View of Prague from the Pražský hrad (Prague Castle) complex.
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Prague is an outdoor museum well worth the price of admission even if you consider airfare what it costs. Prague was largely spared the bombs of WWII and so has eight centuries of well-preserved architectural history. Historic Prague is sprawling and the architectural gems are not concentrated in one area. Some of the more famous examples – the Baroque St. Nicholas Cathedral in Malá Strana or the Art Nouveau Municipal House in Old Town may be a bit underwhelming when you consider there is something impressive around every corner - somebody’s 400-year-old house and garden, the finely crafted facades of turn-of-the-century apartment buildings, storefronts and offices, David Černý’s wonderfully outrageous sculpture.
Prague is often described as being comprised of four quarters: Old Town (Staré Město), New Town (Nové Město), Lesser Town (Malá Strana), and Hradčany (Prague Castle District). These were once four separate towns, each with its own distinct character.
Our hotel was located in Malá Strana or the Lesser Town, situated below Prague Castle, part of a jumble of old, often cobblestone, winding streets and historic structures and curiously, many embassies. It is one of the oldest districts in Prague (but they are all old). It was founded in 1257. It offers a range of attractions from St. Nicholas Church to Wallenstein Garden, from Kampa Island to Petrin Hill.
The Lesser Town is separated from the Old Town by the Vltava River and the Charles Bridge. A short walk up the hill from Malá Strana is the district of Hradčany, better known to visitors as the Castle Quarter. Our stay in Prague was short and we spent most of our days exploring the Lesser Town, Castle Quarter and Old Town, but did sneak into New Town on a few occasions.
We spent six nights in Prague doing the usual tourist trail, which included the castle complex, St Vitus, Loreta, St Nicholas, Strahov Monastery (which had a cabinet of curiosities and made its own beer), Municipal House, Jewish Quarter/Pinkas and the Spanish Synagogues & Old Cemetery, Museum of Communism, Mucha Museum, Petrin Hill, Old Town, Kampa etc. We saw the Tim Burton retrospective, a show by the Czech photographer František Dostál and visited the Lobkowicz Palace and learned the story of William Lobkowicz (born and raised in the US) and how he was able to reclaim his family’s twelve castles after the Velvet Revolution. We stayed at a delightful eight-room hotel called U Zeleného hroznu in Malá Strana (built in the 17th century and decked out with the opera singer Ema Destinnova’s (1878-1930) salon and bedroom furniture). There was so much to see in Prague, we only scratched the surface. Here are the highlights of what we accomplished.
Bohemian Rhapsody – A Table of Contents
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)
Aerial view from a castle brochure.
There are four palaces in the Prague Castle complex - the Old Royal Palace, Belvedere, Lobkowicz, and the New Royal Palace. The privately owned Lobkowicz Palace houses one of the oldest and largest private art collections in Central Europe.
The spires of St Vitus as seen from the New Royal Palace courtyard in the Prague Castle complex.
Becky at the castle with her new best friends. Prague is the fifth most visited city in Europe after London, Paris, Istanbul and Rome. Roughly 1.8 million people visit Prague Castle each year.
On the basis of archaeological research and the oldest written sources, it is thought that Prague Castle was founded around the year 880. It's been the seat of power for Bohemian kings, Holy Roman Emperors, and now the President of the Czech Republic.
The castle complex (a UNESCO World Heritage site) includes palaces, churches and gardens, with construction spanning centuries and incorporating various architectural styles. Within the castle complex, the iconic St. Vitus Cathedral took almost 600 years to complete, with construction beginning in 1344 and finishing in 1929. Prague Castle is home to three other churches - St. George's Basilica (the oldest standing building on the grounds), All Saints Chapel, and the Holy Cross Chapel.
St. George's Basilica (Bazilika sv. Jiří), the oldest of three churches within the Prague Castle complex. It was founded by Vratislaus I of Bohemia in 920 AD. It has a very geometric 17th-century red-orange Baroque facade which makes it stand out. Today, St. George's Basilica serves as a concert hall and part of the exhibition space for the National Gallery Prague. It is also an active place of worship.
The interior of St. George's Basilica is very different than the exterior. For instance, it is less colorful.
Prague Castle is supposedly the largest ancient castle complex in the world and holds the Guinness World Record for its size, covering more than 17 acres. The castle mower has his work cut out for him.
All Saints Chapel next to the Old Royal Palace, situated in the 3rd Courtyard of the Prague Castle, dates to the 12th century. It was rebuilt several times (thanks in part to devastating fires) in various styles.
