Enchanting Prague

Of all the cities we visited on our trip through Europe, Prague was definitely the most... well, enchanting. There is no other word for it. There are layers of history in that city, where almost every building is connected with some story, funny or tragic, medieval or modern. There are stories of kings and queens, knights and beautiful ladies, saints and sinners, rich merchants and poor villagers. Germans and Austrians ruled in this city, Jews lived and created here, Russians were trying to build communism in Czech lands... There are buildings that are Gothic and buildings that are Baroque, Classicism and Rococo, Art Nouveau, Cubism... There is old and new coexisting at every corner, and as you walk on the ancient cobblestone patterns of the streets, you half expect a minstrel or a knight on horseback to show up from behind a corner.


Come, take a walk with me in Prague!

Let's start with views from a tower on Staroměstské náměstí, or Old Town Square. These are rather large files, you should be able to view them full-size by clicking on them.

The beautiful buildings, each fit for a fairy tale...

Old and new side by side...

Up on the hill, dominating the view of the city is Pražský hrad, or Prague Castle, where kings, and later presidents, lived and reigned.

The guards at the castle gates look like statues, with only eyes moving.

Views from the castle. The rainy weather seems to be typical for this time of year, so we just ignored it.

St. Vitus Cathedral inside the Castle. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

Saint Vitus's Cathedral (Czech: Katedrála svatého Víta) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Prague, and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. The full name of the cathedral is St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert Cathedral. Located within Prague Castle and containing the tombs of many Bohemian kings, this cathedral is an excellent example of Gothic architecture and is the biggest and most important church in the country.

The magnificent interiors of the cathedral. I loved the stained glass windows...

...and the kneeling knight.

One of these medieval towers housed a very interesting toy museum. Besides some really interesting antiques toys, they had a Barbie collection on display, with some insights into the history of creation and development of the famous doll.


I think Vicky is getting tired. Let's take a break and get some Czech food to eat. More Prague photos in the next post!