Prague In Plain Sight #6 - The Royal Gardens (Královská zahrada)

If you take the 22 tram up towards Prague Castle from the centre of town (the most popular way to go) and disembark at the Pražský hrad stop, it is very easy to head straight through the security point and head directly towards the castle buildings via the Powder Bridge. But in doing so, you're likely to miss out on the Royal Gardens, described by some as the most historically valuable of the castle gardens. 

Founded in 1534 by Ferdinand I, who acquired the land which was originally a mediaeval vineyard, the original gardens were inspired by Renaissance designs from Italy. From the very early days, the gardens were planted with exotic botanical specimens from all over the world. The current designs are based on ideas from 19th-century English parks.

The Hercules Fountain

The buildings in the gardens were all built for the express purpose of the pursuit of leisure for the nobility rather than for any functional end. The most exquisite of these is the Ball Game Hall (Míčovna) which is covered in beautiful frescos. Built between 1567 and 1569 by the architects Bonifác Wohlmuth and Oldřich Aostalis, on the south side of the gardens, directly above the Stag Moat, the hall has also served as a riding school and stables and during the reign of Josef II, it was used as a military storage facility.

One of the archways on the Ball Game Hall originally open to the outside

The frescos represent the personification of four elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), seven main virtues (Forethought, Restraint, Mercy, Hope, Justice, Bravery, Faithfulness), and eight free arts (Theology, Astronomy, Geometry, Music, Arithmetics, Rhetorics, Dialectics, Grammar). In the 1950s an emblem of a Five-Year Plan with a sickle and a hammer were added in the third arch on the left as an allegory of industry and agriculture. (This is the only preserved feature of social realism within the Prague Castle premises).

The hall was burnt down following fighting in May 1945 but the designs were painstakingly restored, first in 1952, and then further between 1971 and 1973.

The fresco representing faith

and the art of Astronomy

The other buildings in the Royal Gardens are the Summer Palace which stands behind the Singing Fountain, the Hercules Fountain, the Lion Court and the newest building, The Orangery.

Looking back to the castle from the Royal Garden

One of the best things about this particular garden is that it offers a completely different view of the castle complex from the one that is most familiar. Additionally, when I made my only visit here in 2016, it was possible to get down to the Stag Moat (Jelení příkop). This is a natural ravine from the Brusnice stream which takes its name from when deer were bred here in the 17th century. Later, even up until the 1960s bears were bred in the moat.

Looking down into the Stag Moat

In 2018, access to the Stag Moat was restricted "for technical reasons", but there has been increased security around the area so I do wonder if this is the real reason behind the restricition.

Unfortunately, the Royal Gardens are also only open during the extended summer season from April until October, but when they are open, entry is free. If you've enjoyed this, I've written about other gardens associated with the castle here.

Queen Libuše - People In Prague #3

I've written a little about the old citadel of Vyšehrad and Queen Libuše in a previous post. As a lifelong fan of mythology and legend, I was immediately drawn to the tale of how Prague became the city it is now, and it's only fitting to revisit Libuše's story as part of the People of Prague series. It's also an opportunity to showcase some new photos that I took in the summer!

Libuše and Přemysl

The statue shown in these photographs is of Libuše and her peasant husband, Přemysl, and is one of four great statues in the grounds of the Vyšehrad fort, sculpted by Josef Myslbek in the late 1890s. Originally they were situated at the four corners of Palacky Bridge but were badly damaged in 1944 during a US bombing raid over southern Prague. The original was too badly damaged to be retained and this is a copy.

According to legend, Libuše was one of the three daughters of old king Krok. She was the wisest of the three sisters. Her sister Kazi was a healer, Teta was a magician, but Libuše had the gift of prophecy, and was chosen by her father as his successor, to judge over the people.

