Prague, here we come again!!!
View of the amazing Prague - the stone Charles Bridge is in the middle
The 'legendary' Charles Bridge (Czech: Karlův most) on an early April morning
"Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the 15th century. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau) until 1841, the Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the Old Town and adjacent areas. The bridge is 621 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by 3 bridge towers in an astonishing civil gothic-style. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, originally erected around 1700 but now all replaced by replicas." (source: wikipedia)
Lesser Town Bridge Towers
"Lesser Town bank of the Vltava River is decorated with two bridge towers, which together form an entrance to the Lesser Town. The lower bridge tower is also called Judita's, since it was built in the context of the construction of the first stone bridge over the Vltava River, i.e. as early as in the 12th century. The higher tower is younger, it dates from the 15th century and was built at the expense of King Jiří z Poděbrad. The gate is decorated with provincial and municipal signs." If you notice, the both gates are not facing straightly the Charles Bridge, the story of this I will explain in later part of this entry.
View of the busy Charles Bridge from the Old Town Bridge Tower in April's chilling weather
Prague Castle in sunset... Prague - a magical city that 'has it all'!
"This magical city of bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes, has been mirrored in the surface of the swan-filled Vltava River for more than ten centuries. Almost undamaged by WWII, Prague's compact medieval centre remains a wonderful mixture of cobbled lanes, walled courtyards, cathedrals and countless church spires all in the shadow of her majestic 9th century castle that looks eastward as the sun sets behind her. Prague is also a modern and vibrant city full of energy, music, cultural art, fine dining and special events catering to the independent traveller's thirst for adventure. It is regarded by many as one of Europe's most charming and beautiful cities, Prague has become the most popular travel destination in Central Europe along with Budapest and Krakow. Millions of tourists visit the city every year." (source: wikitravel)
The swan-filled Vltava River
"The Vltava River runs through Prague, which is home to about 1.2 million people. The capital may be beautiful, but pollution often hovers over the city due to its location in the Vltava River basin." This might explain sometimes one cannot have a wide-spread panoramic view of the city.
View of the Prague Castle from the Strahov Monastery
Prague Castle (Czech: Pražský hrad), an ancient symbol of the Czech lands, is "the most significant Czech monument and one of the most important cultural institutions in the Czech Republic". (source: hrad.cz) The Castle was "where the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept within a hidden room inside it. According to Guinness Book of Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world. It occupies an area of almost 70000 m², at about 570 metres in length and an average of about 130 metres wide."
Towards the Old Town Square - Town Hall's Tower and Týn Church
The famous Astronomical Clock at the Town Hall's Tower
"Prague's old Town Hall was built in 1364. The Astronomical Clock at the Town Hall's Tower is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. Originally the building served only as the city hall of the old town, but later became the city hall for all of Prague. It is now only used for ceremonial functions."
Town Hall's Tower at the Old Town Square
Old Town Square viewed from the Town Hall's Tower
"Step into the Old Town Square in Prague and journey back in time, 600 or 700 years. As you stand in awe, the dramatic history of Prague permeates the air." (source: pragueexperience.com)
St. Nicholas Church at the Old Town Square
"St. Nicholas Church at the Old Town Square was completed in 1735. It replaced a parish church, mentioned in records dating back as early as 1273. St. Nicholas is a Baroque church, decorated with sculptures by Antonín Braun. The interior design was inspired by the chapel of St. Louis-des-invalides in Paris. From 1870-1914 St. Nicholas became Russian Orthodox. Then, during the second World War, Czech army units were stationed here and artists were set to work restoring the church. After the war, St. Nicholas was handed over to the Czech Hussite movement, with whom it remains today. It now serves as both a church and a magnificent venue for classical concerts." (source: pragueexperience.com)
Týn Church at the Old Town Square
"Church of Our Lady before Týn (Czech: Týnský chrám) is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic, and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires." (source: wikipedia)
"Malá Strana (German: Prager Kleinseite) is a district of Prague and one of its most historic regions. The name translated into English literally means "Little Side", though it is frequently referred to as "Lesser Town", "Lesser Quarter", or "Lesser Side". This name derives from its position on the left (west) bank of the river Vltava, on the slopes just below the Prague Castle, in opposition to the larger towns of Prague on the right bank, to which it is conjoined by the Charles Bridge. In the Middle Ages, it was a dominant centre of the ethnic German (and since 16th century also Italian) citizens of Prague. It also housed a large number of noble palaces while the right-bank towns were comparatively more bourgeois and more Bohemian Czech." (source: wikipedia)
Part of the Lesser Town viewed from the Bell Tower of the St. Nicholas Church (Malá Strana)
A view of the Mostecká towards Malostranské Náměstí with the St. Nicholas Church (Malá Strana) in the background
"Prague was founded in the later 9th century, and soon became the seat of Bohemian kings, some of whom ruled as emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. The city thrived under the rule of Charles IV, who ordered the building of the New Town in the 14th century - many of the city's most important attractions date back to that age. The city also went under Habsburg rule and became the capital of a province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1918, after World War I, the city became the capital of Czechoslovakia. After 1989 many foreigners, especially young people, moved to Prague. In 1992, its historic centre was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into two countries and Prague became capital city of the new Czech Republic." (source: wikitravel)
View from the balcony of the peaceful nice pension Silenzio that we are currently staying this weekend in Prague! The hotel blends in with the nature around and the sounds of birds singing all day round truly gives a relaxing enjoying feeling..
