St. Vitus Cathedral (Katredrala Sv. Vita)

Entrance is in the Third Castle Courtyard (Tretí hradní nádvorí), Prague Castle

The spires of St. Vitus Cathedral, an elegant but domineering French Gothic structure, soar above the ramparts. It is the county’s largest church containing numerous side chapels, frescoes, tombstones. Not to forget the nave beautiful colour stained-glass windows (created by the famous Czech Art Nouveau artist Alfons Mucha ) which literally sparkles with all the finery inside. The most beautiful of the cathedral's numerous side chapels  contains the tomb of St Wenceslas, the ‘Good King Wenceslas’ of the Christmas carol, which has become something of a pilgrimage site, shows scenes from the life of Christ. The Coronation Chamber houses the Bohemian Crown Jewels and the Royal Crypt is where most of the Kings and Queens of Bohemia have their final place of rest (Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, George of Podebrady and Rudolf II). The southern entrance to the cathedral, the Golden Gate, is decorated with a richly gilded coloured mosaic representing the Last Judgement, dated from 1370, and it is one of the artistic treasures found in the Castle District.

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Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, seen from across the river

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St. Vitus Cathedral (Katredrala Sv. Vita)

Entrance is in the Third Castle Courtyard (Tretí hradní nádvorí), Prague Castle

The spires of St. Vitus Cathedral, an elegant but domineering French Gothic structure, soar above the ramparts. It is the county’s largest church containing numerous side chapels, frescoes, tombstones. Not to forget the nave beautiful colour stained-glass windows (created by the famous Czech Art Nouveau artist Alfons Mucha ) which literally sparkles with all the finery inside. The most beautiful of the cathedral's numerous side chapels  contains the tomb of St Wenceslas, the ‘Good King Wenceslas’ of the Christmas carol, which has become something of a pilgrimage site, shows scenes from the life of Christ. The Coronation Chamber houses the Bohemian Crown Jewels and the Royal Crypt is where most of the Kings and Queens of Bohemia have their final place of rest (Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, George of Podebrady and Rudolf II). The southern entrance to the cathedral, the Golden Gate, is decorated with a richly gilded coloured mosaic representing the Last Judgement, dated from 1370, and it is one of the artistic treasures found in the Castle District.

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St. Vitus Cathedral, front

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St. Vitus Cathedral, front detail

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St. Vitus Cathedral, front detail

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St. Vitus Cathedral, outside again

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St. Vitus Cathedral

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St. Vitus Cathedral

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior facing east

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St. Vitus Cathedral, stained glass window

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St. Vitus Cathedral, stained glass window detail

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St. Vitus Cathedral, stained glass window

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St. Vitus Cathedral, stained glass window detail

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St. Vitus Cathedral, stained glass window

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St. Vitus Cathedral, stained glass window detail

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St. Vitus Cathedral

Stained glass window by Alfonse Mucha in north facade

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St. Vitus Cathedral, stained glass window detail

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St. Vitus Cathedral, stained glass window

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St. Vitus Cathedral, stained glass window detail

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior, side altar

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior, side altar

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior, Royal Mausoleum

Below this is the Royal Crypt (Královská krypta). The crypt contains the sarcophagi of kings Václav IV, George of Podebrady, Rudolf II, and Charles IV and his four wives. The tomb was reconstructed in the early 1900s, and the remains of the royalty were placed in new encasements. Charles's four wives share the same sarcophagus.

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior, Royal Mausoleum detail

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

Rose window in west facade

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

Organ on north side

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior, back of church

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St. Vitus Cathedral, Side altar with golden screen

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior, a tomb with a carving of the city in relief. Charles Bridge is in center.

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

The tomb of John of Nepomuk

John of Nepomuk or John Nepomucene (Czech: Jan Nepomucký) (c.1345 – March 20, 1393) is a national saint of Bohemia, drowned in river Vltava at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans and King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional. On the basis of this account, John of Nepomuk is considered the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional, a patron against calumnies and, because of the manner of his death, a protector from floods.

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

The tomb of John of Nepomuk

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

The tomb of John of Nepomuk, detail

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior, side altar

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St. Vitus Cathedral, interior

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St Vitus from moat area on NE side

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St. Vitus, flying butresses

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St. Vitus, Gargoyle detail

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St Vitus Overall

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St Vitus in front of the sunset

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Skyline of Castle, St Vitus from near National Theater. On far right are the towers of St George, on far left is dome of St. Nicholas Cathedral.

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St Vitus from near National Theater, detail of 722 above

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From a distance, St Vitus, St Michaels

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Palacki Bridge, with St. Vitus in background

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View from top of Old Town City Hall:

The Church of Our Lady Before Tyn (Týnský Chrám) dominates one side of the Old Town Square. The spires of this powerful looking Gothic church (with a Baroque interior) can be seen from all over Prague.

The church was founded in 1385 during a tumultuous period when ‘heretic’ Hussites were being slaughtered by the ruling Roman Catholics. As part of this, Catholic Jesuits took over the church, recasting the bell and replacing the Hussites symbolic chalice with a large figure of Mary nailed between the towers.

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