A visit to Prague requires one to visit the castle complex. I say complex as this is a large area with a number of buildings and things to see. The complex is easily visible as it looks down over the Vltava River and the Charles Bridge. Today was our day to explore this significant part of Prague.
First one has to make it up the hill. We weren’t exactly sure how to get up to the castle, but we figured we could find it. We started by the Charles Bridge where I noticed an interesting nativity scene. After crossing the Charles Bridge, we walked through the business area and started climbing up the hill. Our route passed the Italian Embassy. There was no sign clearly indicating this was the route to follow, but we persisted up the road. We eventually found a pathway leading back up toward the castle, and decided we had been successful.
When we reached the top of the path, we were quite surprised to see a sign for Starbucks. However, we figured Starbucks would have a bathroom so we went down the steep stairs to the Starbucks and ordered some coffee. We learned Starbucks won’t let anyone use the bathroom without either paying for it or ordering something. If you order something, the receipt has a code printed on it that allows you to use the bathroom.
Much like our experience in Belgium a few years ago, finding a bathroom can be a challenge mainly because one has to pay. Since we use credit cards, we usually don’t get any local cash so there’s no coins to use for a bathroom. Both Hungary and the Czech Republic use their own currency rather than the Euro so it gets even more complicated.
After resting at Starbucks for a bit and enjoying the views from there, we went to explore the castle. First we had to get tickets. That can be an ordeal with long lines. They offer different options. We chose the basic ticket which gave us access to four buildings. We wanted to get audio-guides so we could pick up information, but they were sold out at the time.
The first place we visited in the castle was the St Vitus Church. This is the building that dominates the complex. One can see its steeples from a long ways away. The church has seen the coronation of some of the Czech kings and queens. There was a very long line to get into the church, but it actually moved fairly quickly so the wait wasn’t too long. The wait gave me a chance to take some photos of the exterior. That’s a bit of a challenge as the church is so large, and one can’t get too far back.
The main feature of the church that stood out to me was the stained glass windows. The colors of the glass are very strong, and one can see various styles of art used in the windows. It was apparent that more than one artist had created the different windows.
There were other pieces of art around, and the church also had a very nice nativity scene set up for Christmas. One of the other interesting things about the church was that in a number of the alcoves as well as around the windows, artists had painted scenes. Some of these paintings seem faded and not very saturated, but they were still visible.
Outside the church is quite unique, but inside It didn’t seem as breathtaking as some of the other churches we saw in Europe this spring. I thought the Cathedral of Seville was much grander and more interesting. Nevertheless, St. Vitus is worth visiting.
After we finished visiting St. Vitus, we went to St George’s Basilica. This church in the castle is much smaller, more like a chapel. The main interior is pretty plain with thick stone walls and a wooden ceiling in the sanctuary. There were some faded paintings on some of the walls, but over all the church was pretty basic.
Our third stop in the castle complex was a section of houses which housed many of the artisans who worked around the castle. When we entered, we went up to the second floor of a long row of houses. Here they had a large display of armor that men wore over time. It’s amazing to see all the different ways that the armor has been constructed. The armor was all behind glass which unfortunately made it a challenge to take photos.
Besides the full armor section, there was also a section of helmets. Some had pieces that stuck out quite far which made them almost comical. They also included a display of breastplates. Again the different styles were quite imaginative. One was created to show the six pack muscles that hopefully were being covered.
Tucked in among the armor pieces were small areas that had the long weapons. These were actually quite scary looking. They could do a lot of harm. There was also a section of painted shields. Rather than being used for protection, I think they were more a banner used by a group of soldiers.
At the end of the hall, guests were pointed to a room where one could look into what was described as a torture chamber. It took a long time to get up to the viewing window. We looked in for a few minutes and then turn around and left. I’m not sure it was worth it.
On the first level of this long building they had individual spaces open to show the work and home environment of some of the artisans. These rooms were quite small but seemingly efficient. People had lived in them until the mid 1900s. Among the rooms are some gift shops selling some artisan type items.
We had one more building to see in the castle, but we decided to get something to eat first. Somehow we managed to snag a table in a very crowded cafe on the castle grounds. We expected it to be pricey, but it really didn’t seem any more expensive than other places. Here again the restaurant provided tokens to allow guests to use the rest room. This one had a turnstile that the token or a payment would allow one to enter the restroom area in the building.
We finished our lunch a little before 2:00. I made a mad dash to the front area of the castle because I had read that there is a changing of the guards every hour on the hour. We saw some guards marching in that direction so I was sure I would see something. However, when I got there nothing happened. The guards stayed the same. I’m not sure what happened, but there was nothing to see. I did notice people nearby taking photos of the city below as it was a nice view.
So we headed for our last building in the complex which was the palace. Again we stood in a fairly long line, but this time it didn’t move as the doors remained closed. Perhaps they were at lunch. Anyway the door finally opened, and they allowed us to go in. Sadly this was rather disappointing. Signs indicated no photography which seemed odd as we had encountered no restriction in the other buildings of the castle.
Inside there was not really a lot to see. We entered into a very large room, I might call a ball room, but it was pretty empty except for some chandeliers. Not much in the way of decor. We went around to some smaller rooms, but again there was not much to see. The rooms were not ornate as one might expect in a palace. We came back into the large room and went around to another room which was apparently used for conducting business. After that we were led outside. This was not really what we expected to see in a palace.
Having seen the four buildings we paid for, we decided it was time to leave. We went down a long set of stairs at the opposite end of the complex than where we arrived. The area did offer some nice views of the city. This was apparently the main entrance to the castle, but we didn’t know where it was so we had entered the back way. There are a lot of stairs so our way may have been easier in terms of climbing up.
At the bottom of the hill we had to cross the Vltava River which allowed us to look down the river for some photos. Then we walked back along the river to catch the light rail back to our hotel.
After a nap, Andrea and I returned to town for a unique theatrical experience. Silvette decided not to go as she had a cold. This show was black light theater. It was in a back alley kind of place, and the theater had dining type chairs lined up tightly next to each other. The chairs were uncomfortable, and the audience was really squished together so from that standpoint it was not a good experience.
The performances, however, were generally fun. They performed various scenes. The idea is that people dressed in black, and therefore unseen, manipulate items on the stage to created unreal and usually funny situations. For example in the first skit a young woman came and hung laundry on a line. When she left, the pieces of clothing began to move around and interact with each other in funny ways. The scenes in general were fun, but some of them went a little too long or took the ideas a little too far. Overall the performances were entertaining and provided an enjoyable evening despite the uncomfortable seating.
After taking the light rail back to our hotel, our second day in Prague came to an end. Join me next week as I share about our final day in Prague. If you are not receiving your own email of my blog each Wednesday, be sure to sign up. It’s easy to do.
Credits: Photos at Starbucks and the restaurant taken by Silvette Lee
Your blog won’t let me click like. It says “Loading…”
Nate, I don’t see anything on my end that would keep it from loading. Are you able to load other posts on my site?