Although regarded as a wise and just leader, Libuše was unmarried which was a problem in a largely male-dominated society. To appease the tribe, she agreed to take a husband but was in love with a peasant ploughman. In order to marry the man she desired, she told of a vision in which she saw the man she would marry eating from an iron table, wearing a broken sandal, and her horse would be able to lead her to this man. The animal was duly dispatched where it came across the ploughman called ‘Přemysl’ (his name means thoughtful, or studious). He was brought back to Vyšehrad and became the father of the great Přemyslid dynasty.

Libuše and Přemysl

Inspired by her prophetic success, Libuše went into a further trance. This time her horse took her in a quite different direction, towards the area where Prague Castle now stands. ‘Go until you reach a man making a lintel for his house’, the vision had said, ‘and there you will found a city whose fame will reach the stars.’ She did, and she named it ‘Prah’, the old Czech word for a lintel.

Libuše

Přemysl

Legend aside, the Přemyslid dynasty ruled Bohemia from the 8th century- the first historical Přemyslid was Duke Bořivoj I, baptised in 874 by Saint Methodius - until 1306.

Queen Libuše features in many Czech literary, musical and dramatic works, including the opera by Smetana and 'Pole a palisáda', a novel by Miloš Urban. The minor planet 264 Libussa is named for her.

For reference the other sculptures in the vicinity of the statue of Libuše and Přemysl in Vysehrad are:

• the allegorical couple, ‘Lumír and Piseň’ — singer and muse. 
• Ctirad and Šárka, characters from the 7th-century War of the Maidens
• Záboj and Slavoj, the brothers who lead the rebellion against the invasion of Charlemagne and allegedly led the victorious battle in 805

Hidden Prague #10 - The Langweil Model of Prague

They say that the best things come wrapped up in small parcels, and that certainly applies to the Langweil Model of Prague. This extraordinary art piece is made entirely of paperboard and contains models of over two and a half thousand buildings taken from the city as it was in the late 1820s. Every element is modelled down to the last detail, house signs, sundials, broken windows, and flaking paintwork, even piles of wood and barrels stacked outside warehouses on the river.

Antonín Langweil (13.6.1791 – 11.6.1837) was born into a large family and after his father’s death in the same year moved to Český Krumlov. He studied business but was also a talented artist, and set up his own lithographic workshop in Prague in 1819, the first in Bohemia. His business didn’t last long and in 1822 he became a library assistant in the university library in the Klementinum where he stayed until his death. He began work on the Prague model in 1826. Eleven years later, before the model was completed, Langweil died. Before his death, and in failing health, he offered his model to the National Museum (known then as the Patriotic Museum) but they declined to take it. It was stored in the Klementinum attic in nine crates until his widow asked Emperor Ferdinand I to buy it. He then donated the purchase to the museum, but even then it was rarely displayed until 1905 when it became a permanent exhibit.

In 1954 the City Of Prague Museum took possession of the model and beautifully restored between 1963 and 1969 by Jana and Jiří Bouda. The model got a new glass case in 1970, which was then replaced by the current case in 1999 which maintains a controlled dust-free environment. The lighting system was installed in 2007.

                  


The model covers about twenty square meters, In addition to the buildings there are over five thousand items of vegetation. The only people in the model are two soldiers on guard. Of all the buildings in the model, about half have since been demolished or radically rebuilt.

As mentioned above, the model is housed in the City of Prague Museum. The museum is located on Na Poříčí in Prague 8, near Florenc metro or bus station. The museum is relatively small and contains a number of exhibits in addition to the Langweil model. These include a  pre-history collection and a medieval exhibition. When we were there, a small party was just leaving, and we were almost alone in the building apart from the staff. We got there just in time to watch a specially created 3D movie which takes you on a virtual trip through the model lasting about six minutes.

If you only visit one museum in Prague, I would strongly urge you to make it this one. You won't be disappointed.

Hidden Prague #9 - More Saints and Sinners

It seems that I hit a sweet spot with my previous post concerning Prague's Saints and Sinners. In the first two days since it was published, it received more views than any of my previous posts. I did promise a further instalment so let's see if you enjoy this one as much!