Looking out a window in the direction of the Old Royal Palace.
The term "defenestration" is strongly associated with Prague due to two significant historical events, often referred to as the Defenestrations of Prague. While the word itself simply means throwing someone out of a window, it gained political and historical weight in Prague. The first defenestration occurred in 1419, when Hussite reformers (not to be confused with hirsute reformers) threw seven city council members from the New Town Hall. This event is considered to have triggered the Hussite Wars. The second and more well-known defenestration took place in 1618. In this incident, Catholic officials were thrown from Prague Castle by Protestant Czech nobles, which ultimately served as a catalyst for the Thirty Years' War.
Art in the Old Royal Palace. The eagle that adorns the frame has two heads. This palace includes Vladislav Hall, a vast space used for coronations, banquets, and even jousting tournaments.
The New Royal Palace at Prague Castle is not generally open to the public for tours, but it is accessible on two national holidays each year. The palace's grand halls are primarily used for official receptions and events.
While visiting Prague Castle we took in a Photography show featuring the Czech František Dostál, who was a less well known and less talented cross between Josef Koudelka and Elliot Erwitt. Many of Dostál’s images documented life under the Soviets. Relatively unknown in the US, Dostál has more than 20 books to his credit in circulation in Europe. The exhibition was in the Theresian Wing of the Old Royal Palace.
St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála svatého Víta)
St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála svatého Víta)
St. Vitus Cathedral, considered a Gothic masterpiece (with a mix of architectural styles), is the resting place for saints Vitus, Wenceslas, and Adalbert. It's part of the Prague Castle district. The Roman Catholic cathedral features twin towers, houses the crown jewels and has impressive stained glass windows designed by Alphonse Mucha. The first church on this site was built in 930. The present day Gothic cathedral on the same site was founded in 1344.
The cathedral features an unusual art deco stained glass window designed by Alphonse Mucha and installed in 1931 (which includes a logo from the Slavia Bank which financed the project).
Visitors can also find "gurning" gargoyles. I learned that gurning is a traditional English, not Czech, practice of making grotesque or distorted facial expressions (using one's own face), often as part of a competition.
Lobkowicz Palace
Lobkowicz Palace
The palace collection also has on display the 1565 "The Hay Harvest" painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (also known as Haymaking), one of five remaining landscape paintings belonging to Bruegel's The Months Cycle.
In 1939, the occupying Nazi forces confiscated the Palace, along with all other Lobkowicz family properties. The Palace was returned in 1945, only to be seized again after the Communist takeover in 1948. For the next forty years, the Palace was used for a variety of purposes, including State offices and as a museum of Czech history. Following a twelve-year restitution process, the palace returned to the ownership of the Lobkowicz family in 2002. On April 2, 2007, after four years of restoration and refurbishment, the palace was opened to the public for the first time as the Lobkowicz Palace Museum.
Lobkowicz Palace, located within the Prague Castle district, is a Baroque gem housing the impressive art collection of the Lobkowicz family. The private collection includes Old Masters' artworks, musical instruments, manuscripts, and historical artifacts. According to the palace's website, the highlights of the collection include original manuscripts of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven compositions.
The most valuable item is the manuscript of Beethoven's Opus 55, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, composed in 1803/04. Beethoven had originally thought of dedicating the symphony to Napoleon Bonaparte, but this would have deprived him of a fee that he would receive if he instead dedicated the symphony to Prince Joseph Franz Maximilian Lobkowicz. Money talks.
This Lobkowicz ancestor was also "dedicatee" of some other classic works, including Joseph Haydn's "Lobkowitz" quartets (Opus 77), and Beethoven's 5th and 6th symphonies, as well as his Opus 18 string quartets. Did he pay for them all? Probably - that's what being a patron is all about.
The museum is toured with an electronic audio guide narrated by living members of the Lobkowicz family. One of the narrators was the American-born Prince William zu Lobkowicz, who, in his youth, was once a golf caddy (in the 1980s) for a family friend back in the states. The family friend assured us we would be impressed by Willy's good fortune. During the Soviet era, the Lobkowicz family lived in self-imposed exile, some in the U. S.
Loreta
Loreta
Loreta (or Loreto) is a Catholic pilgrimage site and monastery in Hradčany, the castle district. It consists of a cloister, the church of the Lord’s Birth, a “Holy Hut” and the clock tower with a famous chime (27-bell carillon).
