St Vitus Cathedral in Prague is the largest church in the whole of the Czech Republic. Capturing it in a single photograph is therefore not
Are you already longing for new Nico’s photos from Prague, Czech Republic? The Charles Bridge, the Cathedral and the Prague Castle are some of his
Charles Bridge has two towers – one from the side of old town and one from the Mala Strana district. This one closer to the old town is open for visitors. Originally, I planned to take photos of just the bridge, but there were simply too many tourists. So, I went up hoping to have some good composition from the tower, where I would have city view and the sunset together in one shot.
Tourists from around the globe visit Prague Old Town, attracted by its well-preserved historic sights. When you cross the Charles bridge though, you will find yourself in a bit different world. Malá Strana is known for colorful streets and cozy cafés. However, it is also a place with ornamental buildings in which are embassies.
The name of the Vinohrady district of Prague literally means ‘vineyards’ in English. While nowadays this is an urban area, in the middle ages this land was covered in vineyards. On the photo you can also see the Roman Catholic Church “Nejsvětějšího Srdce Páně” or “Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord”. Another significant city sight, visible here, is the Žižkov Television Tower, adding a high-tech touch to the landscape.
During our last stay in Prague I decided to make my way to Prague Castle, which was built in the 9th century as the largest ancient castle in the world, before any day trippers would be there in order to capture it in the golden light of the shy morning sun. I love to get my camera out before the day dawns and watch the world slowly wake up – to me this is very special.
As I have mentioned before, there is hardly anything more exciting to me than watching a city wake up in the early hours of the morning. Especially when the city is so close to my heart, like the capital city of the Czech Republic – Prague. The image shows the Charles Bridge, one of the oldest stone bridges in Europe, which sprawls over the river Vitava in the middle of the Golden City. It connects the Old City with the Mala Strana with a total length of about 516 meters.
The picture shows the Old Town Square while it is shining bright in the light of the night. The eye catcher in this picture is, without doubt, the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, which is with its two towers one of the most famous buildings in the golden city of Prague. The construction of this monumental gothic basilica started in the 14th century, but was not completed until the beginning of the 16th century. This church together with the entire Old City of Prague is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1992 and is always worth a visit.
As you know, Prague is a pretty unique place for me. I have so many fond memories and I am glad each time when I can walk for a few days through the pretty streets. And of course, each time I have to cross the Charles Bridge at least once. During dawn, it is absolutely amazing and the various statues welcome you in the silence of a Sunday morning.
This is not the first photo of this point which I will show you. And it certainly won’t be the last. What can I say, I simply love this place in Prague. This unique view of the Castle and the Charles Bridge that leads you to the other side of the Vltava River. And in addition, the quiet zone in the otherwise rough water, that makes all the lights look twice as nice.
My alarm went off at 3:30am, because before the sunrise I wanted to photograph the empty alleys. But when I arrived at the main entrance to Prague Castle, I was surprised when I saw it closed. Somehow I had assumed you could enter the castle yard at any time – yep, apparently not. Well, I started running the castle hill back down, through the streets of Malá Strana and then at the vineyards up again to the Prague Castle. No way that I would miss this moment of the rising sun!
The path from the Republic Square up to the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle is known as the royal way of Prague. For centuries this was the way that had to be taken by the Bohemian kings to be crowned in St. Vitus Cathedral. Since in 1836 the last king was crowned in Bohemia, nowadays the Royal Way is just a tourist attraction – but one well worth seeing!
This photo shows the Charles Bridge in Prague, with the guard tower on the side of the historic old town. It’s the old, traditional way to get from the royal side of the city to the civil old town. Most photos from Prague are taken from exactly the opposite site of the river. The place from which I took this photo however is rarely visited by tourists. A missed opportunity, just like most photographers pack up their stuff as soon as the blue hour finished – but why?
Prague is a popular destination for New Year’s Eve celebrations, with thousands of people flocking to the city to ring in the new year with
Prague (Praha) is often referred to as „golden city“. When the sun is in the right position, you understand why – but when the sun
Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) and Charles Bridge (Karlův most) are certainly the most photographed sights in Prague. For me, Prague will always be something special.
All photos taken by Nico Trinkhaus unless indicated otherwise.
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