Prague Castle
As you can see in many photos, the Prague Castle dominates Prague's skyline - simply love the below night shot of the Castle and thought it would be a nice beginning for this posting.
Founded around 870, the complex of buildings and churches has been rebuilt numerous times and St Vitus's Cathedral was reconstructed into the 20th century. It is difficult to sort through the 100s of pictures (after more than a total of a full day here alone) as they would barely scratch the surface of the vastness of this historically, architecturally rich place.
I thought I would also include another shot from the day, to illustrate the immensity of the Prague Castle grounds magnificent size which is known to be the largest medieval castle complex in Europe and an absolute must see while in Prague. It consists of the Saint Vitus Cathedral, a stunning landmark reaching high above the rest of the complex, (more about it in my next post) found in the 3rd courtyard and existing for 1000 years! The Old Royal Palace, the former residence of princes & kings throughout Prague's rich history. Royal Garden, with the Singing Fountain - dating back to the Renaissance period. Strahov Monastery, from 1140 which houses libraries and religious art. St. George's Basilica and more. 
We loved the castle so much that we went there during the hottest time and then went there first thing in the morning before breakfast so we could photograph its beauty without all the tourists and still another short visit. 
The Castle grounds are reachable in the front (shots of the front are in Bear's Travels and from the back - both entrances with guards and both involve a heavy climb up many steps - keeping in mind the 30 degree temperatures (without a breeze, I might add) :-) - definitely some calorie burning achieved. 
This is the view from the half way point, with stairs opposite the hill that takes you up to the the front entrance with the main gate, a bustling area of activity. We climbed these stairs on our first visit and took us to the Monastery and some magnificent viewpoints (with Bear) across Prague.
Above is a shot of the guards at the back entrance just before 09:00 AM, before the crowds arrived. As we approached, we heard the clapping of footsteps echoing through the walkway as the new guards arrived, an hourly ceremony.
These are the guards travelling to the front gates - quite a dramatic ceremony that was accompanied by crowds every hour.
We loved the castle so much that we went there during the hottest time and then went there first thing in the morning before breakfast so we could photograph its beauty without all the tourists and still another short visit. The Castle grounds are reachable in the front (shots of the front are in Bear's Travels and from the back - both entrances with guards and both involve a heavy climb up many steps - keeping in mind the 30 degree temperatures (without a breeze, I might add) :-) - definitely some calorie burning achieved. This is the view from the half way point, with stairs opposite the hill that takes you up to the the front entrance with the main gate, a bustling area of activity. We climbed these stairs on our first visit and took us to the Monastery and some magnificent viewpoints (with Bear) across Prague.
Above is a shot of the guards at the back entrance just before 09:00 AM, before the crowds arrived. As we approached, we heard the clapping of footsteps echoing through the walkway as the new guards arrived, an hourly ceremony.
These are the guards travelling to the front gates - quite a dramatic ceremony that was accompanied by crowds every hour.
posted by Bubbles @ 20:40
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