We began the day with a rather large, excellent breakfast buffet that consisted of several types of eggs, sausages, bacon, cereals, fruit, cheeses, meats, vegetables, fruit juices, and coffee. There was plenty to provide sufficient fuel for the day with no need for lunch. At 8:45, we gathered to board the bus and begin our morning tour. We had to walk out of the old town area to the bus, because the streets are not wide enough in the old town to accommodate a bus. Our drive to the Prague Castle complex took us along the Moldau River to the castle complex. The castle area sets on one of the nine hills on which Prague is built and its history dates back to approximately 870 CE when a walled fortress and the church of Our Lady were built. In the 10th century, the Basilica of Saint George and the Basilica of St. Vitus were begun. A Romanesque palace was constructed in the 12th century and then Charles IV rebuilt it in the Gothic style in the 14th century. Under Charles IV the cathedral of St. Vitus was begun as a huge Gothic church, which took over six centuries to complete. The complex of buildings represents about every architectural style of the last thousand years. The last major rebuilding of the castle occurred under the reign of Queen Maria Theresa in the second half of the 18th century. Since 1918, it has been the seat of government, first for the Czechoslovak Republic and now the Czech Republic.
We proceeded to the main courtyard and then to the cobblestone terrace overlooking the city with great views of the many churches and Charles Bridge. The changing of the guard occurred and we then walked toward the cathedral of St. Vitus for a tour through the massive gothic structure. The stained glass in the newest, neo-Gothic portion of the cathedral are from the 1920’s and consisted of one art nouveau style and the others looking like mosaics, but of transparent brightly colored glass. The oldest portion, Romanesque St. Wenceslas chapel, is incorporated into the overall structure and is the place where the kings were crowned. Leaving St. Vitus, we walked through the Old Royal Palace and then to the very large Vladislav Hall from which there were excellent views of the city from the balcony. From here we went to the Golden Lane where original were the soldier barracks and then these were converted into small cottages in which artisans lived and worked. Exiting the Golden Lane we walked downhill to the bus, which took us back to the hotel area. We had a couple of hours free time, before joining the group after their concert at St. Nicholas for a walking tour of old town.
At 3:15 pm we joined the choir members on the town square for a walking tour. In addition to seeing the astronomical clock and Charles Bridge, we walked down to the river bank for excellent views of Charles Bridge from the upriver side. From here you can see the log structures that protect the bridge from ice flows. Our walk continued through old town to the house where Mozart stayed and wrote Don Giovanni and then to the Estate Theatre where he conducted the premier of this opera. Then we walked back to our hotel; arriving around 5:30 PM.
After a short rest, we met Laura and Rachel for dinner and then more walking with them in old town to areas they had not seen. This included the town square and Charles Bridge and great views of the city at dusk. We were so fortunate with the weather throughout the day which provided us with mild temperatures and a cloudless sky.
Riding along the Moldau
On the Prague Castle Grounds
View of Prague from Castle Terrace
IPC Group in front of Archbishop Residence
View of Prague and Charles Bridge
St. Vitus Cathedral Facade
St. Vitus Nave
Mosaic Stained Glass Window, 1920's
Art Nouveau Stained Glass Window, 1920's
Golden Lane
Leaving Castle Area
Jan Hus Statue (Old Town Square)
Golden Well House Facade
Charls Bridge Toward Old Town Tower
On Charles Bridge
View of Charles Bridge with Ice Guards
Along the Moldau
Along the Moldau
Laura and Rachel overlooking the Moldau
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