Stepping off the edge

The title is not referring to the great Queen song but to our time in Prague which was full of art and music and good food.

I’ve never been to Prague or the Czech Republic. Our daughters have been here and the stories they told encouraged us to visit. When I traveled Europe in the early 1980s I couldn’t enter the country. Coming here is significant, wonderful that the people are no longer living under a communist regime AND it’s the 50th country I’ve visited.

We walked around the old town on our first night. Everywhere you look there is Gothic architecture in the church spires and towers, statues and bridges!

This is Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, up on a hill overlooking the city at night from St. Charles Bridge.

Old Town Bridge Tower at the south entrance to Charles Bridge which crosses the Vlatava River.

The bridge was originally built in 1357 and completed in the 1500s. Every few metres on the bridge are Baroque style statues of saints that were added to the bridge in the 1700s and were replaced due to damage in the 1800s.

Tyn’s Church is dramatic at night looming over the Old Town square.

Also in the Old Town Square is the oldest astronomical clock in the world, with the 12 Apostles and Zodiac Clock face. It chimes on the hour and the Apostles ‘walk’, rotating around in a box above and on each side of the clock.

Prague Castle is the oldest and largest castle complex in the world. With a history spanning over a 1000 years, it has served as the seat of power for Bohemian kings, Holy Roman emperors, and Czech presidents.

In the castle is an old village dating back to the 10th century and an armor collection. There were lots of weird and wacky armor but we really liked this one!

St. Vitus Cathedral, within the walls of the Castle, was initially built in the 9th century and added to over the centuries, ending in the 1900s.

The ornamental back of St. Vitus Cathedral.

I had never seen such detail as in some of the stained glass windows.

In contrast to the Gothic architecture of St. Vitas is the “High Baroque” Church of St. Nicolas with its gold ornamentation.

Our final night in Prague we enjoyed a classical concert in the ornate, Baroque Mirrored Chapel. The music was performed by members of the Royal Czech Orchestra with a Soprano and Organ Soloist.

It was an enjoyable conclusion to our time in Prague.