The view over the bridges crossing the Vltava River from the Letná hill that I enjoy much!
The 14th-century stone Charles Bridge (Karlův most) "links the two sides of Prague. This magnificent structure is one of the city's finest attractions, and is the main pedestrian route connecting the Old Town with the Lesser Town (Malá Strana) and Prague Castle."
A children playground near the Charles Bridge
View of a large watermill
View from the Charles Bridge, including a golden-coloured roof of the National Theater
Charles Bridge on an early morning with chilling cool air
Enjoying morning walk on the Charles Bridge
Statuary of the Holy Crucifix and Calvary (sousoší Kříže s Kalvárií), "one of the most historically interesting sculptures on the bridge, which gradually gained its present appearance throughout many centuries."
The statue of John of Nepomuk on the Charles Bridge (socha sv. Jana Nepomuckého)
"The saint is presented in a traditional way, as a bearded capitulary with a five-star glory (commemorating the stars that hovered over the Vltava River on the night of his murder), standing on a tripartite base. The base portrays scenes from the life of St. John of Nepomuk, including the confession of Queen Johanna and the saint's death. In 1393 St. John of Nepomuk was thrown from the bridge into the river where he drowned. In modern times it has become traditional to touch the bridge here; this is held to bring good fortune and to ensure that the visitor will return to the city of Prague." (source: wikipedia)
View of the Prague Castle near sunset.. Let yourself be astonished by the views in Prague!
There's reason why one side of the Old Town Bridge Tower has no details and decorations compared to the other side. This was due to "the Battle of Prague - between 25 June and 1 November 1648, the last action of the Thirty Years' War. General Hans Christoff von Königsmarck, commanding Sweden's flying column, entered the city and captured Prague Castle on the western bank of the Vltava river. The Swedes attempted to enter the Old Town on the eastern bank of the river, but were repulsed on the Charles Bridge. When a third Swedish army commanded by Prince Carl Gustaf came close to Prague, all three Swedish armies launched a number of attacks against the city which thanks to the citizen soldiers and strong fortifications resisted. When in November, Carl Gustaf received a report about the signed Peace, he ordered his troops to leave. Unable to enter the city, the Swedes settled for looting the Castle. Many of the treasures collected by Emperor Rudolf II (e.g. the Codex Argenteus) were taken to Sweden, whereof some can be found in Drottningholm Palace." (source: wikipedia). The citizen soldiers have been successful to prevent the Swedish to occupy the Old Town, but they could only protect the side of the Bridge Tower seeing from the Old Town. The other side seeing from the Charles Bridge has been attacked in this Battle of Prague and the decorations have been destroyed.
Charles Bridge museum and the "Kostel Nejsvětějšího Salvátora" (Church of St. Salvator)
Some of the original foundation stones of the Judith's Bridge at the Charles Bridge museum
Model of Charles and Judith's Bridges at the Charles Bridge museum
"At the site of the ford in the Vltava river, King Vladislaus II had the first bridge built in 1170, the Judith Bridge (Juditin most), named in honor of his wife Judith of Thuringia. This bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1342. Some of the original foundation stones of that bridge remain." (wikipedia). The Lesser Town Bridge Towers were initially built for the Judith Bridge, later were used for the Charles Bridge. That is why the towers are not facing straightly the Charles Bridge.
