Day 5 in Prague
Today began as a cloudy day and we slept late, had breakfast and headed for Prague Castle. The castle dates from the 9th century and is the largest ancient castle in the world. It is the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic (yes - the one who makes the crazy quotes). You can spend days roaming around the gardens and the castle complex.
Although you can step inside most places within the castle complex, you cannot go very far without buying a ticket. We opted for a ticket which allowed us access to: the Old Royal Palace, the Basilica of St. George, the Golden Lane, and St. Vitus's Cathedral. That was about what can be seen in a half days time.
St. George's Basilica is the oldest surviving church building in the Prague Castle complex and houses the tombs of several important historical figures. The complex also offers evening classical concerts.
The Old Royal Palace has been rebuilt and added onto over the centuries and is a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles. It was the home of the Crown Jewels but those have been moved and we were unable to see them. High on the hill, the castle overlooks the beautiful city of Prague. And, there were many steps to climb to get there!
The Golden Lane Consists of many tiny colored houses which are used today as souvenir shops and a medieval museum of armory.
Our favorite part of the castle complex was St. Vitus Cathedral.
St. George's Basilica is the oldest surviving church building in the Prague Castle complex and houses the tombs of several important historical figures. The complex also offers evening classical concerts.
The Old Royal Palace has been rebuilt and added onto over the centuries and is a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles. It was the home of the Crown Jewels but those have been moved and we were unable to see them. High on the hill, the castle overlooks the beautiful city of Prague. And, there were many steps to climb to get there!
The Golden Lane Consists of many tiny colored houses which are used today as souvenir shops and a medieval museum of armory.
Our favorite part of the castle complex was St. Vitus Cathedral.
It is easy to get "churched out" in Europe but this cathedral was spectacular and is a "must see" in Prague. The cathedral is built in the Gothic architecture style and is the largest and most important church in the country. It contains the tombs of many Bohemian Kings and Holy Roman Emperors. For us the cathedral was spectacular.
It has the pointed tall arches that look like praying hands and the stained glass was the most beautiful we have ever seen.
We decided to stay on the castle side of the river to give our feet a rest. When they say that you need to wear comfortable shoes to Prague they really mean it. All of the sidewalks and all of the streets are cobblestone. You cannot get away from cobblestones under your feet.
It is Sunday and have loved hearing the church bells ringing all day. By the way, we have spoken of visiting several churches yet 85% of the people in the Czech Republic are either atheist or agnostic according to a poll taken a few years ago.
After coming back to the hotel, working on our blog and planning the next few days in the early evening (instead of waiting until 10 pm until midnight), we went to dinner at Valoria, a rooftop restaurant (near our hotel) that came highly recommended. The food was wonderful and the view was spectacular! Did we say we love rooftop restaurants? The sun was shining through the clouds and made the city look like it was gold.
We decided to stay on the castle side of the river to give our feet a rest. When they say that you need to wear comfortable shoes to Prague they really mean it. All of the sidewalks and all of the streets are cobblestone. You cannot get away from cobblestones under your feet.
It is Sunday and have loved hearing the church bells ringing all day. By the way, we have spoken of visiting several churches yet 85% of the people in the Czech Republic are either atheist or agnostic according to a poll taken a few years ago.
After coming back to the hotel, working on our blog and planning the next few days in the early evening (instead of waiting until 10 pm until midnight), we went to dinner at Valoria, a rooftop restaurant (near our hotel) that came highly recommended. The food was wonderful and the view was spectacular! Did we say we love rooftop restaurants? The sun was shining through the clouds and made the city look like it was gold.
The continuing Toilet Saga
Another word about the toilet. Our freakishly smart toilet has us still wondering about its powers. There is a bathroom exhaust fan (not the dry-your-bottom fan) that comes on sporadically. You cannot turn this fan on yourself. We cannot determine if it is temperature related (i.e., how long you have been sitting on the toilet), or if it has something to do with one of the light switches (it came on once- and only once- when we turned on a second light, or if it is steam related (once and only once it came on at the end of a shower). Once it came on when one of us stood in front of the mirror. We would leave the room for breakfast or dinner and it would turn itself off. Is it controlled by the toilet? Hmmmm. To be continued.
We are loving your blog! Thanks for taking us with you!
ReplyDeleteDiane & Ray
We also are enjoying your blog. Love reading the history and seeing your pictures.
ReplyDeleteThank you for following us! We are havi g such a wonderful time !
ReplyDeleteThanks for the beautiful descriptions -- and I did note the warning about all the steps! I hope we have enough time to cover most of your high points when we are there. Looks like it will be hard to choose what to see.
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