The construction started in 1626 – designed by an Italian architect (which is why it looks so… Italian). It has an interesting courtyard ringed with chapel arcades. Inside you can see the treasury. The Loreta was funded by Katherina von Lobkowicz (one of the Lobkowicz ancestors, from the Lobkowicz Palace). After completion Loreta was maintained by the Capuchins.
Feuding, hair-pulling cherubs on a Loreta facade.
In 2011 researchers opened a burial vault that had not seen the light of day in almost 400 years (it was built in 1663). After lifting the heavy stone slab that blocked the entrance they found to their surprise an extensive series of large monochromatic murals (black wash on dry plaster) depicting scenes of death and resurrection – lots of skulls and skeletons – mostly copied from contemporary (at the time) Dutch prints by the likes of Rembrandt. The macabre nature of the murals is now part of the tourist trail.
An armed skeleton hidden away for 400 years.
Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička)
Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička)
A face mask from the Medieval Armory.
In 1597 Emperor Rudolph II let the 24 Prague Castle fusiliers (riflemen) build their houses on Golden Lane. The street was thus well guarded. House no. 13 is now set up as the Renaissance residence of a castle fusilier.
Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička) is an ancient street (and now museum) within the Prague Castle complex. Golden Lane dates from the 15th century. It comprises 11 historic houses, inside which period scenes have been recreated to show the life of the people who once worked, ate, drank and slept in them. In the upper level of the houses are medieval armory and textile displays.
Before the street, there was just a wall behind Prague Castle. As time went by, modest houses were built along it. The original name of the street was Goldmakers Lane, so most of the first inhabitants were probably Prague goldsmiths (or alchemists). These houses were demolished in 1591.
Since the 19th century, the Golden Lane houses were mostly rented and the museum showcases an array of time periods and occupations. House no. 14 is set up as a pre–World War II dwelling. Lore has it that house no. 14 was the home of the fortune-teller Madame de Thebes, who lived there with her many cats starting in 1918. She used a crystal ball and cards to tell fortunes. She was executed by Gestapo towards the end of the World War II... reportedly because she foresaw Hitler's death. Did she foresee her own?
Franz Kafka lived in house no. 22 with his sister Ottla in 1916-17. This is where he wrote some short stories for the book A Country Doctor. Supposedly, the Golden Lane by the Prague Castle is where he found inspiration for his book The Castle.
Right: A tourist fondles the "Youth" (Mládí) sculpture, an outdoor bronze of a lad by Miloš Zet, originally located outside the Toy Museum at Prague Castle. The museum is housed in the Old Count's Chambers, near the Golden Lane. The lad has typical bronze patina, except for his shiny gold penis, which tourists rub for good luck (which is why it is so shiny). The tourists are not shy about it, including this woman. In 2016 the statue was removed and is rumored to be in storage at the Gallery of the City of Prague. Did Prague become prude?
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka may be Prague’s most famous cultural export and name-brand commodity. He was born and educated in Prague and died about 100 years ago at the age of 40. He spoke Czech but wrote in German. Much of his writing was published posthumously. In Prague there is a Kafka Museum, more than one Kafka statue, Kafka bars, Kafka T-shirts, and a line of Kafka cosmetics, with lipstick shades that include “alienation kiss” and “existentialist glow.”
In Kafka's Metamorphosis the protagonist wakes up one morning to find that he has become a cockroach.
This bronze sculpture, created by Jaroslav Róna and installed in 2003, depicts Franz Kafka riding on the shoulders of a headless, empty suit, inspired by a scene from Kafka's early short story, "Description of a Struggle." It is located in the Jewish Quarter of Prague, near the Spanish Synagogue in a neighborhood where Kafka also lived and worked.
The Jewish Quarter & Museum
The Jewish Quarter & Museum
The sprawling Jewish Museum in Prague, established in 1906, documents a vital part of the city's history. It provides insight into Jewish life and traditions spanning centuries. The museum's collection includes old buildings, artifacts, documents, and exhibits that narrate the story of Jewish history and culture in Prague. Visitors can explore six synagogues with beautiful architecture and a Jewish cemetery that is unlike any cemetery I have ever seen.
We visited the Pinkas Synagogue which is dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust from Bohemia and Moravia; their names are inscribed by hand on the walls of the main nave and adjoining areas – close to 80,000 names. Very moving.
We then toured the Old Jewish Cemetery, near Pinkas Synagogue.
