My Adventures 3: Prague, Czech Republic Day Two

On day two Sunday the 12th April 2026 after breakfast at the Hotel, we took the Metro from IP Pavlova and then swapped lines at Muzeum and got off at Malostranská stop and started our walk up to Prague Castle.

We walked up Letenská and entered the grounds of the Wallenstein Gardens.

Waldstein Palace is a Baroque palace in Malá Strana, Prague, that served as a residence for Imperial Generalissimo Albrecht von Waldstein and now houses the Senate of the Czech Republic.

The original Palace was built in years 1623-1630 by Albrecht von Wallenstein, Duke of Mecklenburg (1583-1634), who made his name and fortune as the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial forces in the Thirty Years War. Emperor Ferdinand II feared Albrecht von Wallenstein's calculating mind and had him assassinated in 1634 in the town of Eger (now Cheb). He lived in the palace for only a year before his death. His widow sold it to his nephew and it remained in the Wallenstein family until 1945. After the Second World War, the palace became Czechoslovak state property and was renovated to house government offices. Today, the Senate of the Czech Republic operates out of the main palace buildings. The Riding School is used as a branch of the National Gallery in Prague. The challenging restoration of the main building began in mid-1999. The most valuable parts of this building in historical and artistic terms are the Main Hall, the Knights' Hall, the Antechamber, the Audience Hall and the Mythological and Astronomical Corridors.

The Hercules Fountain in Prague's Wallenstein Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada) is a prominent Baroque feature located on a small island within a large pond. It features a statue of Hercules, designed by Adriaen de Vries, which is part of the garden's scenic,, formal design, often showcasing Hercules with either a dragon or Naiads.

Albrecht of Wallenstein had traveled in Italy, and when the palace was built between 1623 and 1630, Italian architects and artisans were used including Andrea Spezza (likely the main architect), succeeded in 1628 by Niccolo Sebregondi. The interiors were decorated by the Florentine Baccio del Bianco (1604-1656), who completed the ceiling fresco in the Main Hall, figure paintings in St Wenceslas Chapel, and most important parts of the decoration of the Mythological Corridor during the first year of construction. The Florentine Giovanni de Galliano Pieroni (1586-1654), engineer and army colonel, played an important role in the construction. Pieroni's father Alessandro (1550-1607) had been an architect for the Medici. Pieroni studied the design of the new part to Wallenstein's Castle in Jičín and the church of St. Jacob there, and the garden, Sala Terrena, and Riding School are attributed to him. Pieroni also influences the astrological and astronomical decoration of the Mythological Corridor and other interiors. The total value of interior furnishings after his death was 70 000 gold pieces, while another 134 000 gold pieces was invested in jewels and tableware made from precious metals.

To make space for this palace, Wallenstein razed 26 houses, six gardens, and two brickworks at the site. Wallenstein Palace was built to rival Prague Castle. Four courtyards are created by the palace layout. Its complex includes period gardens, the Avenue of Sculptures, stables and the large Riding School. The monumental conception of the loggia with three arcades on doubled columns recalls the Baroque style. The Italian style garden includes an aviary, a grotto, and a fountain by Adrian de Vries (c.1545-1626). After years of neglect after the war, the gardens have been reconstructed. Wallenstein would have dined in the huge sala terrena (garden pavilion) that looks out over fountain and rows of bronze statues. The sala terrena and its rich stucco decoration were modeled after the portico of a Livornese church. Today, these are copies of the Netherlander sculptor Adriaen de Vries’ works. The originals were looted by the Swedish army in 1648, and they can be seen today at Drottningholm Palace. Immortal Beloved (film), a 1994 film about the life of Beethoven was filmed in the gardens.

The original Hercules bronze statue, along with many others in the garden, was taken by the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War.

The fountain is part of a complex garden design featuring a Sala Terrena, a stalactite wall, and free-roaming peacocks.

Since 1996, the garden has been part of the Senate.

The largest part of the garden is dominated by the Sala Terrena, in front of which is a fountain with a sculpture of Venus and Cupid. This part of the Wallenstein Garden also features an artificial wall of stalactites, which is linked to an aviary for birds. If you look closely at the stalactite wall, you can see the hidden silhouettes of animals such as frogs and snakes, or the faces of animals and monsters.

We pass the aviary with its Eagle Owls and up to the stalactite wall.

It was fun trying to see and work out the many hidden animal and others in the wall.

We left the Wallenstein Gardens and continue our way up to the castle.

A historic tram on line 42 passes. These nostalgic trams often date back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire era.

At the end of the road we turn right up Tomášská. In the background is St Nicholas Church. This church is considered the most famous Baroque church in Prague. Construction taking nearly one hundred years starting in 1673.

