It was a rainy day and perfect for a visit to the hallowed interior of Prague's greatest cathedral, St. Vitus. The spires tower high above the enclosing walls of the castle and it's one of the must sees when visiting the city. Usually the crowds are massive and snake down the laneway forever, but due to the inclement weather, we were able to get inside after a relatively short wait in the rain and wind.
So, now for the important data. It was ordered built by Charles IV back in 1353 in order to make Prague worthy of the Holy Roman Empire. A couple of the chief engineers died in the process and building was halted time and time again. It wasn't actually completed until 1929 and was reconsecrated on the anniversay of the assassination of St. Wenceslas. (Wenceslas's Crown Chamber is so opulent, we were only allowed to peek at it from a distance.) Anyway, the stained glass windows are one of the main attractions. The rose window depicts the creation of the world and is made from 27,000 pieces of glass (by Frantisek Kysela) but the window many visitors come to photograph is the Alfons Mucha design with it's clearly art nouveau lines. It's just breathtakingly gorgeous! I could stand and look at it all day.
The St. Wenceslas chapel was ordered built by Charles IV over Wenceslas's original tomb and it's the cathedral's most sacred space, decorated with paintings and semi-precious stones. Above is where the crown jewels of Bohemia are tucked away and only brought out for viewing on very special occasions.
So after the cathedral, we walked down to Charles Bridge and made our way to the John Lennon Wall. It was created following his assassination and was originally a source of conflict between the secret police and the young artists. Yoko Ono came to visit the wall and was photographed signing a section of it. It still attracts thousands of visitors to Prague and is in a really beautiful location across from the French consulate on a leafy street with no traffic.
So, now for the important data. It was ordered built by Charles IV back in 1353 in order to make Prague worthy of the Holy Roman Empire. A couple of the chief engineers died in the process and building was halted time and time again. It wasn't actually completed until 1929 and was reconsecrated on the anniversay of the assassination of St. Wenceslas. (Wenceslas's Crown Chamber is so opulent, we were only allowed to peek at it from a distance.) Anyway, the stained glass windows are one of the main attractions. The rose window depicts the creation of the world and is made from 27,000 pieces of glass (by Frantisek Kysela) but the window many visitors come to photograph is the Alfons Mucha design with it's clearly art nouveau lines. It's just breathtakingly gorgeous! I could stand and look at it all day.
The St. Wenceslas chapel was ordered built by Charles IV over Wenceslas's original tomb and it's the cathedral's most sacred space, decorated with paintings and semi-precious stones. Above is where the crown jewels of Bohemia are tucked away and only brought out for viewing on very special occasions.
So after the cathedral, we walked down to Charles Bridge and made our way to the John Lennon Wall. It was created following his assassination and was originally a source of conflict between the secret police and the young artists. Yoko Ono came to visit the wall and was photographed signing a section of it. It still attracts thousands of visitors to Prague and is in a really beautiful location across from the French consulate on a leafy street with no traffic.
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