Where We Have Been - Europe - Czech Republic

Prague is an amazing city with stunning old, much of it gothic, architecture that is, in many cases, more than 1,100 years old. Being honest it wasn’t somewhere that we had considered for it’s rich history and it was a very pleasant surprise.

Our visit to Prague commenced with a guided walking tour to, inside, and from the Prague Castle, reportedly the largest castle in the world and the first parts of which were constructed around 870. It is the residence and workplace of the Czech President. The ceiling of Vladislav Hall in the Prague Castle is certainly impressive.

Located within the grounds of Prague Castle is Saint Vitus Cathedral, built around 1344, which is a stunning example of Gothic Architecture and is the third church located on the site where a church was first built around 930. It is home to the tombs of many Holy Roman Emperors.

Also located within the grounds is St. George’s Basilica which dates from around 920. After having a good look around, watching the precision changing of the guard and noting the Soviet symbolism that had been worked into the exterior it was time to wander down the Golden Lane so named because of the alchemists based there endeavouring to “conjure” gold.

After exiting the Golden Lane we found ourselves crossing the Charles Bridge over the Vitava River, passing the many statues, including at the end the one of King Charles IV, a King of Bohemia and a Holy Roman Emperor, and entering Prague’s Old Town Square.

The buildings in old town are something to behold, there is the Church of Our Lady before Týn which was built in the 14-15^th centuries and has it’s Adam and Eve gothic spires, Church of St. Salvator, (Prague has many Churches), the House at the Minute and even the much more modern Municipal House, a civic building which is a relative youngster by comparison as construction started around 1905.

At the end of our exploration we decided to try a local Czech Beer, we always try and sample local brews when travelling, and enjoy a meal while relaxing and watching the Astronomical Clock, parts of which date to the early 1400’s.

Coming from a country where water travel involves coastal shipping it is easy to overlook the significance of rivers in places like Europe. The Vitava River through Prague, complete with it’s weir and lock, wasn’t something we had experienced before.