The Old Jewish Cemetery was in use from the early 15th century (the oldest preserved tombstone dates back to 1439) until 1787. The number of gravestones and number of people buried in the cemetery is uncertain, because there are layers of tombs. It has been estimated that there are approximately 12,000 tombstones presently visible, and there may be as many as 100,000 burials in all. All this death and stone on a very small parcel of land – 2.4 acres. Additional land was not available for the cemetery so more soil was added to create a mound and the graves eventually became 12 layers deep – 12 bodies on top of each other. And the old tombstones, by Jewish tradition, cannot be removed – so they just added more, creating a crazy, chaotic jumble of stones.
Located in Prague's Jewish Quarter, the Spanish Synagogue is a stunning Moorish-style place of worship that now serves as a venue for exhibits and concerts. The Spanish Synagogue was built in 1868 on the site of the oldest Prague Jewish house of prayer dating to the 12th century. The interior decoration is opulent and golden with stylized Islamic motifs. During the Second World War, the Germans used the building as a repository for property taken from the Jews. The Spanish Synagogue now hosts permanent exhibitions on Jewish history in Bohemian lands.
David Černý
David Černý
David Černý’s 1996 sculpture “Embryo” - a cocoon like blob on the drainpipe of a seemingly random house in Prague.
We came upon David Černý’s 1996 sculpture “Embryo” (part of the drainpipe) by accident on a out-of-the-way side street. David Černý is a famous Czech sculptor whose works can be seen in many locations in Prague. His work tends to be a bit controversial/thought provoking and often humorous.
Černý was born in Prague. He gained notoriety in 1991 by painting a Soviet tank pink, to serve as a war memorial in central Prague.
Some of his famous works: statue of St. Wenceslas riding an upside-down dead horse; “Babies” (10 enormous and rather creepy infants that crawl up the Zizkov Television Tower and sit outside the Kampa Museum); “Brownnosers” (visitors climb ladders and peer into the buttholes of two oversized statues outside the Futura Gallery to see videos of an actor resembling President Vaclav Klaus eating baby food) and Piss (two gyrating mechanical, nude male figures that urinate in a Czech map-shaped puddle, spelling out quotations from Czech literature).
For the 2012 Summer Olympics Černý created "London Booster" - a double decker bus with mechanical arms for doing push-ups.
Černý 's large scale, very reflective "Utero" in the center of Prague.
Černý 's large scale "Miminka - Babies" outside the Kampa Museum. The babies have no faces. They have bar codes where eyes, nose and mouth should be.
In Prague, over the years, there have been 20-something Černý sculptures amusing residents and tourists alike. Some are permanent. Some were temporary.
Alphonse Mucha
Alphonse Mucha
This Mucha designed stained glass piece is outside the Municipal House, where (inside) you can find his frescos. St. Vitus Cathedral in the Prague Castle complex also has Mucha designed stained glass.
Alphonse (or Alfons ) Mucha (1860 – 1939) is another of Prague’s famous cultural exports. If you don’t know the name, you know his work. He, in many ways, defined Art Nouveau with his stylistic illustrations for posters, advertisements etc. Mucha's works frequently featured beautiful young women in flowing, vaguely Neoclassical-looking robes, often surrounded by lush flowers, which sometimes formed halos behind their heads.
We visited the Mucha Museum, but also saw the hall he designed for the Municipal House and the stained glass window he designed for St. Vitus Cathedral.
Nestled within a charming Baroque palace in Prague's New Town, the Mucha Museum offers a thorough-enough account of the life and artistry of Alphonse Mucha. This intimate (small) museum showcases an array of his paintings and decorative panels.
The Museum of Communism
The Museum of Communism
Statue of Vladimir Lenin outside the museum.
The Museum of Communism, situated in Prague's New Town, offers insight into the Czech Republic's communist era from 1948 to 1989. The museum features original artifacts, multimedia displays, propaganda posters and historical documents that depict life under the Communist regime. Visitors can explore reconstructed rooms like a school classroom, a shop and a secret police interrogation room. The exhibits are divided into sections based on themes like "The Dream," "The Reality," and "The Nightmare," offering a narrative of the communist era. The museum includes an East-West timeline, juxtaposing events in Czechoslovakia with those in the West, particularly the United States.
The Charles Bridge and the Vltava River
The Charles Bridge and the Vltava River
There is a plaque depicting Saint John of Nepomuk who was thrown from the Charles Bridge into the Vltava River in 1393. People touch the plaque for good luck, making it shiny. Touching the plaque is believed to bring both good fortune and ensure a return to Prague. There are actually two plaques on the bridge, one depicting the saint being thrown into the river and the other a knight with a dog. Rumor has it that the plaque with the dog is the luckiest of the two.