Vltava is a strong river, through which several significant floods have happened in Prague.
"The floods that hit Europe during August 2002 caused damage to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Spain, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, and Ukraine. Several rivers in the region, including the Vltava, Elbe and Danube reached record highs. Prague received large damage from what were deemed to be the worst floods to hit the capital in 200 years. Most of Prague's art work was saved due to advanced warning of high water levels, however there was significant damage to the Prague Metro subway system, much of which was completely flooded. Prague's Jewish Quarter also received significant damage, a part of the estimated $30 million in damage to Czech cultural sites including: the Prague Municipal Library, Malá Strana, the National Theatre and Terezín. The evacuations before the worst of the flooding have been cited as one of the reasons for relatively little loss of life in the capital. One of the most visible victims of the summer's flood was Gaston, a sea lion from the Prague Zoo who swam to Germany following the flooding of his aquarium. For some time, it was believed he would survive, however he died following capture in Dresden." (wikipedia)
Overwhelming by nice views throughout Prague..
Academy of Arts Architecture and Design in Prague
The Rudolfinum, one of the most noteworthy buildings in Prague, a music auditorium in neo-renaissance style
"It was built between 1876 and 1884 according to the designs of architects Josef Zítek and Josef Schulze. Originally intended as a multipurpose cultural building in Prague, the Rudolfinum was inagurated on February 7, 1885. It carried out its mission until 1919, when it was converted to the House of Commons of the Czechoslovak Republic. Concert activity was restored to the Rudolfinum during the German occupation, but full rehabilitation, particularly of the gallery, did not take place until 1992. After a general reconstruction by architect Karel Prager in 1992, the Rudolfinum became the home of the Czech Philharmonic and the Rudolfinum Gallery." (source: ceskafilharmonie.cz)
"The Prague Castle was most likely founded in around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty (Přemyslovci). As the largest coherent castle complex in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records and a UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from Roman-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications in the 14th century. The famous Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik was responsible for extensive renovations in the time of the First Republic (1918-1938). Since the Velvet Revolution, the Prague Castle has undergone significant and ongoing repairs and reconstructions." (source: hrad.cz)
At the entrance gate of the Prague Castle
"There are many ways to get in Prague Castles but the official entry is from the Hradčanské Náměstí (Castle Square) at the west end of the castle grounds. A beautiful rococo gateway is decorated with 2 statues of fighting giants, called Battling Titans. The originals were made by Ignác Platze in 1770, but today there are just copies made in 1912 by C. Vosmík and A. Procházka. Besides titans guarding gateway there are two castle guards on either side. Every hour the guards at the gateway entrance are changing clicking with their brightly shined shoes and twirling of their rifles. The gateway with battling titans will lead you to the 1st courtyard, "the Courtyard of Honour". You will see there the Matthias Gate from 1614 with staircases leading to Throne Hall or the Spanish Hall." (source: visitingprague.org)
The reason for our visit this time in Prague was thanks to Dustin's conference in his field of "Fire Engineering", and I came along eagerly to see again one of my most favourite cities! We actually always feel like having a good reason to come back to Prague :-)..
The square in front of the entrance gate
This is the view over a part of the city from the square at the Prague Castle. You can actually see in the photo before that the visitors of the Prague Castle can enjoy a view over the city outside the main gate of the Castle. In the photo it can be considered already as less crowded.
View from the Strahov Monastery
"Strahov Monastery is a Premonstratensian abbey founded in 1149 by Bishop Jindřich Zdík, Bishop John of Prague, and Duke Vladislav II." Dustin and three other colleagues in our Master have actually made some examination and study about this monastery for an assignment during our Master study. They have been offered a privilege to visit some parts of the monastery which are not included for tourists, thanks to a nice teacher of our Master who has arranged the private visit.
The Petřín tower on the Petřín hill
"Petřín hill (327 m) rises some 130 m above the left bank of the Vltava River. The hill (in German known as Laurenziberg), almost entirely covered with parks, is a favorite recreational area for the inhabitants of Prague." (source: wikipedia)
Spring's calling!
