Prague or Praha
What can I say about Prague in one blog? I'm still on overload from all the sights but the simple summary would be that Prague is absolutely beautiful.
I spent most of my time in the old part of the city, which includes the old town, new town, Jewish Quarter, castle town and lesser town. I took one initial bus and walking tour to get acquainted with the city and one boat tour just to get the view from the water. Other than that I walked everywhere and gave the feet a real workout. Of course I was still on crutches and not walking that fast because the streets are all cobblestone and very uneven. And by the end of the day I really needed the crutches to lean on because the left foot was generally in agony. I'm hoping to have it looked at later this month while in England (where I can speak their language) just to ensure it is okay.
Okay, back to Prague. The buildings are so beautiful in pale beige, pink, yellow and brown colours with ornate decorations and statues in various locations. The churches are domed and decorated or gothic and striking in their darkness. I was getting whiplash from looking down to watch where I was stepping and looking up to see the tops of the buildings. And trying to take pictures is always a challenge on crutches but I managed hundreds of them anyway.
My hotel, The Red Chair in English, was great. I didn't have anything arranged in advance. When I arrived I simply stopped at an accommodation info desk at the train station and went to where they suggested. The hotel was quiet and comfortable and I slept well every night - partly from exhaustion after my long walks each day but also because of the cool, quiet nights. Most of the streets in the old town are pedestrian only and Liliova St. where I was staying was one of them.
The streets twist and turn throughout the old city so city blocks are not like ours. However, I'd say I was perhaps 4 blocks from Charles Bridge and 6 blocks from the old town square and from Wenceslas Square. The castle was across the river over Charles Bridge through lesser town and then up the hill by switchback path at one end or stairs at the other end - at least 2 km away from the hotel but very walkable.
I spent a couple of days at the castle. On the one tour we had a quick walk through from one end to the other. Then I went over one morning but got sidetracked along the way and didn't make it there until noon and then stayed until about 7 p.m. I had to go back the next day to try and finish it off and was there from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets to the castle and the related audio guides are good for two days and there is obviously a reason for that. The place is huge and it would take at least two days to see everything. Even after 3 visits there was much of it I didn't see but what can you do?
The most striking part of the castle is the huge old gothic Church of St. Vitus in the centre. It is a dominating feature of not just the castle but also the Prague skyline. The towers rise high above the castle walls but within the castle it is hard to get a decent picture of it because the castle walls or other buildings are so close to it.
The castle itself is huge and has four distinct courtyards all of which are large and could hold assemblies of thousands. And each courtyard is surrounded by large impressive buildings of 3-5 stories. Some of these are open to the public and some are not. The exterior fortification of the castle is beyond these buildings either close behind and forming the back wall of the building or some distance behind with a garden and pathways separating them. I didn't have much time to visit these gardens unfortunately. I hear they are beautiful.
As well as St. Vitus Cathedral there are several other churches within the castle such as St. George's Basilica, the chapel in the old royal palace and a chapel built for Maria Theresia. It is interesting how different these all are in structure and appearance, depending mainly on when they were built.
The chapel in the old royal palace is small compared to the others and has white walls, plain glass windows and dark furniture and floors. The main altar is a dark picture surrounded by gold. The choir loft is now the viewing area and the pipe organ is at the same level and off to the side. It is a beautiful organ but small when compared to the organs in other European churches.
St. George's Basilica is a separate building and it is very plain looking on the outside being brick painted a rusty pink colour and trimmed with white paint and dark windows - apparently a Romanesque style building from 900 AD. The inside is also very plain with white walls and plain windows. The altar area at the front is raised and the altar is quite nice but again quite plain when compared to other churches. The room is long and narrow with a flat wood ceiling about 30 feet high. I went to a Prague Royal Orchestra concert in here and the sound was amazing. Even the tiniest sound was heard clearly. Several Czech princes are buried in St. George's Basilica and there is a separate smaller chapel at the front, which is very beautiful where St. Ludmila is buried.
The chapel of Maria Theresia is another small chapel. It was one of the ones I saw on my first tour and I don't remember a lot about it because the group was moving quickly and I had to keep up. I believe it had frescoes on the ceiling though because I remember trying to take a picture of them. I also remember the room being very lavish and beautiful but I really can't tell you any more about it than that.