Ever since I was a small child, the story of St Christopher has resonated with me. There is considerable speculation as to the actual existence of a definitive St Christopher. His most famous legend, which is mainly known from the West is that he carried a child, who was unknown to him, across a river before the child revealed himself as Christ. Often known as 'the Christ Bearer", the character from the legend is often reputed to be Saint Menas, an Egyptian soldier who was martyred in Antioch circa 385.

St Christopher on the Charles Bridge

St Christopher is the patron saint of travellers, ferryman, storms, boatmen, mountaineers and bachelors - so it's only appropriate that he has a place on the Charles Bridge (the statue was designed by Emanuel Max in 1857) and a special place in my life.

Next up, a genuine bad boy. Jan Mydlář (1572–1664) was a 17th-century executioner from Prague. He is best known as the executioner of 27 high-status leaders who took part in an uprising against the Habsburg empire in 1621.

Twelve men were beheaded and fifteen were hanged. The beheaded ones had their heads displayed on the Prague Old Town Bridge Tower. The execution is of historical interest, not only because of the numbers executed on a single day, but because the condemned were men of high importance, representing various ranks of the Czech society and professions—noblemen, scholars, burghers, and businessmen. They are remembered in the Old Town Square near the place of execution, by a set of 27 white stone crosses (At the time of writing these are currently almost completely hidden by the renovations being performed on the clock tower).

Mydlář is the inspiration for the 19th-century novel by Josef Svátek, "Memoirs of A Prague Executioner".

The event is also remembered in a local bar just off the Old Town Square called Pivnice U Kata (on U Radnice), where the walls are adorned with the shields of the executed men and various macabre tools typically used by executioners of that time. The bar itself draws mixed reviews (from tourists) - it is small and unpretentious, but has good Pilsner Urquell beer at a good price for that part of town! I love the place.

Saint Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier who was baptised as an adult and became a monk. The most famous legend concerning him was that he had once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the latter from the cold. That night, he dreamt of Jesus, wearing the half-cloak and saying to the angels, "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is now baptised; he has clothed me." Saint Martin died on November 8, 397.

In the Czech Republic, St Martins Festival is technically November 11th but it usually extends to the weekend. This can be considered as the European Thanksgiving which dates back to the 14th Century. St Martins Day also coincides with the real start of winter. The proverb - Martin přijíždí na bílém koni ("Martin is coming on a white horse") - signifies that the first half of November in the Czech Republic is the time when it often starts to snow.

St Martins Goose at Vojanuv Dvur 2017

Roast goose is traditional food for the St Martins Festival because of stories about St Martins connection with the goose. One says that the goose is eaten because geese disturbed Saint Martin’s sermons and that is why they are now punished on the pan. The other one holds that Martin was so modest that he concealed himself in a goose house to avoid his appointment as a bishop, but the cackling of the geese gave him away.

That concludes this instalment of my favourite saints and sinners, and my time in Prague is once again drawing to a close, at least for this year. But don't worry, still lots of material available to share with you. Please keep checking back (no pun intended this time!) to see what's new.

Hidden Prague #8 - Saints and Sinners

I actually started writing this article over a month ago but I've been so busy that this is the first opportunity I've had to complete it. But the good news (for me) is that I'm back in Prague and finding new places and things to write about in the future.

In some of my earlier posts, I've written about some of Prague's more famous Saints and Sinners, most notably St John of Nepomuk, and Jáchym Berka (Prague's original Darth Vader). Given the history of the city, there are plenty more characters to learn about. The trouble is, that while there are hundreds of statues of saints, nobody really builds memorials to sinners. Of course, the sinners themselves often do, but they tend to get removed at the earliest possible opportunity! Luckily, one man's saint is often another man's sinner, so that gives me room for manoeuvre.

First up is St Sebastian, a Christian saint and martyr. This sandstone statue is near the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul in Prague within the walls of Vyšehrad. It dates back to the first half of the eighteenth century.

