In and around Prague Castle

These are the steps leading to the Prague Castle (but I took this picture when I was on the way down).  The Castle stands high above the river Vltava and the buildings enclosed by the Castle walls include a palace, three churches and a monastery.

Gateway to Court of Honour of Prague Castle ... the gates are crowned by copies of the 18th Century statues of Fighting Giants by Ignaz Platzer.  These were not merely decorative but acted as an integral element of support.

The Changing of the Guards takes palce in the first courtyard, every hour but at 12 noon it is the formal handover carried out with a fanfare and banner exchange.

******

Motor show  in the afternoon.

St. Vitus's Cathedral -  front view and west side view of the cathedral with its main tower

 and golden gate rose windows.

Tympanum of the cathedral ~ basically the semi-circular area enclosed by the arch above the lintel of an arched entranceway.  The area is decorated with sculptures in the Romanesque and Gothic periods.

Stained glass window created in Art Nouveau of the cathedral allows natural light into the nave of the cathedral.

The Chancel ~ remarkable for the soaring height of its vault, is one of the highlights of  the St. Vitus's Cathedral.  The net vaulting is supported by large flying buttresses.

The large rose window above the cathedral's main entrance was designed by František Kysela. The stained glass window, completed in 1927, shows biblical scenes. 

Tomb of St. John Nepomuk.  Crafted from solid silver in 1736, this elaborate tomb honours the saint who became the focus of a Counter-Reformation cult.

A replica of the crown jewels of St. Wenceslas in the St. Wenceslas chapel within St. Vitus's Cathedral.

An old Czech legend says that any usurper who places the crown on his head is doomed to die within a year, as the Crown is in personal property of St. Wenceslas and may only be worn by a rightful Bohemian king during his coronation. During World War II, Reinhard Heydrich, the Deputy Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, is said to have secretly "crowned" himself while inspecting St. Vitus' Cathedral, and was assassinated less than a year later by the Czech resistance. Although there is no evidence proving that Heydrich did so, the legend is widely believed.  (extracted from Wikipedia)

St. George's Basilica ~ the oldest church within the vicinity of the Prague Castle.  The present rusty red Baroque facade was built in the 17th century.  It is one of the most beautiful Romanesque monuments in the Czech Republic and a place of great importance as it served as the burial ground to the royal Premyslid family.  Nowadays, the Basilica  houses the 19th century Bohemian Art Collection of the National Gallery in Prague and also hosts frequent Prague classical music concerts.

The Basilica's ceiling of deep, dark wood.

The impressive Baroque grille and the curving steps that lead up to the choir.

Outside Prague Castle

Quaint roof tops of the Little Quarter viewed on the way down from Prague Castle.

Hope you've enjoyed the tour of Prague Castle and its surroundings. 

 If you're not bored, stay tuned for more!