Statue of Bruncvík, a legendary Czech knight known for his adventurous quests and... his pet lion. It stands on one of the support pillars of the Charles Bridge. According to legend, Bruncvík's magic sword is hidden within the Charles Bridge and will emerge again when the Czech nation faces its gravest peril.
The Charles Bridge crosses the Vltava river in Prague. Its construction started in 1357 and finished in early 1400. As the only means of crossing the Vltava until 1841, the Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas. The bridge is now a pedestrian zone and is almost constantly filled with people.
Heads Up: a fun historical note: in 1621, in the wake of a Bohemian uprising against the area's then-ruling power, the Hapsburg dynasty, 27 leaders of the revolt had their severed heads displayed on the tower on the bridge's Old Town side.
A watercolor made by one of the Bridge's street vendors.
Vltava River is 270 miles long and is the same river that flows through Český Krumlov, which we visited during the second leg of this trip. As it runs through Prague, the river is crossed by 18 bridges (including the Charles Bridge). The water from the river was used as drinking water until 1912. Pump houses and water towers distributed water throughout the city.
Mighty Flood
On Tuesday, August 13, 2002, the Vltava River rose over its banks and flooded much of the city of Prague. It was Prague's worst flood in a 100 years. Kampa Island was deluged. Streets and basements were under water. Tourism shut down. The flood left muck everywhere that stank in the August heat. The floods caused approximately $3 billion in damages and led to over 200,000 evacuations, with 50,000 of those from Prague alone. Seventeen people in the Czech Republic died.
Municipal House (Obecní dům)
Municipal House (Obecní dům)
Alphonse Mucha fresco in the Municipal House.
Municipal House coat check girl on a slow day. Her first shift started in 1946.
The Municipal House is a prominent Art Nouveau building constructed between 1905 and 1912, known for its elaborate interiors. It houses Smetana Hall, a renowned concert venue, and features interiors decorated by leading Czech artists of the time, including Alphonse Mucha.
The Mayor’s Hall is situated in a circular bay directly above the main entrance. The ceiling is decorated with a fresco by Alphonse Mucha based on the idea of Slavic unity. The design has figural motifs that form a circle with a view opening to the sky, shaded by the wings of a flying eagle. Alphonse Mucha created not only the paintings in the hall, but also all the other arts and crafts details, including the heating radiator grilles, windows, standing lighting and drapes. The hall is a very stylistically unified work of art, right down to the ashtrays.
The Municipal House stands on the site of the former Royal Court, seat of Bohemia’s kings from 1383 to 1483. The Royal Court building was demolished at the end of the 19th century. Between 1905 and 1912 the Municipal House was built in its place – a lavish joint effort by around 30 leading artists of the day, "the architectural climax of the Czech National Revival."
The building was restored in the 1990s after decades of neglect. The restaurant and cafe flanking the entrance are like walk-in museums of Art Nouveau design; upstairs are half a dozen sumptuously decorated halls that you can visit by guided tour.
The Prague Astronomical Clock
The Prague Astronomical Clock
The Prague Astronomical Clock (Prague orloj) is a medieval astronomical clock. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working. The clock not only tells time but also displays the positions of the sun and moon. On the hour, figures representing vanity, greed, death, and lust (or a Turk, depending on interpretation) are set in motion. A horophile's delight.
Detail of top right of clock. The guy with the funny banjo looks like a pirate to me. But maybe that because he's standing next to a skeleton.
"Tim Burton and His World" exhibit at the City Gallery
"Tim Burton and His World" exhibit at the City Gallery
We quite enjoyed the "Tim Burton and His World" travelling exhibit at the City Gallery/Stone Bell House (Dům U Kamenného zvonu/Galerie Hlavniho mesta Prahy) on Old Town Square.
The exhibition featured hundreds of drawings, photographs, sketches, and sculptural installations by the quirky filmmaker known for the Nightmare before Christmas, Edward Scissor Hands, Beetlejuice, to name just a few.
Strahov Monastery and Library (and Brew Pub)
Strahov Monastery and Library (and Brew Pub)
The Strahov Library is one of the most well-preserved libraries globally, it houses over 200,000 volumes and is often hailed as one of the most beautiful libraries in existence. It's also home to a historic "Cabinet of Curiosities."
Perched atop Petrin Hill near Prague Castle, the Strahov Monastery is a medieval complex founded in 1143. Despite enduring damage from various sources over the years, including fires and wars, the monastery has been meticulously restored.
