We took a tour today of the gardens of the Prague Castle. The entryway to the castle complex is lined with linden trees. Oaks were not allowed after the war because they were a symbol of the German Empire.
The church, St. Vitus Cathedral within the complex is a working church that continues to have mass. One of the stained glass windows within the complex was completed by Alphonse Mucha. He is noted to be one of the most famous painters in Europe. Mucha was a Czech Art Noveau painter and decorative artist. The window that he designed was initially rejected by the church elders due to his use of bright yellows, greens, and blues. The church ended up allowing the painted window only because it was sponsored by the Bank of Slavia and wouldn't cost the church money. It is the only window that is not done in traditional stained glass. The church has survived fire, war and everything in between. The church contains the Mausoleum in which Ferdinand I and his wife Ann are entombed. The two were part of an arranged marriage that was set up by their grandfathers when they were infants. The Royal Crypt is under the church.
After touring the church we took a walking tour to our lunch location. As part of this tour we saw the Astronomical clock. The medieval Astronomical Clock is one of the highlights of a visit to Prague. It is on the southern wall of the Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square. The clock was made by Mikulas of Kadan in 1410 in cooperation with the Charles University professor Jan Sindel. The clock chimes each hour with 12 apostles passing by the window above the dial and symbolic sculptures moving aside.
We were also able to cross the Charles Bridge which for the shoppers among us was a neat experience as it was full of local artisans selling handcrafted jewelry, magnets, and artwork. The Charles Bridge with its 16 pillars span over the river Vltava and is the second most popular tourist attraction. It is the oldest bridge in the city and was built between the 14th and 15th century. Geek tidbit alert. The foundation stone was laid on July 9, 1357 at 5:31 am. It was done this way because the Holy Roman Emperor Charles the IV desired that the chronological notation of the foundation laying be a scale going up and down. Hence it was written year-day-month-time (1 3 5 7 9 7 5 3 1). The bridge is decorated with 30 statues mainly placed on the bridge between 1706 and 1714.
Lunch today was at Kamenny Most. We ate on the veranda of the restaurant right on the water under the towers of the Charles Bridge. The geese and ducks visited as we dined, as well as traveling gondola like boat tour.
Today we took a tour of Charles University, the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1348 and is one of the oldest universities in Europe that has been continuously operating. It is reported to be in the upper 1.5 % of the world's best universities. From inception it admitted students from different cultural backgrounds, Czech, Polish, Bavarian and Saxon. During WWII many faculty and students were murdered in concentration camps and the university struggled as the German occupation caused the Czech section of the country to be closed. When the war ended the communist government took over and censorship, purging and repression of information became the norm. With the election in 1989 and democracy on the horizon the University became the revered and respected institution that it is today. Presently, the University is comprised of 17 faculties: 3 Theological Faculties (Catholic, Evangelical, and Hussite), Faculty of Law(out current tour guide is studying here), 3 Faculties of Medicine, and Faculties of Pharmacy (in Hradec Kralove), Arts, Science, Mathematics and Physics, Education, Social Sciences, Physical Education and Sport, and Humanities.
This evening’s concert experience was shared with Columbella. This group of young people performed in their native tongue as well as English. Their renditions of Stormy Weather and Singing in the Rain were awesome. They are very talented. The young people sing folk songs, spirituals, and show tunes.
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