Prague Castle
entrance to Prague Castle
Prague Castle (Czech: Pražský hrad) is a castle in Prague where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Czech Crown Jewels are kept here. Prague Castle is one of the biggest castles in the world (according to Guinness Book of Records the biggest ancient castle) at about 570 meters in length and an average of about 130 meters wide.
The history of the castle stretches back to the 9th century (870). The first
walled building was the church of Our Lady. The Basilica of Saint George and the
Basilica of St. Vitus were founded in the first half of the 10th century. The
first convent in Bohemia was founded in the castle, next to the church of St.
George. A Romanesque palace was erected here during the 12th century. In the
14th century, under the reign of Charles IV the royal palace was rebuilt in
Gothic style and the castle fortifications were strengthened. In place of
rotunda and basilica of St. Vitus began building of a vast Gothic church, that
have been completed almost six centuries later. During the Hussite Wars and the
following decades the Castle was not inhabited. In 1485, King Ladislaus II
Jagello began to rebuild the castle.
Vladislav Hall
More Photos of the Royal Palace
exterior of Vladislav Hall
Queen Maria Theresa entrancece
In 1918 the castle became the seat of the president of the new Czechoslovak Republic. The New Royal Palace and the gardens were renovated by Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik. Renovations continued in 1936 under Plečnik's successor Pavel Janák.
St Vitus's cathedral on the Prague Castle grounds
Photos of St Vitus's cathedral
During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia during World War II, Prague Castle became the headquarters of Reinhard Heydrich, the "Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia". It is said that he placed the Bohemian crown on his head; old legends say that a usurper who places the crown on his head is doomed to die within a year. Less than a year after assuming power, Heydrich was assassinated.
Powder Tower (1496)
After the liberation of Czechoslovakia, it housed the offices of the communist Czechoslovak government. During the Velvet Revolution, Alexander Dubček, the leader of Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring, appeared on a balcony overlooking Wenceslas Square to hear throngs of protesters below shouting "Dubček to the castle!" As they pushed for him to take his seat as president of the country at Prague Castle, he embraced the crowd as a symbol of democratic freedom.
After Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the castle
became the seat of the Head of State of the new Czech Republic. Similar to what
Masaryk did with Plečnik, president Václav Havel commissionned Bořek Šípek to be
the architect of post-communism Prague Castle's necessary improvements in
particular of the facelift of the Castle's Gallery of paintings.
Second Courtyard
Church of the Holy Road on the right
aviary
The castle buildings represent virtually every architectural style of the last millennium. The Prague Castle includes gothic St Vitus Cathedral, Romanesque Basilica of St. George, a monastery and several palaces, gardens and defense towers. Most of the castle areas are open to tourists. Nowadays, the castle houses several museums, including the National Gallery collection of Bohemian baroque and mannerism art, exhibition dedicated to Czech history, Toy Museum and the picture gallery of Prague Castle, based on the collection of Rudolph II. The Summer Shakespeare Festival regularly takes place in the courtyard of Burgrave Palace.
stairway
The neighborhood around the Prague Castle is called Hradčany.
Text from Wikipedia
along Golden Lane
