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redfiona99Prague is lovely.
Also, and I do not say this lightly, it may be prettier than Vienna. It's certainly survived the horrors both actual and architechtural of the 20th Century better.
The first day we were there we mostly just pottered round. We saw the Tyn Cathedral (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030243.jpg), the Astronomical Clock (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030237.jpg) and we went to an exhibition of Mucha's work, which made us both very happy, because both Mum and me love his stuff. I become ever more convinced he used women to model for his men on the commercial stuff.
We also saw two synangogues (the Jerusalem Synagogue - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030300.jpg) and a variety of pretty buildings. Seriously, there's at least one stunning building on every street in the centre of Prague.
As well as this, we went inside the Church of St. Jacob (James) which was the most stunning thing I saw all week. Sadly no photos.
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The second day we went on an excursion to Kutna Hora (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030292.jpg) which is about 75 km from Prague and used to be its rival as capital of Bohemia. The first thing we saw was a bone ossuary at Sedlec, no photos but it's pretty amazing because everything, including the chandelier is made of bones.
We then went into Kutna Hora itself, which again, is full of pretty buildings, stauary and churches and monasteries various, including St. Barbara's Cathedral. It was a silver mining town, and she's the patron saint of miners. It's incredible.
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On the third day we went round the Hrad, the larger of the castles in Prague, seat of Kings past and Presidents present. It also contains St. Vitus's cathedral which is amazing, both inside and out. You walk through this passage and all you can see is the yellow of the buildings along side and suddenly bam! gigantic Gothic cathedral (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030308.jpg). Sadly I'm not sure I conveyed the bam!
As well as this there's a really interesting museum of the castle's history which helped me sort out some of my European history 1200-1800. It's also one of those places that the Hapsburgs marauded through.
We then went across the Karluvmost (Karlsbrucke/Charles Bridge) which has an array of statues of Saints. This included the four patron saints of the Czech Republic, St. Wenceslas (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030268.jpg - photo actually of the statue in Wenceslas Square), St. Procipius (please don't ask me to pronounce that), St. Zigismund and St. John of Nepomuk (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030328.jpg) who has an interesting story. He was the Confessor to the Queen of Wenceslas IV and refused to reveal her confession to him. For his pains he was tortured and thrown off the bridge. His attributes are a 5 starred halo and a tongue because of the 5 stars that floated round the body in the water and because his tongue didn't decompose.
Apparently, he was probably just caught up in a power struggle between King and clergy but I prefer the story. If you rub his statue (and look at him, depending on the teller) it grants wishes so, of course I did.
King Karl IV features (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030331.jpg) heavily, it's his bridge, he was the one who made Wenceslas the saint of the Czech republic, apparently for PR reasons and designed the New Town section of Prague. I always thought he was on the list of kings who had their heads on straight, but the visit definitely confirmed that. When he designed the layout of the New Town he made sure the roads were wide because he was in Avignon when there was a great fire there and wanted to make sure that people could flee the New Town safely if there was a fire so there'd be less loss of life.
~~~~
In short - go visit Prague, it's lovely.
Also, and I do not say this lightly, it may be prettier than Vienna. It's certainly survived the horrors both actual and architechtural of the 20th Century better.
The first day we were there we mostly just pottered round. We saw the Tyn Cathedral (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030243.jpg), the Astronomical Clock (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030237.jpg) and we went to an exhibition of Mucha's work, which made us both very happy, because both Mum and me love his stuff. I become ever more convinced he used women to model for his men on the commercial stuff.
We also saw two synangogues (the Jerusalem Synagogue - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030300.jpg) and a variety of pretty buildings. Seriously, there's at least one stunning building on every street in the centre of Prague.
As well as this, we went inside the Church of St. Jacob (James) which was the most stunning thing I saw all week. Sadly no photos.
~~~~
The second day we went on an excursion to Kutna Hora (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030292.jpg) which is about 75 km from Prague and used to be its rival as capital of Bohemia. The first thing we saw was a bone ossuary at Sedlec, no photos but it's pretty amazing because everything, including the chandelier is made of bones.
We then went into Kutna Hora itself, which again, is full of pretty buildings, stauary and churches and monasteries various, including St. Barbara's Cathedral. It was a silver mining town, and she's the patron saint of miners. It's incredible.
~~~~
On the third day we went round the Hrad, the larger of the castles in Prague, seat of Kings past and Presidents present. It also contains St. Vitus's cathedral which is amazing, both inside and out. You walk through this passage and all you can see is the yellow of the buildings along side and suddenly bam! gigantic Gothic cathedral (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030308.jpg). Sadly I'm not sure I conveyed the bam!
As well as this there's a really interesting museum of the castle's history which helped me sort out some of my European history 1200-1800. It's also one of those places that the Hapsburgs marauded through.
We then went across the Karluvmost (Karlsbrucke/Charles Bridge) which has an array of statues of Saints. This included the four patron saints of the Czech Republic, St. Wenceslas (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030268.jpg - photo actually of the statue in Wenceslas Square), St. Procipius (please don't ask me to pronounce that), St. Zigismund and St. John of Nepomuk (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030328.jpg) who has an interesting story. He was the Confessor to the Queen of Wenceslas IV and refused to reveal her confession to him. For his pains he was tortured and thrown off the bridge. His attributes are a 5 starred halo and a tongue because of the 5 stars that floated round the body in the water and because his tongue didn't decompose.
Apparently, he was probably just caught up in a power struggle between King and clergy but I prefer the story. If you rub his statue (and look at him, depending on the teller) it grants wishes so, of course I did.
King Karl IV features (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redfiona99/Prague/S1030331.jpg) heavily, it's his bridge, he was the one who made Wenceslas the saint of the Czech republic, apparently for PR reasons and designed the New Town section of Prague. I always thought he was on the list of kings who had their heads on straight, but the visit definitely confirmed that. When he designed the layout of the New Town he made sure the roads were wide because he was in Avignon when there was a great fire there and wanted to make sure that people could flee the New Town safely if there was a fire so there'd be less loss of life.
~~~~
In short - go visit Prague, it's lovely.
