Today was the day we were finally able to get out into the city of Prague to do some exploring! We were fortunate enough to have two locals who are our tour guides, Pavel and Martina! We started our morning taking local transportation!
We took a guided tour through the Prague Castle, which dates back to the 9th century. It is the office of the President, Miloš Zeman, and according to the Guiness book of records it is the largest ancient castle in the world.
In the 14th century the castle was rebuilt in Gothic style and the castle fortifications were strengthened, which took almost six centuries to complete. One of the most influential royal houses of Europe, the Habsburgs, added new Renaissance buildings, Ferdinand I built the Belvedere for a summer place for his wife, and Rudolph II founded the Spanish Hall which is the northern wing of the palace.
The castle was damaged in the Second Defenestration of Prague in 1618 which began the Bohemian revolt and caused major damage to the castle. Emperess Maria Theresa carried out the last major rebuilding of the castle in the second half of the 18th century.
The castle represents almost every architectual design in the last millennium.
Prague Castle includes Gothic St Vitus Cathedral, Romanesque Basilica of St. George, a monastery, several palaces, gardens and defense towers, and houses several museums.
The neighborhood around Prague Castle is called Hradčany.
We then headed down the Golden lane. This area consists of small houses that were built in the 16th century to house Rudolph II’s guards and was eventually named after the goldsmiths that lived there in the 17th century. The Golden lane is now used for souvenir shops that sell anything form antiques, homemade bath products, wooden dolls, and much more.
Right as you walk out of the Golden lane you see beautiful views of Prague!
We had the opportunity to walk across the Charles Bridge which crosses the Vltava river. Its construction started in 1357 under King Charles IV and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. The Charles Bridge is the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas. The bridge consists of 30 mostly baroque statues and statuaries that depict various saints and patron saints that were venerated at the time. Most sculptures were erected between 1683 and 1714.
We finally ended today's tour of Prague with the city’s Old Town which include sites such as the Old New Synagogue, Old Town Square and Astronomical Clock, which unfortunately was under construction.
After a break for lunch and a short resting period, we gathered in our hotel for a quick rehearsal before we had a performance at the 6:00 pm mass at the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. This was a very special mass celebrating the Feast day of St. John Nepomucene, the Patron of Bohemia. He was tortured and ordered to be thrown into the river for refusing to divulge the secrets of the Queen that she gave during confession. Where he drowned, a strange brightness appeared upon the water. He is known as the "martyr of the confessional." He is patron of Czechoslovakia, where he is invoked against floods and against slander.
What an honor to be able to perform on such as special day for this country! The mass, including our performance was broadcasted on the radio for all of Prague to hear!
Continue reading our daily adventures! Tomorrow is our last day in Prague and many more adventures before we hit the road for Salzburg!
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