Prague Part II: Castles

Prague Castle:
Situated atop of a hill, Prague Castle is a massive fortress which can be seen from nearly any location in the city. The Castle is comprised of a large rectangular building which serves as an outer wall for the various churches, theaters, and gardens which are located inside. While centuries ago this rectangular building housed the Bohemian Kings and their courts, today it houses the Czech president and other governmental offices. If you plan on visiting the Castle today most of this outer rectangular building is off limits as it is being used. However, all of the buildings found within the courtyard made by said building are available for tourists to peruse.



- St. Vitus Cathedral.
When looking at the castle from afar the first thing you’ll notice is two dark spires towering over the rest of the complex. While many assume these are a part of the medieval castle, the spires actually belong to the St. Vitus Cathedral. Built in the 14th century, St. Vitus Cathedral is a dark and towering gothic beauty. The cathedral is the first thing you see when you enter the castle grounds and it will hold your attention for quite some time. Decorated with large stain glass windows, flying buttresses, gargoyles, and intricate stone work, the St. Vitus Cathedral is truly an awe inspiring spectacle. I have been lucky enough to have seen some of the great churches of Europe (Notre Dame, St. Peter’s, Basilica of Sacre Couer), but for me St. Vitus Cathedral takes the cake. Maybe it’s because I’ve matured since visiting those last cathedrals or maybe it is because of extreme level of craftsmanship that can be found in St. Vitus, but when I walked through St. Vitus’ doors I, my eyes began to water. Every inch of the inside is just as intricate and ornate as the outside. High domed ceilings, tiled floors, and gilded altars are what occupy the interior. As you walk around the outer walls you’ll see encounter chapel after chapel which has fancy woodwork, golden statues, and it’s own towering stain glass window. In addition to the elaborate chapels and altars, the church is also the resting place for many of the Bohemian Kings and saints.








- St. George Basilica:
The oldest standing church within castle grounds, the St. George Basilica dates back to the 10th century. While the outside façade was redone in the 17th century, the inside is still original. The interior is simple, but worn. The stone floors, walls, and pews are extremely smooth from centuries of being walked and sat on.



- State Rooms:
While most of the wings of the castle are off limits to tourist, the oldest and most historically significant wing is available for the public to see. In this wing you will see many of the meeting rooms of the king and his council. These rooms are decorated in a way which is fitting for their purpose. Rather than the walls being covered in framed artwork, the walls and ceilings are covered in hundreds of coats of arms. These crests are arranged much like that of a family tree. They depict the coat of arms for the people who comprised each council over time. Each tree contains around fifteen different coats of arms. Looking at these you are able to see who served in what position and when. The coolest room of all was a small side chamber which was lined with windows. This is where the defenestration of Prague took place. To summarize, in the early 1600s one of the biggest issues of the time was Catholic vs. Protestant. In 1618 a Catholic Monarch ruled, and started oppressing the Protestant building projects which had popped up over the city. In protest of this, a group of Protestants bribed their way into a meeting of regents where they threw the three leading regents out of the window. This action is what started the Thirty Year’s War. The nerd inside both Eric and I loved standing in that room and being able to look through the window which was used.

- In the basement of one of the wings is a new exhibit. This exhibit documents the history of Prague Castle and the area it currently occupies. Throughout the exhibit are relics and artifacts which have been discovered on the castle grounds over times; textiles, cups, skeletons, ruins, and cutlery can all be found in this exhibit.



Vysehrad Castle:
Located much further south and on the other side of the Vlatava is Vysehrad Castle. Vysehrad Castle was the first castle of Prague. However, as it began to wear and tear, construction began on Prague Castle and the monarch was moved. Built in the 10th century, the castle grounds are largely composed of deteriorating stone walls and buildings, open parks, and churches. Like Prague Castle, Vysehrad is located atop a hill just above the Vlatava. It has an excellent view of the city as well as the river. A much quieter space, Vysehrad is a very scenic and historic walk. To start, Eric and I walked through the open park as well as along the entire outer wall. From this walk one can get views of nearly every point of Prague. Vysehrad is also home to the St. Paul and St. Peter Basilica. While this basilica is much smaller in comparison to the St. Vitus Cathedral, the architecture and décor is the same. Marked by large stain glass windows and dark spires the basilica trumps all of the other structures on the premises. Next to the basilica we found the Vysehrad Cemetery which contains the bodies of many famous people from Czech history. Truthfully, I’m not fully up to date on this, but old gravestones are always interesting to look at.





While Prague Castle is astonishing to look at, I must admit I enjoyed the quieter and older Vysehrad. While I may not have been blown away by the craftsmanship of Vysehrad, I really enjoyed the ruins it had to offer. It always amazes me to see what structures can really stand the test of time.