Prague - sightseeing
The Prague Castle
More than your standard castle, the Prague Castle is a huge conglomerate of buildings, including palaces, convents, churches, stables and gardens. The first castle was built in the 9th century, and it underwent several changes until the Royal palace was built at the end of the 15th century. Let’s see the main buildings one by one.
Old Royal Palace (a.k.a. Stary kralovsky palac)
This used to be the residence of the kings of Bohemia. It is partly in Gothic and partly in Renaissance style. The Vladislav Hall in it is a very beautiful, spacious Gothic hall.
St. Vitus Cathedral
A Gothic cathedral, the building of which started in 1344, but finished only after six centuries, in 1929. It is majestic and the interior main nave is an astonishing sight. Its crypt contains the tombs of several generations of Czech kings.
Castle Gallery
Located in a building which used to be the castle’s stables, the gallery hosts Rudolf II’s private art collection, including works by Tizian, Tintoretto and Rubens.
St. George Basilica
The oldest church in the castle complex, it is a Romanesque-style basilica, founded in the 10th century, last rebuilt in the 12th century.
The Castle Gardens
Built in the 16th century, it is a big garden complex, open every day. Well worth a visit.
Museums and galleries
The National Gallery has several collections, exhibited in different buildings. The main one is the Sternberg Palace, which has a permanent exhibition of European Art from the Classic Era to the end of the Baroque period, including works by Tintoretto, Ribera, Tiepolo, El Greco, Goya, Rubens, van Dyck and Rembrandt. The Veletržní palác has the 19th, 20th and 21st century art, with works by Caspar David Friedrich, Johann Christian Dahl, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Carlo Carra and Giorgio De Chirico, as well as a number of French cubists. The other buildings have mostly Czech art exhibitions; there are several temporary exhibition going on at all times. You can visit the Gallery’s site at www.ngprague.cz/, but it is still incomplete, very slow in loading and not compatible with many browsers.
If you like Art Nouveau / Jugendstil / liberty, a great place to go is the Alfons Mucha Museum, in Panska 7, which exhibits the works of the famous Czech artist. Have a look at the museum’s site at www.mucha.cz/.
The Prague Ghetto
Testament to the large Jewish community that has always existed in Prague in spite of centuries of prosecution; it was instituted in the 13th century, although its present looks date from a general re-build of the whole area which was carried out between at the beginning of the 20th century. The area is surprisingly well preserved, also because the Nazis declared it a ’museum of an extinct race’ and decided not to destroy it. The area includes the Old Jewish Cemetery, with thousands of beautifully-shaped gravestones, all crammed in very little space. The Cemetery is has a very fascinating atmosphere, apparently much appreciated by the public since the entrance price is very expensive. The so-called Old-New Synagogue is the oldest working synagogue in Central Europe. Built in Gothic style in the 13th century, it has wonderful decorations inside. If you’re a male, you have to put a hat to enter, while women can observe the inside from a special anteroom.
The Charles Bridge
One of the best-known Prague monuments, it is very long and wide (more than 500 metres by 10 of width), and the oldest bridge in the city (14th century). The wide road is flanked by two rows of statues. The view on the city and the river is very fascinating, and on the bridge you will find street artists and vendors. The Old Town Bridge Tower, the entrance gate from the Old Town to the Charles Bridge, was designed by Petr Parler, and is among the most beautiful Gothic towers in Europe. Over the archway there are the carved emblems of the lands that belonged to Charles’s Empire.
Petrin Tower
On top of Petrin Hill, you will find this scale copy of the Eiffel Tower, built in 1891 for an exhibition. It is 60m high and commands a beautiful view of the city. Petrin Hill itself is a tall hill, with a network of 8 parks forming the largest green area in the city, and is ideal for walks and outdoor activities. It is more than 300m tall, and can be climbed on foot (if you’ve got the guts) or with a funicular railway.
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