Built over a time span of almost 600 years, St Vitus Cathedral is one of the most richly endowed cathedrals in central Europe. It is pivotal to the country’s cultural life, housing treasures that range from the tombs of St Wenceslas and Charles IV, to the baroque silver tomb of St John of Nepomuk, and the ornate Chapel of St Wenceslas.
Enter the Cathedral
The massive nave is a crowd-pleaser. It's flooded with color from stained-glass windows created by eminent Czech artists of the early 20th century – note the one by Alfons Mucha in the third chapel on the northern side, which depicts the lives of Sts Cyril and Methodius (1909).
Walk up to the crossing, where the nave and transept meet, which is dominated by the colorful south window (1938) by Max Švabinský depicting the Last Judgment. In the north transept, beneath the baroque organ, are three carved wooden doors decorated with reliefs of Bohemian saints, with smaller panels beneath each saint depicting their martyrdom – look on the lower left side of the left-hand door for St Vitus being tortured in a cauldron of boiling oil. Next to him is the martyrdom of St Wenceslas, while his treacherous brother Boleslav drives a spear into his back.
Go Deeper into the Church
The eastern end of the cathedral is capped with graceful late-Gothic vaulting dating from the 14th century, and ringed by side chapels. In the center, opposite the pulpit, lies the ornate Royal Mausoleum (1571–89) with its cold marble effigies of Archduke Ferdinand I, Archduchess Anna Jagellonská and their son, Maximilián II.
Rounding the far end of the ambulatory, you'll pass the tomb of St Vitus – a patron saint of Bohemia. Further round is the spectacular, baroque silver tomb of St John of Nepomuk, its draped canopy supported by a squadron of silver angels (the tomb contains 2 tonnes of silver). The nearby Wallenstein Chapel contains the worn grave slabs of cathedral architects Matthias of Arras and Peter Parler.
The crypt (closed to the public) contains sarcophagi with the remains of Czech rulers, including Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, George of Poděbrady and Rudolf II.
See the Chapel of St Wenceslas
The biggest and most beautiful of the cathedral’s numerous side chapels is Peter Parler’s Chapel of St Wenceslas. Its walls are adorned with gilded panels containing polished slabs of semiprecious stones. Wall paintings from the early 16th century depict scenes from the life of the Czechs’ patron saint, while older frescoes show scenes from the life of Christ.
Gawk at the Golden Gate
Back outside, the cathedral's south entrance is known as the Golden Gate (Zlatá brána), an elegant, triple-arched Gothic porch designed by Peter Parler. Above is a mosaic of the Last Judgment (1370–71) – on the left, the godly are raised into Heaven by angels; on the right, sinners are cast down into Hell by demons; and in the center, Christ reigns in glory with saints Procopius, Sigismund, Vitus, Wenceslas, Ludmila and Adalbert below. Beneath them, Charles IV and his wife kneel in prayer.
Climb the Great South Tower
The cathedral's bell tower (adult/child 200/150Kč) was left unfinished in the 15th century; its soaring Gothic lines are capped by a Renaissance gallery added in the late 16th century, and a bulging spire that dates from the 1770s. You can climb the 297 steps to the top for excellent views – the entrance is outside the cathedral in Prague Castle's Third Courtyard (admission not included with Prague Castle tour tickets).
