Prague, Czech Republic--Photos Included

Here is the last post that will include pics of my recent trip to the Czech Republic.  Prague has been called the Town of a Thousand Spires because of the many churches that remain from the medieval and early modern periods.  Perhaps the most impressive church that I saw in Prague was the St. Vitus Cathedral, which sits inside the walls of the Prague Castle.

While I did not include any pictures of the sides of this impressive structure, one thing that I found interesting was the gargoyles and other strange looking creatures that adorned the outside of the church and that served as a sort of gutter to remove rain runoff (actually into the street several stories below).  The inside of the structure has a very high vaulted ceiling, which is to be expected from viewing the pic above.

I have already posted pictures of the Bethlehem Chapel and the Jan Hus Monument, so I will not include them again.  The links above will access these photos.

One of the biggest tourist attractions in Prague is the Charles Bridge, which spans the Vltava River and allows access to the Castle from the Old Town.  Various street vendors stake out positions on the Charles Bridge to sell their wares to tourists.  Here is a view of the Charles Bridge (note the statues that adorn the bridge):

The Prague Castle is an important landmark that stands on a hill above the Vltava River and most of the city.  Here is a pic of the Castle.  Note the St. Vitus Cathedral in the center of the Castle:

The Town Square of Prague is also a favorite site for visitors to check out.  One of the posts noted above has pictures of one of the monuments in the square.  However, the Jan Hus monument is not the only famous structure in the square.  The Prague Town Hall sits at the edge of the square and houses an astronomical clock.  Hundreds (if not thousands) of tourists mass around the clock near the turn of each hour to observe the clock going off.  The clock has doors that open to reveal medieval-looking figures on a turntable, as well as a skeleton on the outside that rings a bell.  After all of these festivities, a trumpet belts out a few measures, and the clock is silent for another hour. Here is a pic of me standing in front of the Town Hall.

Another impressive church in Prague is the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, depicted here:

While these are just a few of the pics that I took while visiting Prague, they do give a good overview of some of the more impressive structures and most famous sites that tourists like to frequent.