St. Vitus Cathedral

Welcome to St. Vitus Cathedral, a spiritual symbol of the Czech Republic. Known as the largest religious building in the country, its construction was an immense, seemingly endless project. It all began in the 10th century when Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Czechs, built a simple pre-Romanesque rotunda. At this stage, there was no grandeur yet. The future Emperor Charles IV and the Bohemian Luxembourg royal family promoted the idea of constructing a cathedral, as soon as Prague became an archbishopric. Familiar with the French court, Charles IV deeply appreciated the great cathedrals of northern France. So, this site was strongly influenced by French cathedrals, and would became the place of imperial coronations. In 1344, the long-awaited construction of the cathedral began. Several architects took turns overseeing the project, but progress was repeatedly delayed due to wars and the fire of 1541. Now, take a guess—how long do you think it took to complete the cathedral? It wasn’t until 1929 that this monumental project was finally finished. In short, it took 600 years to rise from the ground—probably much longer than you’d ever expect! But thankfully, they never gave up. Stretching 124 meters in length and 33 meters high, the religious building has several remarkable features. Among them is the south tower, with an 18-tonne bell, and the Golden Gate, adorned with a mosaic depicting the Last Judgment. Inside, more treasures await … Although you can’t access the whole cathedral for free, you can still admire the beautiful stained-glass windows without paying. These masterpieces, dating back to the 20th century, were created by the renowned artist Alfons Mucha, a genius of the Art Nouveau movement. Needless to say, you won’t be disappointed!