
for whacking enemies under foot. At the gate, you can also watch the changing
of the guard every hour – guards in spiffy blue uniforms present arms,
march in and out. |
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St. Vitus' Cathedral – St. Vitus' Cathedral was
started in 1344, but it wasn't completely finished until 1929. The south
transcept is part of the original Gothic construction in the 14th century,
so start with a climb up the huge south tower. It's 287 steps, and
goes round and round. (There isn't much room to stop on the way up, so it
probably isn't a good idea to try to carry a toddler up the stairs). As
you ascend, check out the big bell. At the top, you'll get a marvelous view
of cathedral spires, the red roofs of Prague, and the Vltava River. |
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In the cathedral proper, the stained glass windows are stunning,
brilliant oranges, greens and reds, but these windows aren't very old –
some were made in the early 20th century. Golden light pours into the cathedral,
illuminating the soaring ceilings and stone walls, making good on the nickname
for Prague, the "Golden City." |
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Kids will enjoy the 17th century carved wooden panels,
showing Prague and the Charles Bridge in high relief, the Baroque tomb
of St. Nepomuk, decorated with tons of silver angels (look for the tongue
of the martyr), and best of the all is the south door in the Chapel
of Saint Vaclav (Saint Wenceslas). The huge studded wooden door, ornamented
with a lion's head door ring, is locked with seven locks (and seven different
people have the keys, including the president) – this door leads to
the chamber that houses the Bohemian crown jewels (which are rarely on public
display). |
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Golden Lane – Golden Lane is where Emperor Rudolf
II's alchemists lived (trying to turn metal into gold) as well as goldsmiths.
Today, in the defense corridor, you'll find a whole collection
of armor and shields, painted on leather, and a room full of torture
instruments. The gift shop has all sorts of medieval goodies, such as metal
wild boar's head door knockers, tin soldiers, little metal golem figures,
swords, helmets and chain mail. |
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Castle towers – It's just a few steps to climb up the Powder Tower, and inside there are exhibits about the castle guard. The Black Tower, adjacent to the Old
Castle Steps entrance, has a nice ambiance inside, darkened beams in the
ceiling, and you can look down into a level below. It's also a nice place
to walk around the ramparts. |
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Museum of Czech National Past – To get a taste
of Czech history, step into exhibits of medieval helmets, silver and iron
swords, Gothic chalices, thumbs screws, models of 18th century Czech farmhouse
and water wheel – each room is a different era in history. The labels
are in Czech, but ask for a booklet that explains the displays in English. |
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Concerts – In the Lobkovic Palace,
check out the schedule of concerts. Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, performed in
a memorable setting. |
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The South Gardens has grass and benches
to sit down, plus a great view of Prague in the distance. |
