Hradcany / Prague Castle

Construction began around 1000 AD. Hradcany is the site of St. Vitas Cathedral. The Castle currently houses the offices of Czech government, including president Vaclav Havel.

This is a large image. Use slide bars to pan.

This image is a composition of snapshots of Hradcany (The Prague Castle).

Every road, walkway, and bridge seems to made of cobblestone. This picture was taken in small courtyard-like square behind St. Vitus Cathedral in Hradcany.

Windows like this are commonly found in castles. The angled design provides a wide shooting range to an arrow-shooter within the castle walls.

One of Hradcany's towers viewed from within the castle.

Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle: built in the 15th Century. Was used as a throne room, for coronation feasts, for assemblies of the Bohemian nobles. Tournaments of chivalry were also held here. More recently it has been used as a site for markets and presidential elections.

These steps lead into Vladislav Hall. Warriors and knights would enter the great hall through here, on horseback, on way to tournaments and knighthood ceremonies. The steps are designed with long runs and a slight slope and the doorways are tall and wide: to accomodate the knights' horses.

Looking at Prague's Little Quarter's rooftops - from a balcony near Vladislav Hall.

Another view from a balcony near Vladislav Hall.

This paiting, on the ceiling of St. George's Basilica in Prague Castle (Hradcany), depicts a beheading. (you can see blood flying from the decapitated head)
Many paintings and sculptures from ~12th Century in Praha were quite graphic in terms of pain and gore.

This sculpture, found in St. George's, was beautiful and haunting. It depicts Jesus' Crucifiction. It is all carved from one tree trunk. The tree's bark can be seen at the top and around the edges.

Here's a sculpture found in St. George's. It depicts Mary holding the crucified Jesus. The heads are missing. The pronounced spear wound in Jesus' side was a common sight on Czech paintings and sculptures from this time period.

These walls surround a cobblestone courtyard within the castle grounds. This courtyard was one of my favorite spots.

You can exit the castle grounds here. The courtyard mentioned above is to the left.

A section of Hradcany's castle wall.

Pictures From Praha Iconic Directory