Prague Castle is recorded as being one of the biggest castles in the world. Many prominent officials have held office here, such as Czech kings and Roman emperors. There are many buildings, churches, gardens and palaces located in the castle. They have varying architectural styles from different times in history.

The crown jewels of the Bohemian kingdom are displayed once every fifty years. They are kept in Prague Castle for the remainder of time. The crown of Saint Wenceslas is the most prominent among the crown jewels. It was made in 1347 for Charles IV’s coronation. It was dedicated to the patron saint Saint Wenceslas. It was later passed down to be used as a state crown for Czech kings. The crown itself is decorated with precious stones, with some registering as the biggest in the world. The components include sapphires, emeralds, pearls and rubies.

Prague Castle is home to a wide assortment of churches. One such church is the Saint Vitus Cathedral, which is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. It is considered as the most important church in all of Prague. In terms of architecture, it uses a Gothic style typical of the medieval period. It has many tombs from past Bohemian Kings. A prominent place in the cathedral is Saint Wenceslas Chapel. Precious stones adorn the place. It is here where the relics of Saint Wenceslas are kept. There is a wide assortment of paintings, some related to the Passion of Christ and the life of Saint Wenceslas. A gothic style statue of Saint Wenceslas is also displayed.

Another prominent church located in Prague Castle is Saint George’s Basilica, which is the oldest church in Prague. The Ludmila of Bohemia, a gothic style chapel, lies host to the tomb of Saint Ludmila. This is now used as a concert hall during the evenings.

The Summer Shakespeare Festival takes place inside Prague Castle. It is located in the Burgrave Palace courtyards. The festival was started by Vaclav Havel, a Czech writer and dramatist. Some of the more popular performances include King Lear, directed by Martin Huba.

There are many grounds littered all over Prague Castle. It is quite possible to walk through the gardens and tour around the castle. One such garden is the Garden on the Ramparts, which was developed as a natural park in the 19th century. The Hartig Garden is another prominent one. It is equipped with a music pavilion for use in some events.

There are many places of note in Prague Castle. Located near Powder Bridge in Prague Castle is the Imperial Stables. It was converted into an exhibition room to display works of creative art. Golden Lane is an area used as dwellings by castle servants in the past. Great care has been exercised to avoid too much change to ensure that the character of the area is unchanged.

The Old Royal Palace was originally used as a palace by Prince Sobeslav in the 12th century. The palace, especially the underground parts, was mostly preserved. Located inside the palace is the Vladislav Hall. This was used for royal state purposes. Typical happenings include coronation celebrations, banquets and open markets. Also to be seen is the All Saints Church, a Roman palace chapel. Located on the northern part of the church is the tomb of Saint Procopius.

About the Author

For accommodation in Prague please visit: PragueHotels.me.uk. For more options HotelsPrague | HotelPrague.me.uk

 

An oceanfront three star hotel in Christchurch might just be what you are looking for as your research hotels for your Barbados Holiday

Barbados Hotels in one respect are no different to hotels all over the world. They come in different sizes, and shapes, they cater to differing tastes, and they are never one size fits all, in that a hotel that you would think was perfect is a nightmare for someone else.

You can, in fact most people could have a great Barbados Holiday staying at the award winning beachfront Bougainvillea Beach Resort in Christchurch, on the south coast of Barbados. It describes itself as an elegant all suite resort sitting on one of the best beaches in Barbados, and set in beautiful well maintained grounds. The beach is stunning with plenty of room to sunbathe, and there is no shortage of sunbeds or umbrellas. The hotel pools are but a few steps from the beach, and unsurprisingly it doesn’t often get busy. The beach by the way isn’t packed out with people trying to sell you something. Just say no politely and normally you won’t be bothered again

The Accommodation at the Bougainvillea Beach Resort is very spacious, clean, with a stunning view of the ocean from the huge balcony.

The Bougainvillea Beach Resort is essentially a self catering holiday, as you will have a fully fitted kitchen as part of your suite, and there are several advantages to this. The first of course is that food and eating out in Barbados tends to be very expensive, so it is nice to ‘stay home’ occasionally and enjoy the balcony, just relaxing. The second thing is that the food in the hotel’s restaurants tends to be a bit of the hit and miss variety. The good side of that is you will discover that the St Lawrence Gap which is within walking distance although a cab is better and safer at night, has some really great restaurants for you to enjoy.

Apart from that slight irritation the Bougainvillea Beach Resort is a great beachfront hotel, and will give you a very good Barbados Holiday. To deal with your personal catering first, there is a small convenience store in a hut, about one minute’s walk from the hotel, which takes care of breakfast and lunch. It will cost you around $14 for a taxi to the Gap at night, then use his business card to get the restaurant to call for the journey back.

Amongst the restaurants you should try are Pisces, Café Luna, Café Sol, Harlequin, McBrides, and Bellinis which you must book, and get a table outside overlooking the water. Carry Out is another choice, and you can even get your order delivered to reception.

The Bougainvillea Beach Resort is a terrific base for a Barbados Holiday, and if you leave out any food issues, mind you there has been favourable comments too about the hotel restaurants, so you must find these things out for yourself. It is very well recommended that you hire a car so you can see all of the wonderful island of Barbados, and a fun way to do that is to hire a mini-moke. They are more like a golf cart than a car, and using one should add the final touch to a great Barbados Holiday.

About the Author

Andrew Watkins is the owner of Barbados Vacation Spots as well as being a contributor on occasions to Worldwide Vacation Spots and he thinks it would be worth your while to check out Caribbean Vacation Spots especially any information you can find about Barbados which is the destination he likes the best.