Prague - the castle complex

This is going to be a short blog tonight.  I have spent my evening trying to plan the next leg of my journey through Italy and time has slipped away from me.  I don't have time to write much, but I am going to post pics with some commentary.

Today's pictures are from the Prague Castle.  The castle is interesting because it has been the seat of power for the region for over 1000 years.  Czech Presidents, Roman Emperors, and Bohemian Kings have all ruled from here.  It was once the home of Good King Wenceslas (yes, he of Christmas fame).  Actually he was a Duke, not a King,  but he is much beloved in Prague and is a patron saint of the area.  The castle and its surrounding buildings have been burned, rebuilt, and added onto so many times that the architectural styles run the gambit from medieval to gothic to baroque to renaissance to...well, you name it. There is not a picture of the castle, per se, because it is a sprawling set of interconnected buildings that doesn't fit into one photo.

One of the palace guards.

 

The outside of St. Vitus Cathedral...one of 3 churches at the castle.  Everything is so close together that I can never get an entire building in a shot...sorry.

 

Inside St. Vitus.

One of the tombs inside St. Vitus.

This is the great hall in the old palace.  Kings of Bohemia held court here.

This is the horse's staircase...built so knights and nobles could ride right into the great hall.

This is St. George's Basilica...one of the oldest buildings at the complex.

A tomb inside St. George's.

Time for the changing of the guard.

 

The rooftops of Prague...from high up on the castle hill.

This was not at the castle, but I passed this building walking back to the metro station and loved it.  I'm pressed into the building across the street trying to get as much of it as I could in the photo. 

This is directly in front of it and shows more detail.