St. Vitus' Cathedral is huge and it would take a book to cover everything in it. It has a high vaulted ceiling and is long and narrow with clear windows at the top. Down the sides of the main area there are separate chapels and altars. The stained glass windows are incredible and as the sun moves from window to window the lighting changes inside the cathedral. There are huge marble columns separating the main nave from the side altars/chapels. One of the windows is a painting, not stained glass and it is great. The organ is high at the back and magnificent. Important members of the royal family and church dignitaries are buried in the Cathedral. Some have elaborate graves while others are plain. The royal crypts are beneath the Cathedral. The side chapels are all beautiful with pictures and carvings and gold decorations - all below a beautiful stained glass window. The whole church is ornately decorated with lots of gold that livens up the dark pictures and wood. The Cathedral is very peaceful and yet inspiring. I never made it up the tower to check out the view but I'm sure it is spectacular. The royals definitely had the best views in the city.
St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert are all represented in the Cathedral and sometimes it is called by any of the three names depending on who is talking. Founded in 973, it was built and rebuilt and added on to over the next 6 centuries. Part is pre-Romanesque (925) and part is Gothic (1399), but after fires and other problems the building as it is now, was completed and dedicated in 1929. St. Wenceslas Chapel is off to one side of the Cathedral and it has a lot of the original work from 1371 still preserved. The crown jewels are stored above this chapel, some dating back to the 14th century. These are not available for the public to see and the room is only accessible by 7 keys to 7 locks. Each key is kept with an important individual (President, Vice President, Bishop, etc.) and the room can't be open without all of them present. Pretty good internal control I'd say.
At the castle I toured the Old Royal Palace. The first room you enter is a hall. I don't remember its full name but I think it was Wenceslas or Vladislav Hall or something like that. The hall is huge and it was used for official ceremonies such as the election of the President. In olden days it was also used for jousting matches. The horses simply came up the low flat stairs and through the main entrance of the building. The room had a high ceiling and wooden floor but was basically quite plain in design. Other rooms in the old palace contained old documents, books, furniture and pictures. It was a pretty dreary place by current standards but I'm sure it served its purpose well and of course you had those great views to make up for any of the dreariness.
Another exhibit included the Story of Prague Castle and it was quite interesting with clothing and pottery and coins and jewels and weapons and ceremonial aspects. There were displays on everything from the food they ate and how it was served to how they were buried and how they heated the castle. The castle and its various parts have been replaced many times over the years so a lot of the display was excavated parts of old buildings. There was also a film on the history of the castle but I never did hit it when the English version was running. As a result I didn't learn much from it.
Part of the National Gallery is housed at the castle and I did go through that exhibit. Some of it was very interesting and some of it not so interesting. It seemed to take forever since the audio guide covered about 50 items and had stories about each. There was a section on the artist's workshop and that was very interesting as it provided a glimpse into how the art was actually made hundreds of years ago. I certainly did not realize that a painting was really about seven layers of different work. I'm quite sure that I would not have had the patience (or the talent!) to be an artist.
There was a second exhibit of the art collection of one of the Kings. It was smaller and quicker to go through - especially since it was freezing in the exhibit area and you didn't want to stop for too long. I'm sure there were probably some important artists included but I don't remember any at this stage and I guess none of them impressed me enough to make me stop and write the information down.
As I left the castle I wandered down the Golden Lane, an alley of little shops selling everything from linens to marionettes and from jewelry to books. And the shops were small - some probably only 6 X 12 feet - and they were packed with stuff. They seemed to do a brisk business and I imagine they have to just to be able to afford the rent in the area.
The only other part of the palace I made it to was Lobkowiz Palace and I went there for a concert in one of the ball rooms. The ballroom was a large blue room with large windows draped in beige and gold with dark blue trim. There were ornate white decorations around the windows and large frescoes on the ceiling. There were large dark portraits on the wall and six chandeliers around the room for light - although it was a sunny day outside so lighting wasn't really needed. It was a nice light and airy room. There was a large (probably 10' wide) fireplace at the back of the room and the floors were a beautiful wooden pattern. The concert was flute, viola and piano and it was a very light and lively selection so the hour was very enjoyable.
I have lots more to tell you about Prague so do stay tuned for the next installment as soon as I can find some spare time and an internet cafe. Right now it is almost midnight so I have to get home to let my colleague into our apartment. We are in Dublin at the moment, a great place to be if you like crowds. The Ryder Cup is on and the place is packed - especially today when the practice rounds were cancelled because of rain. However, we have survived and tomorrow we are off to Madrid. Perhaps it will be a bit drier and warmer there.
