St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert is a Roman Catholic metropolitan cathedral in Prague, the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Until 1997, the cathedral was dedicated only to Saint Vitus, and is still commonly named only as St Vitus Cathedral.

This cathedral is a prominent example of Gothic architecture and is the largest and most important church in the country. Located within Prague Castle and containing the tombs of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors, the cathedral is under the ownership of the Czech government as part of the Prague Castle complex. Cathedral dimensions are 124 by 60 metres, the main tower is 102.8 metres high, front towers 82 metres, arch height 33.2 metres.

The crowning jewel of Prague Castle is without a doubt, St Vitus Cathedral. You might expect the royal residences would be most distinguished buildings in the compound, but here, the church reigns supreme. Upon entering Prague Castle, you can see the awe inspiring Gothic towers of St Vitus poking their heads out above all the other red roof buildings surrounding it.

St Vitus Cathedral is enormous. Exploring it in its entirety might seem daunting to first-time visitors. Spend time studying the details, don’t try to take it all in at once. Take a seat inside when you first walk in, allow yourself to take in the design, the layout, the colours, the sounds and even the small. Follow along with this little-guided tour to find out more of the secrets inside these walls. The tour takes you around the exterior and then inside. The tour takes starts at the base of the north tower, following along the north aisles and then around the High Altar and Gothic Chapels, then finishing off walking back down the south side aisles towards the south tower.

St Vitus is one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in Prague or anywhere in the world for that matter and should be a must-see sight for anyone visiting Prague for the first time.

Origins
“St Vitus” was named by Prague’s patron Saint, St Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia. Saint Wenceslas had acquired a holy relic, the arm of St Vitus, from Emperor Henry I. Since Saint Vitus had a Slavic sounding name and the Emperor thought this was the perfect relic to convert the Slavic people to Christianity. Saint Vitus is the patron saint of actors, entertainers and dancers. He is also said to help protect against lightning, dog bites and, if you can believe it, over sleeping.

Standing in the third courtyard of Prague Castle, looking up at the looming gothic towers, you must remember you are in the same spot where a romanesque pagan temple stood as early as 924. The temple was dedicated to the god of fertility, and many women made the pilgrimage here to pray for a healthy baby. Eventually, the pagan temple was demolished as Christians came to build their Cathedral to their new God.

Exterior
Take some time to examine the church’s exterior. Spot all the different creatures which hang over the roof. You’ll see dragons, scorpions, musicians and more. At night these sculptures are all lit up from below, creating a haunting spectacle as their faces seem to move in the light.
Although the southern entrance to the Cathedral is no longer in use, walk around the building and look up at what might be the most astonishing part of the exterior – the Golden Gate. This entrance is decorated with colourful and gilded mosaics which combine to produce a stunning scene of the Last Judgement. Unlike the modern western doors, these doors date back from 1370. Since they are so old and delicate, they’re no longer in use to protect them from too much wear and tear.
To enter the church, go back around to the cathedral’s western doors. As you walk through, take a moment to look at the large, bronze reliefs. Each one is adorned with scenes from the history of the Cathedral’s constructions and legends about St Wenceslas and St Adalbert. Adalbert of Prague was a missionary who brought the Christian religion, along with St Wenceslas, to the people of Bohemia. Although the doorways might look old, these designs only date back to 1953.

History
Like many of the world’s great churches, construction took ages. It began in 1344 but was not completed until 1929. Even today, the Cathedral is steadily being restored to ensure all the work that went into building such a gem isn’t lost to time and the pollution of the faithful.
Nave
As you walk along the nave, you are immediately struck with a wave of colour and light we well as powerful vertical lines. Above the main entrance is the classical rose window, installed in 1927, which depicts various famous scenes from the bible.
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