Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
jewels are kept (not open to the public, but you can see replicas in the Old Royal
Palace).
The Ambulatory
The eastern end of the cathedral is capped with graceful late-Gothic vaulting dating
from the 14th century. In the centre lies the ornate
Royal Mausoleum
(1571-89)
with its cold marble effigies of Ferdinand I, his wife Anna Jagellonská and their son
Maximilián II.
As you round the far end of the ambulatory you pass the
tomb of St Vitus
- as
well as being a patron saint of Bohemia, Vitus is a patron of actors, entertainers and
dancers. Further round is the spectacular, baroque silver
tomb of St John of Ne-
pomuk
, its draped canopy supported by a squadron of silver angels (the tomb con-
tains two tons of silver in all).
The nearby
Chapel of St Mary Magdalene
contains the grave slabs of cathedral
architects Matthias of Arras and Peter Parler. Beyond is the ornate, late-Gothic
Royal
Oratory
, a fancy balcony with ribbed vaulting carved to look like tree branches. The
biggest and most beautiful of the cathedral's numerous side chapels is Parler's
Chapel of St Wenceslas
. Its walls are adorned with gilded panels containing pol-
ished slabs of semiprecious stones. Wall paintings from the early 16th century depict
scenes from the life of the Czechs' patron saint, while even older frescoes show
scenes from the life of Christ.
Great South Tower
The cathedral's
bell tower
(III. nádvoří, Pražský hrad; admission 100Kč; 10am-7pm Apr-
Oct, 10am-5pm Nov-Mar; 22)
was left unfinished in the 15th century; its soaring Goth-
ic lines are capped by a Renaissance gallery added in the late 16th century, and a bul-
ging spire that dates from the 1770s. You can climb the 297 steps to the top for excel-
lent views; the entrance is in the castle's Third Courtyard (admission not included in
castle tour ticket). You also get a close look at the clockworks, dating from 1597. The
tower's
Sigismund Bell
, cast in 1549, is the largest bell in the Czech Republic.
