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We kept walking until we got to the river, where we crossed the Manesuv Bridge. We were heading for the castle and were hoping to make it there by noon to see the changing of the guard. The ceremony happens every hour, but includes trumpet players at noon. About half way there, we realized there was no way we were going to make it. It was a pretty long and steep uphill walk to get to the main entrance of the castle. We stopped in one square to admire the statue in the center. Almost at the top, we found a nice place to rest on the stairs in the shade. The sun was out in full force again today, and was making for a very sweaty and hot climb. When we got there the stairs were deserted, but it seems others soon noticed it was a great place to rest and we were soon surrounded by other tourist. Annoying that others have to always follow the crowd.
There were so many tour groups and other tourists that we had to wait in line for about 10 minutes before we could get into the St Vitus Cathedral. Inside, we admired the extra large stain glass windows that were created in the early 1900's. Also of interest was the tomb of St John of Nepomuk, with 2 tons of silver and cherubs floating over it. Our ticket allowed us into the non-impressive royal crypts and also up into the Great Tower. It was a long and claustrophobic walk up the 285 steps to the top of the tower. The stone spiral stairway was barely wide enough to let people pass who were heading on their way back down. Everyone was panting hard as we finally made it up to the top and got a breath of fresh air. We enjoyed the views of the city and the castle complex, although had to squish in between all the people on the balcony. We just kept reminding ourselves - this is no where near as crowded as the Forbidden City in Beijing!! :) After exiting the church, we took a few pictures of it from the outside, and then moved on to the Old Royal Palace. The palace didn't have any furniture in it or anything, but it was still impressive. We walked through the Vladislav Hall, built in the late 1400's, with enormous vaulted ceilings. Other rooms included a small library and the royal chapel.
We walked down a ton of steps and back into the square where we came upon St Nicholas Church. We decided to pay the $2.50 to go up into the church tower. As if we hadn't already had enough stairs, the walk up this tower was another long 210 stairs! It went by a little easier this time as there were very few others there! It was nice to have our own space again, and we enjoyed the views from the top without anyone else at all.
We had spotted a particular Italian restaurant that was advertising home made pastas, and decided to go there for dinner. It was like we had been transported to Italy. We had the bruchetta, pesto spaghetti, and tomato, mozarella, and basil spaghetti with some house red wine. Delicious! We may have to make a return trip there before we leave. View Czech Republic Photo Gallery Day 180 - Prague < | Index | Photo Galleries | > Day 182 - Prague and Wrapping up Czech Republic © 2007 Blue Ocean Studios, LTD. All rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Services | About | Contact Prints | Return Policy | View Cart World Travel Galleries | World Travel Blog | Links |
We slept in a little, enjoying the peace and quiet of our room. Our window shades were so thick that we had no idea what time it was in the morning - it's been a long time since that's happened! We had read about a bagel shop in the Lonely Planet book called Bohemia Bagel. It was only a few blocks from our hotel and we have been missing bagels, as no where seems to have caught on to the fact that bagels are just as good as pastries (and more healthy)! We both had the egg and cheese bagels, expecting something great, but they weren't actually very good. Maybe we'll have to try just the cream cheese and bagel next time. 
We left our spot and made the final climb up to Prague Castle. This castle is the largest castle complex in the world and houses the Czech Presidential offices today. Upon entering the castle grounds, we passed through the Matthias Gate and then into the 3rd courtyard where we were greeted with a breathtaking view of the St Vitus Cathedral. This incredible dark stoned gothic cathedral was built starting in 1344 but was not finished until 1929! We bought out tickets that would allow us into the cathedral and a few other sights around the castle. 
After the palace, we walked through the remainder of the castle streets. Our ticket didn't allow us inside the Basilica of St George, but we enjoyed this baroque church from the outside. We walked down the Golden Lane, which is really just a few old houses that have now been turned into a tourist trap of shops. At the end of the castle complex, we admired the Daliborka Tower and went inside it to see where some prisoners were once held. Instead of exiting at this end, we strolled through the gardens and back to the main entrance. 
It was time for a few well needed beers now. We found a small cafe right outside the St Nicholas Church where we sampled the famous Pilsner Urquell. Czech's most famous beer around the world, the Pilsner Urquell's hit the spot. For a 1/2 liter, it was only $1! We rested there for a while (had another 1/2 each :)) before finally making our way back across the Charles Bridge and to our hotel. After 6 hours of touring, we needed to take a little rest in the A/C before going back out for dinner. 