St. Vitus Cathedral

Over 400 feet long and soaring 100 feet high, St. Vitus Cathedral is huge.  It sits within Prague Castle and is considered the national church of the Czech Republic.  A church has been on this site since 930.  Construction of the cathedral began in 1344, but it wasn't actually finished until 1929 in time for the 1,000th Jubilee anniversary of St. Wenceslas.  The original portion is Gothic while the remainder is Neo-Gothic.  You can tell where the two sections meet by the slight incline in the floor.

Alfonso Mucha's Art Nouveau Window

This is the church where kings are crowned, royalty is buried, and the crown jewels are kept.  Similar to Notre Dame in Paris, the church has two towers at one end with a large rose window in between.  Unfortunately, the window was undergoing restoration so I don't have a picture of it.  Perhaps the most interesting stained glass in the church is a large window created by celebrated Art Nouveau artist Alfons Mucha in 1931.  Mucha's window celebrates the life of Wenceslas and the birth of the Czech nation.  The rich and vibrant colors draw you in to the story of Wenceslas' life.  Even though there were many other beautiful stained glass windows, this one was my favorite.

We saw many other beautiful cathedrals in Prague including St. Giles and the Jesuit Church.  Unfortunately, church attendance is low in the Czech Republic and these gorgeous worship spaces are woefully underutilized.  Churches and cathedrals such as these are a rarity in the U.S.  If only I could wave a magic wand and transport one back home.  I'd certainly enjoy the grand organs and wonderful acoustics every Sunday.