Prague Castle and Charles Bridge

When we first heard and read about about Praysky Hrad, the Prague Castle, we figured ok, another castle. What could possibly top Neuschwanstein Castle, right? Strolling through the city, we even saw what we thought was the castle sitting on top of the hill in the distance and didn't think much of it. What we didn't realize is that we were looking at the Cathedral on top of the hill... the Prague Castle is actually the largest, continuous castle complex in the world (according to Guiness), encompassing a number of cathedrals, palaces, stores, neighborhoods, and other areas like servants' quarters within its walls. No wonder people are advised to block off an entire day to visit the site! The Castle was once the Capital of the Roman Empire, and buildings go as far back as 800 AD.

We purchased tickets allowing us to visit a few sites in the complex, including:
1) The main Cathedral, the Church of St. Vitus
2) The Old Royal Palace
3) Another Cathedral on the premises, St. George's Basilica
4) Golden Lane, the most visited street in all of Prague (where Franz Kafka lived for a stretch)

... and some others that we never got to.

Here's some pics from inside the Castle complex...

The St. Vitus Cathedral...



The silver tomb of St. John inside the cathedral...


We went to the top of the St. Vitus Cathedral and the views were amazing...


Overlooking the Vltava River, the longest river running through the Czech Republic...




The main hall inside the Old Royal Palace. Web may be pretty huge, but even he is dwarfed by the sheer size of Vladislav Hall, the entrance way to the seat of Bohemian princes, the site of huge marketplaces, banquets, coronations... and even jousting! Every President of the Czech Republic has been sworn in at Vladislav Hall.

St. George's basilica...

Golden Lane: the blue house is the one Kafka lived in...

Night views of the Royal Palace and St. Vitus Cathedral with the Charles Bridge in the foreground...

Close-up of the Cathedral...


After our visit to the Prague Castle, we took a stroll across the Charles Bridge back to the city center. The Charles Bridge is the oldest stone bridge in the world. It is amazing that it wasn't destroyed during WWII considering that the Germans occupied Prague during the war. The bridge was built in 1357 AD, and the Saints along both sides of the bridge were added in the 17th century.

View of the Charles Bridge from atop the St. Vitus Cathedral...

The Saints and statues along the bridge...

Web, acting the fool on the Charles Bridge...