Jayne
What can I say about Prague in one blog? I'm still on overload from all the sights but the simple summary would be that Prague is absolutely beautiful.
I spent most of my time in the old part of the city, which includes the old town, new town, Jewish Quarter, castle town and lesser town. I took one initial bus and walking tour to get acquainted with the city and one boat tour just to get the view from the water. Other than that I walked everywhere and gave the feet a real workout. Of course I was still on crutches and not walking that fast because the streets are all cobblestone and very uneven. And by the end of the day I really needed the crutches to lean on because the left foot was generally in agony. I'm hoping to have it looked at later this month while in England (where I can speak their language) just to ensure it is okay.
Okay, back to Prague. The buildings are so beautiful in pale beige, pink, yellow and brown colours with ornate decorations and statues in various locations. The churches are domed and decorated or gothic and striking in their darkness. I was getting whiplash from looking down to watch where I was stepping and looking up to see the tops of the buildings. And trying to take pictures is always a challenge on crutches but I managed hundreds of them anyway.
My hotel, The Red Chair in English, was great. I didn't have anything arranged in advance. When I arrived I simply stopped at an accommodation info desk at the train station and went to where they suggested. The hotel was quiet and comfortable and I slept well every night - partly from exhaustion after my long walks each day but also because of the cool, quiet nights. Most of the streets in the old town are pedestrian only and Liliova St. where I was staying was one of them.
The streets twist and turn throughout the old city so city blocks are not like ours. However, I'd say I was perhaps 4 blocks from Charles Bridge and 6 blocks from the old town square and from Wenceslas Square. The castle was across the river over Charles Bridge through lesser town and then up the hill by switchback path at one end or stairs at the other end - at least 2 km away from the hotel but very walkable.
I spent a couple of days at the castle. On the one tour we had a quick walk through from one end to the other. Then I went over one morning but got sidetracked along the way and didn't make it there until noon and then stayed until about 7 p.m. I had to go back the next day to try and finish it off and was there from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets to the castle and the related audio guides are good for two days and there is obviously a reason for that. The place is huge and it would take at least two days to see everything. Even after 3 visits there was much of it I didn't see but what can you do?
The most striking part of the castle is the huge old gothic Church of St. Vitus in the centre. It is a dominating feature of not just the castle but also the Prague skyline. The towers rise high above the castle walls but within the castle it is hard to get a decent picture of it because the castle walls or other buildings are so close to it.
The castle itself is huge and has four distinct courtyards all of which are large and could hold assemblies of thousands. And each courtyard is surrounded by large impressive buildings of 3-5 stories. Some of these are open to the public and some are not. The exterior fortification of the castle is beyond these buildings either close behind and forming the back wall of the building or some distance behind with a garden and pathways separating them. I didn't have much time to visit these gardens unfortunately. I hear they are beautiful.
As well as St. Vitus Cathedral there are several other churches within the castle such as St. George's Basilica, the chapel in the old royal palace and a chapel built for Maria Theresia. It is interesting how different these all are in structure and appearance, depending mainly on when they were built.
The chapel in the old royal palace is small compared to the others and has white walls, plain glass windows and dark furniture and floors. The main altar is a dark picture surrounded by gold. The choir loft is now the viewing area and the pipe organ is at the same level and off to the side. It is a beautiful organ but small when compared to the organs in other European churches.
St. George's Basilica is a separate building and it is very plain looking on the outside being brick painted a rusty pink colour and trimmed with white paint and dark windows - apparently a Romanesque style building from 900 AD. The inside is also very plain with white walls and plain windows. The altar area at the front is raised and the altar is quite nice but again quite plain when compared to other churches. The room is long and narrow with a flat wood ceiling about 30 feet high. I went to a Prague Royal Orchestra concert in here and the sound was amazing. Even the tiniest sound was heard clearly. Several Czech princes are buried in St. George's Basilica and there is a separate smaller chapel at the front, which is very beautiful where St. Ludmila is buried.
The chapel of Maria Theresia is another small chapel. It was one of the ones I saw on my first tour and I don't remember a lot about it because the group was moving quickly and I had to keep up. I believe it had frescoes on the ceiling though because I remember trying to take a picture of them. I also remember the room being very lavish and beautiful but I really can't tell you any more about it than that.