St Sebastian at Vyšerhrad

St Sebastian is said to have been killed in AD288, during the Roman emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians. He is commonly depicted in art and literature tied to a post and shot with arrows. While this is the most common artistic depiction of Sebastian, he was rescued and healed by Saint Irene of Rome before haranguing the emperor and being clubbed to death. He certainly fits the bill as a saint to some and a sinner to others!

The "Vodník" or "Hastrman" is the Czech bogeyman or water sprite.  The vodníci are said to appear as a naked old men with frog-like faces, greenish beards, and long hair, with their bodies covered in algae, muck, and black fish scales.

The Vodník on Kampa Island

When angered, the vodníci break dams, wash down water mills, and drown people and animals. They would drag down people to their underwater dwellings to serve as slaves. To be fair, there are stories of benevolent vodníci - so I'm guessing this cheeky little chappie is one of those. You can find him just below the Velkopřevorské náměstí bridge which spans the canal across to Kampa island.

The English tend to think that they have a monopoly on St George but in addition to being their patron saint, he is also patron saint of numerous other countries and states including Georgia, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Catalonia. But the legend of St George slaying the dragon is common to many other traditions include the Czech Republic.

St George and the Dragon in Prague Castle

St George lived sometime between 256–285 A.D to 23 April 303, and according to legend, was a Roman soldier of Greek origin and officer in the Guard of Roman emperor Diocletian, who was sentenced to death for failing to recant his Christian faith. 

The statue in the photo stands in the shadow of St Vitus' cathedral in Prague Castle, not far from the Basilica dedicated to him (which is also the oldest church in the castle complex).

As my final offering in this post I've included Jan Palach. Strictly speaking he was neither a saint nor a sinner, but he became a national hero during the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1969. Jan Palach (11 August 1948 – 19 January 1969) was a Czech student of history and political economy at Charles University in Prague. His protest, by setting fire to himself, was in reaction partly to the invasion, but also, allegedly, against the "demoralization" of Czechoslovak citizens caused by the occupation. 

Jan Palach Memorial by the Vlatava in Prague 1

This monument, located just off Náměstí Jana Palacha, beside Mánesův most was designed by the late Czech-American architect John Hejduk and consists of two nine-by-nine-foot steel prisms, each crowned with a roof of spikes. One is known as the House of the Suicide and clad in stainless steel; the adjacent House of the Mother of the Suicide is an inhabitable enclosure. Hejduk’s design pays tribute to both Palach and his mother, Libuše Palachová, who battled the ruling regime’s attempts to discredit her son and the dissent represented by his sacrifice.

I've still got enough material for another saints and sinners post but I'll try not to leave it so long this time!

Prague Landmarks #9 - Vyšehrad

In many of the posts in this blog, I've tried to focus on the less familiar sights in Prague. While it's understandable that visitors to the city want to visit places that are famous and within easy reach of their hotels there is a tendency to miss some of the really interesting monuments and historical landmarks that may be just a little further out of reach.

One such place is Vyšehrad ("The Upper Castle") located on a steep rock above the right bank of the Vltava. Located in Prague 2, Vyšehrad is about two miles south of the Old Town Square. It can be reached by metro on the red line or by tram to Výtoň or Albertov and then walking up the hill. My personal favourite route is to walk along the river down to Naplavka, then head left under the railway bridge heading up Vnislavova and finally climbing up the steep hill Vratislavova, until you reach the gateway into the fort.

Looking over Libuše's bath and the Vltava

The history of Vyšehrad allegedly begins in the Stone Age and is the stuff of the most ancient legends concerning the founding of Prague. The story goes that Libuše, the youngest and wisest of three daughters of the ancient (and also legendary) Krok, had the gift of prophecy and after she succeeded her father, she foresaw "a great city whose glory will touch the stars" whilst looking out from a rocky point above the river Vltava, now said to be Vyšehrad. She ordered the building of a castle and town that became Prague. With her ploughman husband, Přemysyl, Libuše went on to found the Přemyslid dynasty who ruled Bohemia right through until 1306.