Overview of the blocks of our Strahov hostel from the Petřín tower
Panoramic view on the Petřín tower
Strahov hostel blocks 4 and 8 where we stayed during our Master study, the good restaurant (Dustin has tried the 4th time the very spicy Mexican pizza there, even though it made him a little stomach-sick :-D), the library and our study room at the Czech Technical University in Prague - remembering nice memory..
We have stayed at Strahov during our Master study and much special memory with our classmates have been formed. That was why we also visited again the hostel, the student restaurant (with very nice food) as well as the Petřín tower and the Petřín furnicular Újezd in this trip.
Visiting ITAM - the laboratory research centre during our Master study; our colleague Riccardo is also working there.
Old Town Square
Buildings near the Old Town Square viewed from the Town Hall's Tower
At the Old Town Square
"The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working. The clock mechanism itself is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures - notably a figure of Death (represented by a skeleton) striking the time; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months." .. (source: wikipedia)
"The historical centre of Prague's Old Town boasts a variety of architecture and picturesqueness of many towers and spires. Dominant is the Powder Tower - one of the historically most important town gates standing near the castle moat. The King's coronation ride began there. The gate with the tower was built at the Royal Residence by architect Matej Rejsek after 1475. It gots its name because it once served as a gunpowder store. Its current neo-Gothic form dates from the second half of the 19th century. It is 65m high".
A view of the Mostecká towards Malostranské Náměstí with the St. Nicholas Church (Malá Strana)
St. Nicholas Church (Malá Strana) and the Bell Tower viewed at the "Malostranské náměstí" tram hub
"One of the most beautiful churches in Prague and the dominant of the Lesser Town is the 18th century High Baroque building! The date of construction was 1704-1755. It was built for the Prague Jesuits, who owned a large complex of Jesuit College, two shrines and gymnasium. Two generations of builders of the Dientzenhofer family realized the most beautiful Baroque shrine in Europe, whose bell tower reaches a height of 79 meters."
Prague in spring - joyful green and cheery blossoms!
The timing was perfect for our visit, although the weather was not sunny during the whole trip, but we could still feel the city transforming in spring. April is a nice month to visit Prague! Moreover we have never experienced Prague in April as we left the city at the end of March after our coursework in the Master (and at that time in 2009, the city was still covered much in snow). So this visit is also like an addition to complete our experience in Prague in almost all seasons. I am happy for that.
"Spring season - is maybe one of the best times to come for a visit, especially in the month of May [to us April is also close enough to spring ;-)]. All the nature wakes up after months of hibernation. The cherish atmosphere when everything comes back to their lives is all around." (source: wikitravel)
"Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) is one of the two main squares in Prague (beside the Old Town Square), so is a popular place for visitors to stay. Wenceslas Square lies at the heart of the New Town (Nové Město) - the word new is misleading though, as the area was actually laid out in 1348 by Charles IV. Wenceslas Square is really a boulevard, measuring 750m long by 60m wide. It was originally laid out as the Prague horse market 650 years ago. Behind St. Wenceslas is the monumental National Museum, and just off to the left is the Prague State Opera." (source: prague experience.com)
Wenceslas Square with a number of shopping malls at the metro "Můstek"
"A rotunda (from Latin rotundus) is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building. The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda." (wikipedia). "Die ältesten Baudenkmäler in der Tschechischen Republik sind im romanischen Stil gebaut. Er verbreitete sich vom Ende des 9. bis 13. Jahrhundert, wann ihn die Gotik auswechselte. Typische sakrale Bauten aus der romantischen Zeit sind Basiliken oder Rotunden. Das älteste romantische Gebäude ist die "Rotunde des Hl. Peter-und-Paul" (895 - 915) in Budec auf einer von Legenden umwebten Anhöhe unweit von Prag. Die älteste Rotunde Prags befindet sich auf Vysehrad und ist dem "Sankt Martin" eingeweiht. Sie wurde im letzten Drittel des 11. Jahrhundert unter Vratislav II. gebaut. Die zweitälteste in Prag ist die "Heilig-Kreuz-Rotunde" (11. Jahrhundert) an der Ecke der Straßen Konviktska und Karoliny Svetke, unweit vom Nationaltheater. Die "Rotunde des HI. Longinus" wurde am Anfang des 12. Jahrhunderts in der heutigen Straße Na Rybnicku, unweit vom Wenzelsplatz gebaut. Im 17. Jahrhundert wurde sie barockisiert und heute dient sie der griechisch-katholischen Kirche."
