St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague
St. Vitus Cathedral is the Gothic pride of Prague, but, in reality, the cathedral wasn’t finished until the 1950s. With the financial support of Charles IV, King of Bohemia (later Holy Roman Emperor), the chapter of the cathedral and the Archbishop Arnost of Pardubice, work began in 1344. The Frenchified
St. Vitus Tomb, St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague
St. Vitus is the patron saint of actors, entertainers, dancers, epileptics and Bohemia. Troubled by lightning, dog bites or oversleeping? Spare a prayer for St. Vitus. After his martyrdom in the 4th century, his fame (and bones) spread rapidly through Europe. In A.D. 925, King Henry I of Germany visited
Graffiti, Malá Strana, Prague
Malá Strana (“Lesser” or “Little Quarter”) sits in the sunny shadow of Prague Castle. A devastating fire in 1541 wiped out much of the town, creating a tabula rasa for Renaissance and Baroque architects – and graffiti artists.
Certovka (Devil’s Stream), Malá Strana, Prague
Informally known as Prague’s Little Venice, Certovka (“Devil’s Stream”) is located in Malá Strana, Prague’s “Lesser Quarter.” In the 16th century, it was called Rosenberg’s ditch/race. Certovka gained its current moniker from the nearby House of the Seven Devils, which romantic guides will tell you is named after a jilted
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Love Padlocks, Certovka, Malá Strana, Prague
Love padlocks began cropping up (or being locked down) in Europe in the early 2000s, particularly at Rome’s Ponte Milvio. Federico Moccia, author of Ho Volgia Di Te (“I Want You”), may be to blame. In the novel, his Italian hero woos a woman by telling her a tall tale. If
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