           

Vyšehrad reached its peak as a royal seat in the 11th century but was subsequently abandoned during the 15th century and largely fell to ruins during the Hussite Wars. The current fortress was mainly remodelled during the 17th century as part of the Baroque era in and around Prague, and then again in the late 1800s.

Some parts of the earlier Citadel do still exist, most notably the Špička Gate, the lookout tower known as Libušina lázeň (Libuše's Bath), and the Rotunda of St Martin all date back to the 11th century.

The Rotunda of St Martin

The twin towers of the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul are unmistakable landmarks overlooking the river and Vyšehrad cemetery is the final resting place of such notable Czechs as the composers, Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana, the writer Jan Neruda, and Milada Horáková, the only female Czech politician to be executed by the communist regime.

The twin towers of the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul

These days Vyšehrad is a popular park, which even on busy days seems relatively quiet. There are spectacular views down to and across the river, a number of interesting museums and galleries to visit and a few places to sit down and enjoy a beer and something to eat, away from the more popular tourist sites. There's even an open air theatre, originally designed as a mortar position, which hosts occasional performances, especially during Masopust (Carnival).

Panorama of Vyšehrad fortress and Prague

Whether you want an energetic workout or a gentle stroll, there's plenty for everyone here. Back in March 2015, I decided that the best place to watch the solar eclipse would be within the walls of Vyšehrad. Sadly I was wrong and I failed to get any photos of the actual event - but then the only one of my colleagues who stayed near office who did get a shot managed it by accident, only noticing it later in a reflection in a window! But it was a magical place to witness such an event and worth the leg work to get there. I strongly suggest you do the same, sooner rather than later!

Hidden Prague #7 - Star Wars meets Art Nouveau in Perfect Harmony

A few weeks ago I published my Fly on the Wall and other Oddities post. It appears to have been very popular (thank you!), so I've decided to follow up with another set of weird and wonderful statues and sculptures which are all in easy reach of the centre of town but might not immediately jump out at you unless you make a determined effort to see them!

Firstly - the Star Wars Connection. Well, actually there isn't really one. But there are two statues in town (that I know of) that bear an uncanny resemblance to characters from the franchise. The first is the Darth Vader look alike, which is located in Mariánské náměstí, and best reached by walking along Platnéřská as an alternative route into the Old Town Square.

The statue of the Iron Knight was sculpted by Ladislav Šaloun in the early 20th century and depicts a character named Jáchym Berka who was the subject of a rather tragic love story, and now haunts the streets of Prague until he can obtain his freedom - an opportunity only afforded to him once every one hundred years. For the full story check out this page.

Jáchym Berka - the ghostly Iron Knight

The second Star Wars character is that of the Emperor himself. This is the "Cloak of Conscience" or "Il Commendatore" by Anna Chromy. The "Cloak" has many versions, but this one is located outside the Estates Theatre (Železná), best known as the place where Mozart first performed his opera, "Don Giovanni", from which Chromy first took partial inspiration for the piece. When asked about her inspiration for the work, Anna Chromy quoted Albert Einstein: "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science..."

Il Commendatore / Cloak of Conscience

There are plenty of examples of Art Nouveau in Prague. I'm no art connoisseur but this did catch my eye (as do so many things in this city!). I can't find much about the specific piece, but it is by the Austrian sculptor Richard Luksch (1872-1936) and it sits above a potraviny on the corner of Kaprova and Žatecká near Staroměstská metro station.

There are actually two reliefs, one on each side of the doorway, but despite them being in plain view they are about ten feet off the ground, and you can walk past them dozens of times without noticing them!