The site features a stunning Baroque church, a vast library with an impressive collection of medieval manuscripts and world globes, as well as a theological hall adorned with intricate frescoes.
The Strahov Monastery also has a brewery (of course). The microbrewery serves about ten variations of St. Norbert beer (3 all year and 7 seasonally). The brewery dates back to the 13th century and was closed in 1907 for almost 100 years. After a meticulous renovation the brewery reopened its doors to thirsty customers in 2000. We sat outside on a chilly day and drank beer wrapped in blankets they provided.
Petřín Hill
Petřín Hill
Petřín Hill is an area of park and woodland which rises from the Lesser Town. For visitors to the city, Petřín affords an excursion out of the historical center of Prague. Petřín Tower, one of the most prominent landmarks of Prague, was built on top of the hill as part of the Jubilee Exhibition in 1891 as a loose copy of the Eiffel Tower. The tower is 192 feet high, and 299 steps lead to its top. The view from its top overlooks not only the whole city, but on a clear day you can see nearly all of Bohemia. The view from the hilltop is pretty nice too.
Wallenstein Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada)
Wallenstein Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada)
Located in the Lesser Town, Wallenstein Garden is a beautiful manicured garden with lush greenery, shaped hedges, a pond with a marble fountain of Hercules and other statues representing heroes from Greek mythology, free-roaming peacocks and a very weird Italian grotto with artificial stalactites. The grotto has an aviary with caged owls. We watched one eat a chick (fuzzy baby chicken snack). Presumably, chicks are part of the owl's regular diet. I don't think the chick randomly wandered into the owl cage. The garden itself has a rather formal design - lawns, hedges, paths form geometrical patterns.
The Wallenstein Garden, covering an area of more than 14,000 square meters, is the second largest garden in Prague; only Prague Castle gardens are larger. The Wallenstein Palace (Valdštejnsky palac), sometimes called the Waldstein Palace, is currently home to the Czech Senate. The garden is enclosed by high walls and the several wings of the Wallenstein Palace - not much noise from the surrounding area gets through to the garden. It's peaceful.
The famous sculptures, works of Adriaen de Vries, are only replicas, as the Swedish troops stole the originals in 1634... during the 30 Years War...
The Church of Saint Nicholas and Saint Nicholas Belfry
The Church of Saint Nicholas and Saint Nicholas Belfry
Some of the elaborate decor of Saint Nicks. Not at all Christmasy.
The view from the belfry, looking down on the 16th century Malostranská Beseda building in Lesser Town. Today, the building serves as a cultural and community center, hosting concerts, exhibitions, and other events.
The Church of Saint Nicholas (Kostel svatého Mikuláše) is a Jesuit church in the Lesser Town. It was built between 1704 and 1755 on the site of a Gothic church from the 13th century stood, which was also dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Wikipedia describes this church as "without doubt the greatest Baroque church in Prague.”
The Town Belfry at Kostel Sv. Mikulase, also known as the St. Nicholas Belfry, is a separate structure connected to the church. It was built between 1751 and 1755 and stands as a significant landmark in Prague's Lesser Town. Visitors can climb the 215 steps to reach the 213 feet high gallery, offering panoramic views of the Lesser Town, the Vltava River, and the Old Town.
The belfry is unique in that it belongs to the municipality (city) rather than the church itself. The St. Nicholas Bell Tower holds the distinction of being the last belfry built in Prague. For decades it was used as a fire tower, staffed by a watchman. During the communist era (1960s - 1980s), the State Security Service used the tower to spy on nearby Western embassies.
Kampa
Kampa
Today, Kampa is a shady, pedestrian-only haven which is described in travel brochure’s as "Parisian" and "Prague’s Little Venice” and “an oasis of tranquility.” While the island supposedly has no shops, it has plenty of cafes and restaurants. And at least one canal.
Boatmen on the Devil's Stream. Prague's Little Venice? The striped shirts do make these men look like gondoliers.
Kampa is a man-made island, actually a peninsula, in the Vltava River. It’s about a 1/3 of a mile long. It is separated from the Lesser Town mainland by a narrow channel known as the Devil’s Stream (Čertovka). The Devil’s Stream once powered waterwheels and still does, though now they are for show rather than mill work.
The earliest written mention of Kampa dates back to 1169. While the land was used by farmers and fishermen, most residential and commercial development didn't begin until the 16th century. That’s because Kampa was prone to flooding. However, someone had the bold idea to use the rubble from a major fire in Prague in 1541 to raise the island's level, making the land less susceptible to flooding and more suitable for permanent structures. From the 17th century onwards, Kampa saw the construction of noble estates and the gradual transformation into a residential area.