St. Vitus' Cathedral is huge and it would take a book to cover everything in it. It has a high vaulted ceiling and is long and narrow with clear windows at the top. Down the sides of the main area there are separate chapels and altars. The stained glass windows are incredible and as the sun moves from window to window the lighting changes inside the cathedral. There are huge marble columns separating the main nave from the side altars/chapels. One of the windows is a painting, not stained glass and it is great. The organ is high at the back and magnificent. Important members of the royal family and church dignitaries are buried in the Cathedral. Some have elaborate graves while others are plain. The royal crypts are beneath the Cathedral. The side chapels are all beautiful with pictures and carvings and gold decorations - all below a beautiful stained glass window. The whole church is ornately decorated with lots of gold that livens up the dark pictures and wood. The Cathedral is very peaceful and yet inspiring. I never made it up the tower to check out the view but I'm sure it is spectacular. The royals definitely had the best views in the city.
St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert are all represented in the Cathedral and sometimes it is called by any of the three names depending on who is talking. Founded in 973, it was built and rebuilt and added on to over the next 6 centuries. Part is pre-Romanesque (925) and part is Gothic (1399), but after fires and other problems the building as it is now, was completed and dedicated in 1929. St. Wenceslas Chapel is off to one side of the Cathedral and it has a lot of the original work from 1371 still preserved. The crown jewels are stored above this chapel, some dating back to the 14th century. These are not available for the public to see and the room is only accessible by 7 keys to 7 locks. Each key is kept with an important individual (President, Vice President, Bishop, etc.) and the room can't be open without all of them present. Pretty good internal control I'd say.
At the castle I toured the Old Royal Palace. The first room you enter is a hall. I don't remember its full name but I think it was Wenceslas or Vladislav Hall or something like that. The hall is huge and it was used for official ceremonies such as the election of the President. In olden days it was also used for jousting matches. The horses simply came up the low flat stairs and through the main entrance of the building. The room had a high ceiling and wooden floor but was basically quite plain in design. Other rooms in the old palace contained old documents, books, furniture and pictures. It was a pretty dreary place by current standards but I'm sure it served its purpose well and of course you had those great views to make up for any of the dreariness.
Another exhibit included the Story of Prague Castle and it was quite interesting with clothing and pottery and coins and jewels and weapons and ceremonial aspects. There were displays on everything from the food they ate and how it was served to how they were buried and how they heated the castle. The castle and its various parts have been replaced many times over the years so a lot of the display was excavated parts of old buildings. There was also a film on the history of the castle but I never did hit it when the English version was running. As a result I didn't learn much from it.
Part of the National Gallery is housed at the castle and I did go through that exhibit. Some of it was very interesting and some of it not so interesting. It seemed to take forever since the audio guide covered about 50 items and had stories about each. There was a section on the artist's workshop and that was very interesting as it provided a glimpse into how the art was actually made hundreds of years ago. I certainly did not realize that a painting was really about seven layers of different work. I'm quite sure that I would not have had the patience (or the talent!) to be an artist.
There was a second exhibit of the art collection of one of the Kings. It was smaller and quicker to go through - especially since it was freezing in the exhibit area and you didn't want to stop for too long. I'm sure there were probably some important artists included but I don't remember any at this stage and I guess none of them impressed me enough to make me stop and write the information down.
As I left the castle I wandered down the Golden Lane, an alley of little shops selling everything from linens to marionettes and from jewelry to books. And the shops were small - some probably only 6 X 12 feet - and they were packed with stuff. They seemed to do a brisk business and I imagine they have to just to be able to afford the rent in the area.
The only other part of the palace I made it to was Lobkowiz Palace and I went there for a concert in one of the ball rooms. The ballroom was a large blue room with large windows draped in beige and gold with dark blue trim. There were ornate white decorations around the windows and large frescoes on the ceiling. There were large dark portraits on the wall and six chandeliers around the room for light - although it was a sunny day outside so lighting wasn't really needed. It was a nice light and airy room. There was a large (probably 10' wide) fireplace at the back of the room and the floors were a beautiful wooden pattern. The concert was flute, viola and piano and it was a very light and lively selection so the hour was very enjoyable.
I have lots more to tell you about Prague so do stay tuned for the next installment as soon as I can find some spare time and an internet cafe. Right now it is almost midnight so I have to get home to let my colleague into our apartment. We are in Dublin at the moment, a great place to be if you like crowds. The Ryder Cup is on and the place is packed - especially today when the practice rounds were cancelled because of rain. However, we have survived and tomorrow we are off to Madrid. Perhaps it will be a bit drier and warmer there.
Jayne
posted by Jayne Brooks @ 2:18 PM
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