Although the day started gray and wet, by the time we reached Castle Hill, the rain had stopped and the sun was out. We visited St. Vitus Cathedral, begun in the 14th century and not completed until 1929 when the rose window made from Bohemian crystal was installed.
Rose window of Bohemian crystal
Two styles of stain glass side by side
Charles Bridge from the Vlatva River.
Old Town astronomical clock from 14th century
Old Town square
Built in the 14th century and facade added in 16th cent; Franz Kafka once lived here
Art Nouveau facade
concert hall in the Klementinum from 1722
Next, I took a guided tour of the National Library or Klementinum. In the 11th century, the Dominicans built a monastery with a chapel dedicated to St. Clement. The Jesuits later contributed to making it the second largest building complex after Prague Castle and the 3rd largest Jesuit college in the world. In 1619, Kepler is said to have used the observatory to create his Laws of Planetary Motion. Unfortunately, the baroque library hall can’t be photographed but it is one of the most beautiful in the world and remains unchanged since it was completed in 1722.
I climbed the observatory tower to get some wonderful photos of the rooftops of Prague.
Charles bridge from the river
Here’s a video of the rooftops of Prague shot from the Klementinum Observatory