The wooden waterwheel of the 15th century Grand Priory Mill on the Devil's Stream at night, lit by spotlights that created mesmerizing shadows.
Two of Kampa's famous painters.
34 yellow penguins in a row on a metal bar over the Vltava River. In the evening the penguins are illuminated. They are made from recycled plastic bottles. Kampa is indeed arty.
Kampa also has a notable contemporary art museum called the Kampa Museum inside a refurbished mill that features the work of Czech and European artists. Outside the museum you can find David Černý’s giant-sized “Miminka” (Babies) sculpture (well sculptures, there are more than one baby).
Near the museum you can also find arty manhole covers – 14 manhole covers by the artist Viktor Karlík that are inscribed with quotes.
There is also at least one palace (Liechtenstein Palace) on the island and several impressive villas. At the southern end of the island is the small and quiet Kampa Park. It was created during the 1940s by joining several estate gardens. The riverside park offers beautiful views of the Old Town across the Vltava.
Lock your Love
The bridge over the Devil’s Stream used to be one of Prague’s love lock bridges, but in 2018 all locks were removed. The countless locks weighed heavy on the bridge, so much so that some feared it could collapse. That’s why all the padlocks on Kampa Bridge and also other Prague bridges were removed and melted down. The metal was used to cast a church bell for the St Havel Church.
I took this photo in 2014 before the locks were melted down to make a church bell.
Couples attached padlocks to the bridges and threw the key into the water to keep safe their love.
Lennon Wall
Lennon Wall
A photograph I took of a busker in front of the Lennon Wall in 2014. The Lennon Wall has changed dramatically since then.
The once "legal graffiti" Lennon Wall is located in Grand Priory Square in Malá Strana. After the 1980 murder of John Lennon a mural of Lennon was painted by an unknown artist onto the garden wall outside the Grand Prior’s Palace (seat of the Maltese Order, Grand Priory Bohemia) and as more people expanded upon it, the wall slowly became a place for free expression and protest. The original painting of Lennon was lost under layers of paint. For almost 40 years the wall was a sign of the times, reflecting changing social issues.
In 2019 the “Sovereign Military Order of Malta” (a charitable Catholic organization that owns the wall and the Grand Prior’s Palace) and the city of Prague reconstructed the Lennon Wall. A representative of the Order of Malta, Johannes Lobkowicz, explained why the wall should be renovated: "Our goal was to stop the wall from being a cheap tourist attraction, where anyone could draw nonsense or vulgarisms. It wasn't a dignified state for the wall."
Under the direction of Czech designer Pavel Šťastný over 30 Czech and foreign artists painted the wall with new designs. During the renovation a central piece made of reflective metal with a black outline of John Lennon was also installed. The wall opened to the public on the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, November 7, 2019, as an open-air gallery with new rules - busking and spray painting were banned, marking the wall was now only allowed in the designated white zones and in impermanent materials. Surveillance cameras were stationed at the wall to deter further spray painting and rule breaking. I'm not sure if it worked.
In 2021 a new museum about the history of the Lennon Wall, the Lennon Wall Story, was opened on nearby Prokopská Street. The museum features varying objects related to the wall, such as photos, historic objects and Beatles memorabilia.
Is it me, or is there something ironic about this?
Built to Last - A Stroll Through Old Town
Built to Last - A Stroll Through Old Town
Wandering the streets of Prague's Old Town on a crisp, sunny day provided lots of foto fodder. I love architecture and architectural adornments.
An Art Nouveau majolica (tin-glazed ceramic) relief by the Austrian sculptor Richard Luksch on the façade of the Revenue House on Kaprova Street. The panel dates to 1910.
The House at the Divine Eye (Dům U Božího oka) on Malá Štupartská in Old Town. The oldest mention of the building dates back to 1324. Under the Baroque facade are preserved parts of the Gothic palace portal that was left visible during renovations. It is one of the houses that make up the Týn Yard/Ungelt complex. Týn Yard is a block of historic buildings, probably dating to the 11th century, that were originally a fortified merchants’ yard where customs duties — ungelt – were collected. Today’s Týn Yard is made up of 18 houses, 12 of which adjoin the actual merchant yard, the others being on the perimeter, in place of the original Gothic enclosure wall.
