Prague

The Story Continues...

The following morning we spent inthe castle district, visiting St. Vitus's Cathedral, The Bascilica of St. George, the castle itself and Golden Lane.

St Vitus's Cathedral was built at the highest point of Prague Castle starting in 1344. It is a magnificent church, and houses the remains of St Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Czech Lands. It also houses the Bohemian crown jewels. The stained glass is not only wonderful in its own right, but interesting as well as one of the panels in the New Archbishop's chapel, was made from a picture by the Czech art-nouveau painter Alfons Mucha in 1931. Definitely not typical of cathedrals.

The bascilica is the second largest church in Prague Castle. The foundation stone was laid in 920 (!) although the west facade is definitely baroque having been built in the late 17th - early 18th centuries.

Golden Lane is famous for its tiny little houses in which the castle gunners used to live. They were originally part of the defensive wall, and the street itself was originally only 1 meter wide. It was named for the alchemists who manufactured gold for the emperor. In the 20th century some famous people discovered its charm, including Franz Kafka.

The castle buildings represent virtually every architectural style of the last millennium. The Prague Castle includes gothic St Vitus Cathedral, romanesque basilica of St. George, a monastery and several palaces, gardens and defence towers. Most of the castle areas are opened to the tourists. Nowadays, the castle houses several museums, including the National Gallery collection of Bohemian baroque and mannerism art, exhibition dedicated to Czech history, Toy Museum and the picture gallery of Prague Castle, based on the collection of Rudolph II. Summer Shakespeare Festival regularly takes place in the courtyard of the Burgrave Palace. Prague Castle is one of the biggest castles in the world (according to Guinness Book of Records) at about 570 meters in length and an average of about 130 meters wide.

After the castle we had a group lunch, and then took a stroll down the old castle steps into the heart of Prague. We windowshopped and people watched and stumbled upon the American Embassy (where the Czech police were studiously examining the underside of a van with mirrors and dogs). We strolled back across the Charles Bridge and got ready for dinner.

Dinner tonite was in a cave at a place called Sata Klara. It was literally underground in a cave. The cave used to be a munitions and general storage place, and then a wine storage place, but it has now been converted to a wonderful dining establishment. There were only about 10 tables, and we had the most yummy 5 course meal, with wines and dessert. Emma Ridley, an expedition leader with Lindblad that we had previously met in Galapagos, joined us, and we proceeded to spend 3 hours enjoying our meal.

After dinner it was off to bed (after a nightcap in the bar), and up early for our bus trip to Pilsen and on to Vilshofen.