In the Lesser Town Square is the Plague Column. Erected in 18715 as a token of gratitude for the end of the Plague epidemic, this masterpiece is decorated with sculptures of patron saint and golden stars. Vintage cars were parked here for tours.

Walking up Nerudova we visit the Church of our Lady of Perpetual Help and Saint Cajetan.

It is a Baroque style church from the beginning of the 18th century with a cross shaped layout.

We start the uphill into the Prague Castle area.

Nerudova is a pretty street with many tourist shops and the tacky Cannabis shops.

We have great views down across the Mala Strana district.

Petrin Hill in the distance, a visit for tomorrow.

At the top in front of the Castle entrance stood two members of the Prague Castle Guards. Elite force an specialised unit of the armed forces of rhe Czech Republic.

Main entrance to Prague Castle

Second courtyard of Prague Castle.

St Vitus Cathedral

We walk out and in front looming over us was St Vitus Cathedral, we hadn't got our tickets yet and there was a long queue already.

This cathedral is a prominent example of Gothic architecture, and is the largest and most important church in the country. Located within Prague Castle and containing the tombs of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors, the cathedral is under the ownership of the Czech government as part of the Prague Castle complex.

We walk through an alleyway and see a modern sundial sculpture known as Sonnenuhr in German located on Vikarska street.

View back to St Vitus Cathedral

The current cathedral is the third of a series of religious buildings at the site, all dedicated to St. Vitus. The first church was an early Romanesque rotunda founded by Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia in 930. This patron saint was chosen because Wenceslaus had acquired a holy relic – the arm of St. Vitus – from Emperor Henry I. It is also possible that Wenceslaus, wanting to convert his subjects to Christianity more easily, chose a saint whose name (Svatý Vít in Czech) sounds very much like the name of Slavic solar deity Svantevit. Two religious populations, the increasing Christian and decreasing pagan community, lived simultaneously in Prague castle at least until the 11th century.

In front of the cathedral stands St Georges Basilica. Another place that requires the ticket to enter. We'll come back to this.

The side of St Georges Basilica.

We buy tickets for the Prague Castle and enter Golden Lane.

Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička) is a picturesque 16th-century street inside Prague Castle, famous for its tiny, brightly colored houses built directly into the castle fortifications. Once home to castle guards, goldsmiths, and briefly writer Franz Kafka (No. 22), it now features museum exhibitions showcasing 500 years of life, along with gift shops.

The "Little House of the Psychic" is located at No. 14 Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička) inside the Prague Castle complex, once inhabited by the famous fortuneteller Matylda Průšová (Madame de Thebes). She is known for predicting the fall of the Third Reich and was killed by the Gestapo during WWII.

Madame de Thebes' home (No. 14) is now part of the museum exhibition on the lane, sometimes displaying artifacts like tarot cards or Lenormand cards, depicting the life of the 20th-century resident.

She was a well-known local clairvoyant who used her skills to predict the end of Nazism, which led to her death at the hands of the Gestapo during World War II.

Built in the late 16th century to house Emperor Rudolf II's castle guards.

Named after the goldsmiths who inhabited it in the 17th century.

The houses were painted in vibrant colours in the 1950s after the last inhabitants moved out, creating its fairy-tale appearance.

The houses showcase historical life, including an alchemist's laboratory, a tavern, and a fortune teller’s home.

We walk on down into the Daliborka Tower in the castle.

It was a former prison and late Gothic fortification tower located at the Eastern end of the Castle. It shows a skeleton in an gibbet. down in the dungeon leads to an oubliette where the most serious criminals were lowered by pulley into a deep lightless cell.

Built in 1496 by Royal architect Benedikt Ried and named after its first prisoner Dalibor of Kpzojedy.

We walk around and through the gardens with amazing views across the Lesser Town.

Prague Castle is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic serving as the official residence and workplace of the president of the Czech Republic. Built in the 9th century, the castle has long served as the seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia. As such, the term "Prague Castle" or simply "Hrad" ("the Castle") are often used as metonymy for the president and his staff and advisors. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept within a hidden room inside it.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world, occupying an area of almost 70,000 square metres (750,000 square feet), at about 570 metres (1,870 feet) in length and an average of about 130 metres (430 feet) wide. The castle is the most visited tourist attraction in the Czech Republic. In 2024, the castle attracted 2.59 million visitors.

The history of the castle began in 870 when its first walled building, the Church of the Virgin Mary, was built. The Basilica of Saint George and the Basilica of St. Vitus were founded under the reign of Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia and his son Wenceslaus I in the first half of the 10th century.

The first convent in Bohemia was founded in the castle, next to the church of St. George. A Romanesque palace was erected here during the 12th century.

