Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
reignonwards-areconstructedtorturechamberunderlinesthefact.EdwardKelley,theEng-
lish alchemist, was locked up here by Rudolf for failing to turn base metal into gold, while
the emperor's treasurer hanged himself by his gold cord on the treasury keys after being ac-
cused of embezzlement.
In the opposite direction, the
Daliborka
tower, once another miserable place of imprison-
ment, is now packed with various instruments of torture. The tower is named for its first
prisoner, the young Czech noble Dalibor z Kozojed, accused of supporting a peasants' revolt
at the beginning of the fifteenth century. According to legend, he learned to play the violin
while imprisoned here, and his music could be heard all over the castle until his execution in
1498 - a tale that inspired Smetana's opera
Dalibor
.
Prašná věž (Powder Tower)
Vikářská • Daily: April-Oct 9am-5pm; Nov-March 9am-3pm • 70Kč
The
Prašná věž
or Mihulka, on Vikářská, the street that runs along the north side of the
cathedral, once served as the workshop of gunsmith and bell-founder Tomáš Jaroš. The
tower's original name comes from the lamprey (
mihule
), an eel-like fish supposedly bred
hereforroyalconsumption,thoughit'sactuallymorenoteworthyastheplacewhere
Rudolf's
team of alchemists
(including Kelly) were put to work trying to discover the secret of
the philosopher's stone. The tower now houses an exhibition on the
Hradní stráž
(Castle
Guard), which was established in 1918. Due to the vicissitudes of Czech history, the guards'
uniforms have changed numerous times since they first went on duty in the Czechoslovak
Legion in 1918.
