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St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle
St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle
Few modern European cities match the elegance of Prague, the capital of what is now the Czech Republic. From the massive Prague Castle to the Prague Orloj, the world’s oldest and still functional astronomical clock attached to Prague City Hall, the historical wonders are many. But one structure stands out and, for locals, that’s not a good thing
Nicknamed the “Dancing House” or alternately “Ginger and Fred,” the building seems to almost writhe on its corner lot overlooking the Vltava River. Built in the “deconstructivist” style, one of the two towers—generally considered the “Ginger” half for dancer Ginger Rogers—dramatically leans into the other as if the two towers are, well, dancing. Designed by the Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunic in cooperation with Canadian American architect Frank Gehry and built in 1996, the building’s heavy asymetry is considered an inappropriate addition to the city’s collection of Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings.
But Dancing House, also home to several unusual art pieces, is a lot of fun and attracts lots of visitors to a city that already has more than its share of attractions. Prague—Praha in the local parlance and home to about 1.3 million people—is not located on the Danube, so we had to take a motor coach through the southern reaches of the Black Forest to visit. But the city proved the fitting climax to our journey.
We already had seen more than our share of castles and cathedrals on this trip, each more impressive than the last. But we weren’t quite ready for the size and scope of Prague Castle, a massive compound of buildings and towers that Guinness World Records lists as the world’s largest ancient castle. It sits majestically on an 18-acre plot at the highest point in the city, is comprised of 750,000 square feet of buildings, and still serves as the Czech Republic’s seat of government.
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Stroll the Castle Grounds
The castle, too, has its share of architectural styles, the results of “home improvement” updates since it was first built in the Ninth century. Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles of the St. Vitus Cathedral contrast with Romanesque elements of St. George’s Basilica, both housed in the compound’s walls. Even a few 20th-century touches courtesy of Solvenian artist Josip Plecnick can be found on the grounds, which are guarded by both near-motionless ceremonial sentries and more action-oriented guards dressed in camouflage and toting machine guns.
It's easy to stroll the grounds and take in the architecture or schedule a tour of one of the buildings, halls or museums. Those wanting to experience Prague Castle in total should plan two to three days, ever mindful of the tour groups also walking through. Many world leaders have made their appearance at Prague Castle, including Mick Jagger and the other Rolling Stones when writer-turned-statesman Vaclav Havel was president. (Havel was a fan. He also named the country’s Velvet Revolution, which caused the collapse of Communism in the country and amicably separated the Czech Republic from neighboring Sovakia, after Lou Reed’s Velvet Underground, sources say.)
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Charles Bridge over the Vltava River in Old Town, Prague.
Charles Bridge over the Vltava River in Old Town, Prague.
Another highlight of any Prague visit is a stroll across the Charles Bridge, a major pedestrian thoroughfare lined with 30 larger-than-life statues of Catholic saints and religious scenes. About halfway across the bridge is the statue of John of Nepomuk, a priest working under King Wenceslas IV who was thrown into the Vtlava River and drowned rather than reveal the confession of the queen. A small plaque with a golden cross accompanies the statue at the point of the priest’s “execution,” and legend has that touching the cross while making a wish will assure that the wish will be granted within a year and a day of asking.
Touching the small bas-relief image of John on an adjoining plaque on his right side is said to bring you further good luck as well as a return visit to Prague. Good luck and a wish granted are always appreciated. As for a return to Prague, well, we had already made those plans.
