Prague Photo Gallery

The architecture of Prague is like no other, a mix of medieval gingerbread houses and fairytale castles topped with towers and spires which awe and inspire. This post is an attempt to capture just a small glimpse of this magical city through photos from our recent trip.

The Estates Theatre in Prague famously premiered Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' in 1787, and the theatre continues to play the opera to this day. This creepy, yet beautiful, statue is in place outside the theatre in commemoration of this legacy.

Jeordy and I were not only in awe of the buildings themselves, but also the meticulously and extravagantly engraved scenes and artwork which adorned them.

Among the narrow, higgledy-piggledy streets, something that captured our attention all over Prague was the number of unique gargoyles, statues and figures watching over the city.

The pastel blue, pink, yellow and green buildings give the city a lively and vibrant hue, and only serve to enhance the ethereal fairytale feel.

We wandered through Old Town, or Staré Město in Czech, marvelling all the while at the architecture. Eventually we crossed the river to find an equally old part of town that led us up the hill to the castle and cathedral.

The St. Vitus Cathedral is a perfect example of gothic architecture: large, imposing and stunning. Walking around its dark exterior it was impossible not to keep our eyes transfixed upon its towering beauty. The largest church in the country, construction began in 1344 but it was not completed until 1929.

It is just as magnificent inside. With its 600 year long journey to completion, the interior of the church is made up of gothic and renaissance architecture which was fused together over time. This combination is accompanied by art-neavou stained glass windows installed in 1925-7. The vibrancy of the stained glass windows is like no other, allowing vivid light to enter into the impressive interior. It was remarkable to see original 1920's stained glass, something neither Jeordy nor I have ever come across before.

The side of the Cathedral was also impressive, with oxidised green bronze domes (the colour of which happens to be both of our favourite colour) sitting atop a tall and impressive bell tower inlaid with gold details. The large door halfway up the tower was of particular interest to Jeordy and myself, and we both took a moment to stare at its intricately twisted floral gold details.

Back in Old Town, Jeordy and I visited the convent of Saint Agnes of Bohemia. It was far less grand than the cathedral, lacking all the stained glass and gold finery, but it was the pinnacle of modernity in its time and is believed to be the first gothic church building in Bohemia. The bare cream walls showing hints of paint, evidence of what were once extravagant and colourful religious murals, were contrasted with arches and window frames of dark stone.

What we anticipated to be a dark, dingy and somewhat depressing medieval church was one of the lightest churches we had ever entered. Jeordy also remarked, "It's quite nice, I could see myself being a nun here..." This was no small compliment.

The convent was either founded in 1231 or 1233. Either way, the construction time was quite short in comparison to that of the cathedral as it was completed in 1234. It was established for Agnes, sister of then King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia. The convent is also home to a sculpture garden and remarkably extensive gallery of medieval artwork.

Later on we ascended the hill overlooking the city. Though there was a tram, even on a bitterly cold day we would recommend the walk. The hill gave an impressive view of the city but also held its own architectural beauty.

Though this observation tower's beauty may be questionable it is certainly striking. Prague's response to the Eiffel Tower, this tower was built in 1891 as a dual-functioning observatory and a radio tower.

At the very top of the hill stood this lonely church. Though faded, its outer wall is carved with a detailed depiction of Jesus. The building itself might be plain, but something about a small building standing solitarily upon a hill seems very romantic. We could easily see ourselves living there, though admittedly the walk into town would be quite the trek.

Overall, the city of Prague and its architecture enchanted, enthralled and enriched us. We hope to return very soon to this fairytale town. As Franz Kafka wrote 'Prague never lets you go...this dear little mother has sharp claws.'