Prague Castle

On Friday, November 22, we met Cousin Stephan at the Malostranska metro stop. Together, we took a tram up to Prague Castle. The view from Prague Castle is amazing.

Our walking tour included Golden Lane. These little houses were originally built for marksmen who guarded the castle. Eventually a variety of people moved into the small houses. The street got its name as a result of alchemists who moved into the lane. One of them, Doctor Uhle, became eccentric and reclusive as the years went on. He rarely talked to people outside of those who could provide books or materials for his alchemist experiments. In 1831, an explosion rocked the castle grounds. Fire fighters entered the house, extinguished the fire, and found the dead philosopher clutching a gold stone in his hand. How he obtained the gold is still not known. Perhaps his final experiment was a success? I guess we'll never know.

St. Vitus is the most dominant structure in the castle grounds. In 1344, Charles IV began construction of the cathedral. The on and off construction of St. Vitus took almost 6 centuries, and it was finally consecrated in 1929. It is a stunning example of Gothic and Neo-gothic architecture. When inside the cathedral, one tends to feel small as a result of the overshadowing arches overhead.

St. George's Basilica is the oldest surviving church building within Prague's castle walls. It was founded in 920 (the current facade was added much later) and is dedicated to St. George, a 3rd century soldier in the Roman army who was executed as a martyr on April 23, 303.

The changing of the guards is an hourly occurrence and attracts the attention of everyone with cameras!

At the castle, we split a trdelnik, a traditional sweet Czech pastry baked over an open flame. This snack looks and smells enticing, and it tastes pretty good too. It is definitely worth trying while in Prague.

After Prague Castle, we took a tram to the bus stop to get to the Limmer's house. In the background, you can see a public display of affection, a very common occurrence in Prague.

That evening, Stephan joined Liz and I for dinner at the Limmers. We tried taking a picture of it, but our camera's battery gave out just as we posed for the shot, so instead... here's a picture of a lego family eating :)