Richard Luksch Art Nouveau relief

Lastly in this post, I decided to make room for this chap. This is "Socha Harmonie" or "Statue of Harmony". You can find him on the east embankment behind the Kampa Museum. This statue of Sri Chinmoy was created by British sculptor, Kaivalya Torpy and was dedicated in a ceremony during October 2009. The plaque under the statue reads "If you can create harmony in your life this harmony will enter into vast world".

                  

I wonder if he would have been amused by the joker who donated his hat and sunglasses the first time I visited the place? 

Prague Moments #5 - Klementinum Tour

I first moved to Prague in mid-October 2014 to start a new contract as a member of a small team of IT quality management specialists. I was the third member of the recently formed team and the first Brit, but a few weeks later I was joined by a second compatriot. Alec is a Glaswegian and we hit it off from the very start and went on to have a number of adventures in Prague over the course of the next two years.

Our first (and last) cultural experience together was a trip to the Klementinum, for a night tour of the building followed by a classical concert*.

Situated in Mariánské náměstí, the Klementinum is a huge complex founded by the Jesuits in 1556. Initially, the inhabitant lived in the old Dominican monastery on the site, but expanded this over the next 270 years and the site is now spread over more than two hectares, making it one of the most largest building complexes in Europe.

In 1622 part of the site that started off as a Jesuit college was promoted to university status, and this merged with the Charles University in 1654. In 1930, the last part of the university moved out of the complex, and it was taken over by the National Library.

The main features of the complex today are the Astronomical Tower, the Mirror Chapel and the Baroque library.

I'd ordered tickets on-line for the event, and these were delivered to my phone well before the night of the tour. Our first challenge was finding the right entrance to the building, which we finally managed, only to find that on arrival at the ticket office I couldn't get a signal on the phone and couldn't retrieve the tickets. After some prolonged discussions, we eventually managed to prove that we had indeed got valid tickets and we were who we claimed to be, we were eventually allowed on the tour.

We started in the Mirror Chapel, where Mozart used to play the organ, and where the concert was due to take place an hour or so later. Next was the Baroque library which was looking rather depleted as 90% of the books had been transported to Germany for extensive restoration. Like the other classic library in Prague, at the Strahov Monastery, you're only allowed to look in through the doorway and photography is completely out of the question (our charming guide told us that she had to run a quick errand and that she wouldn't know if we took any photos as long as we didn't use flash!).

Baroque Library in the Klementinum

The highlight of the tour was the highly gymnastic (and health and safety free) trip up the astronomical tower, stopping on the way to marvel at some of the earliest astronomical instruments still in existence (and some of which are still being used). These were the hallowed grounds where astronomers like Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, or Thadeus Hájek may once have worked.

The night time vista of Prague viewed from the top of the 68 metre tall tower is magnificent, and we were fortunate enough to have timed it such that the Christmas markets and lights were fully ablaze. This is undoubtedly one of the best viewpoints in Prague. Sadly, my photos don't do it justice.

Reluctantly we left the tower and Alec and I returned to the Mirror Chapel for the concert. Not only had our tickets been validated, we'd been upgraded to VIP status and had front row seats. Listening to Baroque music, in the same place where some of the composers had performed the very same music over 200 years previously was quite a profound experience. The musicians clearly enjoyed themselves, especially as one of them stood up for the final round of applause a few bars too early - oh those pesky false endings!

Organ in the Mirror Chapel

A great night out, one of many we shared as the 'bromance' blossomed over the next few months and years. Thanks buddy!




* Classical concerts are two a penny in Prague, and the churches and assembly halls clamber over each other to try and get your attendance and your money! The musicians are extremely competent, but they perform the same pieces night after night (sometimes rushing from one venue to another) and get paid a pittance so don't expect an evening of virtuoso performances for a few quid! I'd suggest you choose music that you're familiar with (extracts from the Four Seasons are usually on the 'menu') and find a venue which grabs your imagination. The Klementinum experience we did was fantastic and highly recommended, but there is currently a legal dispute going on which means that the tours can't be guaranteed.