Letná hill overlooking Prague historic centre and Vltava River just besides Prague Castle
"It neighbors the Stromovka (the largest park in Prague) and Letná parks. The Letná hill's role in Prague is similar to NY Central Park. Due to its position, it used to be the venue for the largest Stalin statue in Europe. The Stalin Monument - the largest group sculpture in Europe during its existence, had a reinforced-concrete structure faced with 235 granite blocks, weighing 17,000 tonnes and costing 140 million crowns (5.4 million €) to complete. The statue was torn down in 1960's." (source: wikipedia)
"The Metronome is a giant, functional metronome in Letná Park. It was erected in 1991, on the plinth left vacant by the destruction of an enormous monument to former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1962. The 75-foot-tall (23 m) Metronome is now mostly a scenic vista and a meeting place for young people. It was designed by international artist Vratislav Novak. The area behind the metronome is also a famous skatespot where skateboarders from Europe and around the world congregate and film throughout the year."
"The process of de-Stalinization in Czechoslovakia had begun under Antonín Novotný in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but had progressed slower than in most other states of the Eastern Bloc (the former communist states of Central and Eastern Europe). In the early 1960s, Czechoslovakia underwent an economic downturn. The Soviet model of industrialization applied poorly to Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia was already quite industrialized before World War II and the Soviet model mainly took into account less developed economies. On 5 January 1968 began the Prague Spring (Czech: Pražské jaro, Slovak: Pražská jar) - a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II, and continued until 21 August when the Soviet Union and all members of the Warsaw Pact, with the notable exception of Romania, invaded the country to halt the reforms." (source: wikipedia)
"A university student, Jan Palach became a Czechoslovakian martyr when he set himself ablaze in protest to the Warsaw Pact intervention against the Prague Spring reforms, which liberalised government policies and human rights restrictions. Palach died three days later from his injuries. Palach's funeral erupted into mass protests against the government. Many Czechoslovakians mourned Palach and sympathized with his ideals including Jan Zajíc, who killed himself in the same fashion as Palach to encourage his countrymen to fight the Warsaw Pact occupation of the Czechoslovakian nation. A little more than two months later, on Good Friday, Evžen Plocek also set himself ablaze in the town of Jihlava. However, Plocek's protest went largely unnoticed since his death was not reported by the media. In 1989, twenty years after Palach's death, large scale protests were held in what became known as Palach Week, a precursor to the Velvet Revolution later the same year." (source: wikitravel)
Prague Castle and statues of the Charles Bridge at night in cold partly raining weather
Charles Bridge museum and the Church of St. Salvator at night
Prague Castle shining at night
"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. The neighbourhood around the Prague Castle is called Hradčany." (source: wikipedia)
We have passed by this building so many times, on day- as well as night-time, stood on the bridge opposite the Dancing Building to wait for the bus back to the Strahov hostel during our Master study. One time, after a cultural dinner at weekend, our colleagues continued to spend the night in some bars but I decided to go back to the hostel and Dustin accompanied me. We have somehow missed the bus in a cold winter night (probably because of my extra hugs-and-say-goodbye with the other colleagues), so instead of waiting 30 minutes in the freezing weather we found a bar nearby and got some chatting about.. my Asian culture. We ended up missing several next buses... Another time I even got a hangover during one of our cultural dinners but the next morning, I have played with the snow at this place (the photos can be found in my old post about Prague). Some among many special memories..
Prague, weekend 19-21.04.2013
Review: Wonderful memory of my six-month stay for the SAHC Master in Prague (2009-2010)
Another post: Visiting Prague also makes me think of the German-city-of-Romanticism Heidelberg, which I have visited for a short seminar in February 2013.
Yes, it was a really perfect holiday in Prague. After seeing all that grey in Germany it was time for some sun-shine and green trees. I think you should thank again the person who invited you to come there. I am waiting ... :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend, the-sweet-person who has invited me to Prague! :-D It is always nice to read something written by you ^_^. Weimar this weekend no sunshine without somebody, who brings me much warmth and laughters.. I already miss last weekend in Prague, as well as the 'home' in Berlin :-).
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