This morning was a sluggish wakeup after having a late evening tour last night and an early wakeup for the morning tour. We met Roy and Gwyn at 7am for another delicious breakfast in the hotel.
Arriving at the Viking area in the lower lobby, it was packed with people. Everyone going on our ship who did not do extended days in Prague had arrived yesterday to enjoy today as their one full day in Prague. We decided we wanted the same tour guide as we had last night since she was so good. Roy made it happen and got us switched onto the bus for her group. We were soon on our way for a short ride up to our first stop at the Prague Castle area.
The Prague Castle complex houses many buildings of historic relevance and architectural interest. The castle was founded around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m².
A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale grouping of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from the remains of Romanesque-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications of the 14th century.
Next up was the Gothic style St. Vitus Cathedral. Its construction began in 1344. Unfortunately, in 1419 the construction of the Cathedral stopped because of the Hussite (Bohemian) Wars. The Cathedral remained uncompleted for whole centuries. In 1541, the cathedral was heavily damaged by fire. In 1844, work began to organize repairs and the completion of the cathedral. Under the Union for the Completion of the Cathedral, work to repair and finish the cathedral in a Neo-Gothic style began in 1861. The church was completed and consecrated in 1929.
We especially liked these creepy gargoyles appearing to launch themselves from the building.
Our tour did not include interiors today. Our guide said 3 hours minimum is needed to visit the castle and cathedral interiors. Next, we walked into the Lesser Town neighborhood where we visited last night. It was bursting with people due to the holiday.
Today, the 8th of May holiday in the Czech Republic, also referred to as Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) marks the end of WWII in Europe and Czech’s liberation from Nazi rule. Today marks the 80th anniversary of this very important day in Europe.
Our guide gave us a 45-minute break for snacks or shopping. We found a cozy cafe and ordered apple pie strudel crepes, a cappuccino for Roy and chamomile tea for Michele, and rested our feet.
After the break our guide took us along Charles Bridge, where we walked two days ago. It is the oldest stone bridge in Europe, built from 1357 to 1402 over the Vltava River in Prague. It was commissioned by King Charles IV to replace a narrower bridge built 200 years prior that was flooded out in 1342. The architect was a German mason who also designed St. Vitus’s Cathedral. It was the only bridge over the Vltava in Prague until 1841. It was packed shoulder to shoulder with people, several vendors, and a few outdoor musicians. Our guide said the vendors must be pre-approved. The light was better today for photos than when we walked across two days ago.
Next we briefly stepped inside the Church of St. Salvator that is the most Italian in style in the city according to our guide. St. Salvator is considered to be one of the most valuable examples of early-Baroque architecture in the city. It was built in the Gothic style between 1578-1601, but significant Baroque features were added between 1649-1654. It houses two organs used for classical concerts.
Then we visited the famous Prague Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square in time for the 1pm mechanical chimes. It was Times Square New York busy, just mobbed with people and tour groups. We googled its history and found that the clock dates back to 1410, making it the third-oldest clock of its kind that is still in operation. Mikuláš of Kadaň, under the direction of the King, created the clock in 1410, with a calendar plate and the Death figure (positioned on the right side near the 2 o’clock position of the clock face) added in 1490. In May 1945, the Nazis destroyed the Town Hall resulting in damage to the clock mechanism and the wooden figures. The clock was operating again in 1948 with new figures. In 1976, replicas replaced the original statues and sculptures that are now at a museum.
When the clock strikes the hour a procession includes the Twelve Apostles of the New Testament (they can be seen once the blue doors open). There are also other moving figures: the famous skeleton that rotates an hourglass while shaking his head and ringing the bell symbolizes the Turks oppressing the region, and figures of a Miser and Vain man. Besides being a functional timepiece over 600 years old, the clock’s astronomical part shows relative locations for the sun, moon, Zodiac constellations, and sometimes, planets. The dial for the astronomical aspect of the clock is an astrolabe. Gothic statues and a golden crowing rooster accentuate the clock’s unique design.
Done with that, we walked through the ritzy part of town with high end couture shops to meet our bus to take us back to the hotel. We had a late lunch at the hotel cafe. Rob said an older guy, “a know-it-all” at the next table, was wrongly telling his friend how to find FaceTime on his Android phone. (FaceTime is an Apple-only product).
After lunch Michele wrote the blog and took a nap. We met Roy and Gwyn for dinner and dessert after 6pm.
Tomorrow we say goodbye to this vibrant and fun city, and the kind Czech people we met. We travel by bus over the border into Germany where we have a stop in Nuremberg for a tour, and drive to Bamberg to board our ship around 5pm.
We forgot to include these photos from our Tuesday walk in the city. Little kids can practice bicycling and following street signs in a safe area.