The façade of the 16th century Aurus Hotel in Old Town by Adrez Living. Aurus Hotel is also known as the "House at the Golden Well" (Dům U Zlaté Studny). The hotel is located in the U Zlate studny building, which dates back to the 16th century and is considered one of Prague's most magnificent monuments. Situated in the Old Town, it's near major attractions like the Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square.
Štorch’s House, also known as "The House at the Stone Virgin Mary," is located in Prague's Old Town Square. The original building was demolished, but an exact replica was constructed in 1897. The façade is adorned with impressive frescoes created by the artist Mikoláš Aleš, including a depiction of Saint Wenceslas on horseback, the patron saint of Bohemia. Štorch was a prominent bookseller and publisher.
The Old Town Water Tower (clock tower) on the right bank of the Vltava River as seen from the Charles Bridge. The Old Town Water Tower used to supply the Old Town’s fountains with water. The first records concerning the tower date back to the beginning of the 15th century. Over the years the tower, which was originally made of wood, was damaged by both fires and floods. Its current look comes 1878 when the tower got a top floor and the tower clock. Ten years later a new neo-Gothic roof was added. The tower served its purpose until 1880.
St. Salvator Church in Old Town, located in the Klementinum complex near Charles Bridge. A beautiful example of Baroque architecture, with a striking facade featuring statues of saints. The church was founded by Jesuits and built in the late Gothic style between 1578 and 1601, with significant Baroque renovations in the mid-17th century. Today, the church is used for both religious services and classical music concerts.
Křižovnické Square and the Statue of Charles IV is near the Charles Bridge. This monument was erected in 1848 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the founding of Charles University. Standing only about 13 feet high, the statue depicts Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, who made Prague the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. His reign is considered a "Golden Age" for Bohemia, and the statue is considered one of the most significant Neo-gothic monuments in Central Europe. It is a popular attraction for visitors entering the Old Town after crossing the Charles Bridge.
The Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice), a prominent historical building located in the Old Town Square. Established in 1338 as the seat of the Old Town administration, it's one of Prague's most visited monuments. The complex includes a Gothic tower with a bay chapel and the famous Prague Astronomical Clock (Orloj), which dates back to the 15th century.
The Street Lights of Prague
The Street Lights of Prague
The Czech word for lamp post is kandelábr. Prague's cast-iron streetlights have a rich history, transitioning from oil lamps to gas and eventually to electricity. Gas lights were the mainstay from about 1850 to after WWII. Over the years, electric street lamps gradually replaced the gas lamps. Gas lamps have a bright white light and produce a slight hissing sound. Electric lamps spread a yellowish light and are silent.
Over the years, many of the old gas street lamps were destroyed, only a few survived beyond the 1980s. In 2005, the first fully-restored gas street lamp reappeared on Hradčanské náměstí, the square in front of the castle. Everything old becomes new again.
About seven hundred lamps in the center of Prague are now gas-lit, including the ones on Charles Bridge. The lights on Charles Bridge are manually lit by a lamplighter every year during Advent, just like they were in the 19th century. At dusk on the Charles Bridge in December, you stand a good chance of meeting the lamp lighter. With a long hooked pole, he switches on the street lamps by pulling a ring so that the gas flow starts. In the morning the gas lamps are automatically switched off. The lamp lighter goes his round through the Mala Strana district and on to Prague Castle.
Prague's lamp fascination isn't all nostalgic. The 135,000 lamp posts in the city now all have QR codes that give tourist information and the exact location. Soon, about 32,000 of Prague’s lamp posts will be fitted with motion sensors. This means that street lighting can go on and off depending on how busy the street is. They dim when no one is walking on the street and come on as soon as a car, a cyclist or pedestrian approaches.
Lamp aficionados claim that in the square in front of the castle (Hradčanské náměstí) one finds the most beautiful gas lamp in Prague: a 28 foot tall, five ton, eight-armed candelabra. One, two and three-armed lampposts are the most common. Rare are the eight-armed ones. Only three are left out of the sixteen that once lit the streets of Prague. This particular eight-armed "kandelábr" dates from the 1860s and has four comely Art Nouveau maidens at its base. Nearly identical lamp posts can be found on Loretánská Street, and on Charles Bridge on the Mala Strana side.
I bought this atmospheric (soft focus) photo of the Charles Bridge featuring a gas lamp (with the Prague Castle complex and St. Vitus Cathedral in background) from a vendor on the Charles Bridge. The original photograph is tiny, just 2" x 4.5" and signed by the artist, Jaroslav Tmoysky.
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