Several 13th-century Venetian coins found there were studied by the numismatist Zdenka Nemeškalová-Jiroudková

King Ottokar II of Bohemia improved fortifications and rebuilt the royal palace for the purposes of representation and housing. In the 14th century, under the reign of Charles IV the royal palace was rebuilt in Gothic style and the castle fortifications were strengthened. In place of the rotunda and basilica of St. Vitus, building began of a vast Gothic church, that were completed almost six centuries later.

During the Hussite Wars and the following decades, the castle was not inhabited. In 1485, King Vladislaus II Jagiellon began to rebuild the castle. The massive Vladislav Hall (built by Benedikt Rejt) was added to the Royal Palace. New defence towers were also built on the north side of the castle.

A large fire in 1541 destroyed large parts of the castle. Under the Habsburgs, some new buildings in Renaissance style were added. Ferdinand I built the Belvedere as a summer palace for his wife Anne. Rudolph II used Prague Castle as his main residence. He founded the northern wing of the palace, with the Spanish Hall, where his precious art collections were exhibited.

The Third Defenestration of Prague in 1618 took place at the castle which kick-started the Bohemian Revolt. During the subsequent wars, the castle was damaged and dilapidated. Many works from the collection of Rudolph II were looted by Swedes in 1648 during the Battle of Prague (1648) which was the final act of the Thirty Years' War.

The last major rebuilding of the castle was carried out by Empress Maria Theresa in the second half of the 18th century. Following the abdication of Ferdinand I, in 1848, and the succession of his nephew, Franz Joseph, to the throne, the former emperor, Ferdinand I, made Prague Castle his home.

We climb some steps up from the garden back up to St Vitus Cathedral.

We then decide to visit St Georges Basilica now we have tickets.

St. George's Basilica is the oldest surviving church building within Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic. The basilica was founded by Vratislaus I of Bohemia in 920. It is dedicated to Saint George. Primarily Romanesque in style, it is part of the collection of buildings that comprise the castle, the political capital of the nation, and the spiritual centre of the Czech state.

Consecrated in 921, the basilica is one of the oldest churches in Prague built in the Romanesque style. The construction of the church was begun by Vratislaus I. At the time of Vratislaus' death in 921, the church had been completed but not consecrated. Wenceslaus I completed the project, and upon her death he buried his grandmother, Ludmila of Bohemia there.

The basilica was prominent at the beginning of the spread of Christianity in Bohemia. Its collegiate church was at the centre of the territory until the foundation of the Archdiocese of Prague in 973. In 976, the first building of the Benedictine St. George's Convent was erected on the north side of the basilica, and the basilica served as a convent church. The original three-nave building was completed with a choir, a tribune for the nuns of the convent and a crypt.

Founded in 973 by Mlada, the St. George's Convent, Prague sits next to the basilica. The abbess of this community had the right to crown the Bohemian queen consort.

In 1142, Conrad III entered Bohemia to reinstate his brother-in-law Vladislaus II as duke. Conrad laid siege to the Prague Castle. During the siege, the church and convent suffered heavy damage caused by a fire. The damage was repaired between 1145 and 1151 and two towers were added to the church on that occasion. The northern, smaller tower is nicknamed "Eve", while the southern, larger, tower is nicknamed "Adam". The Baroque façade dates from the late 17th century.

In the years 1364–1378 the abbess Elisabetta completed the renovation of the chapel of Santa Ludmilla in the Gothic style, while the chapel's altar was consecrated in 1371 by Archbishop Jan Očko of Vlašim. During the 15th century, the monastery was devastated during the Hussite Wars and rebuilt after the return of the Benedictines under Sigismund of Luxembourg. At the beginning of the 16th century, a new southern portal was built. During the fire of 1541, the basilica burned down again and was rebuilt again. Between 1608 and 1612, the Abbess Sophia of Helfenburg had a large choir for the nuns built in the western part of the central nave. In the late 17th century the Baroque façade was built, probably under the direction of Francesco Caratti . Between 1717 and 1722, the chapel of St. John of Nepomuk was erected by František Maxmilián Kaňka. A bas-relief on the south portal of the building represents Saint George and the Dragon.

In the 1780s, the condition of the buildings had deteriorated when Joseph II disbanded the monastic orders,and the monastery and basilica were repurposed and used by the army.

With the exception of some elements of the façade, and interior of the church, the basilica has maintained the Romanesque style from the restoration after the fire in Prague Castle in 1142.A bas-relief on the outside of the building represents Saint George and the dragon.

Pictured above is the interior dome of the Chapel of St John of Nepomuk inside the St George Basilica.

We leave the Castle and walk on to the Strahov Monastery Brewery,.

There was a fee to enter the monastery, so we didn't bother with this.

Not far from Prague Castle, the Strahov Monastery complex houses a brewery of unique atmosphere, which offers its own beer on site, with distinctive ambiance and excellent Czech cuisine. Its history is documented all the way back to around 1400 AD.