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Prague Castle
is a sprawling complex
situated atop a large hill on the
left bank of the Vltava River, which runs through old town Prague.
It is not exactly a "classic" castle, because portions of it were
built in different styles, and it spreads out more horizontally than
vertically. But inside the castle, there are many sights and
attractions. The main feature is St. Vitus cathedral, an interesting
14th century Gothic structure adorned with fascinating gargoyles
that can be seen easily from ground level. Inside St. Vitus are some
very elaborate tombs, a lot of Czech history. It is possible and
worthwhile to climb to the top of the bell tower, which takes you to
the highest point inside the castle, from which there are fabulous
views of the castle and old town Prague. Elsewhere around the castle
are the "Golden Lane," a series of small, colourful shops that
originally served as housing for the palace guards; the throne room
for the kings of Bohemia, a great hall that looks like it hasn't
changed in 500 years; and a Czech art museum. There's also a toy
museum, which really has nothing to do with the castle, but contains
some very interesting old and new toys. The changing of the palace
guard is an entertaining affair, sort of a poor man's version of
London's Buckingham Palace routine. When we visited in April 1999,
an adult admission ticket to all the main attractions of the castle
cost 120 Kc, about $4 US. Allow a minimum of four hours for a visit.
In general, Prague is a wonderful city to visit, with many
well-preserved medieval attractions and a slightly exotic Eastern
European flavour. |
