Friday January 14, 2011 at 9:11AM from Sabine K.
What to see and do, Wenzel

The Prague Castle dominates the Castle Quarter. Czech leaders have ruled from this site for more than a thousand years. The castle is said to be the biggest in the world, with a 1,500-foot-long series of courtyards, churches, and palaces.Your first stop might be a visit to St. Vitus Cathedral, which is the most important church in the Czech Republic—and the most crowded part of the castle complex. The centerpiece of the cathedral is Alphonse Mucha's masterful 1931 Art Nouveau window, depicting the saints Methodius and Cyril, widely considered the fathers of Slavic-style Christianity.

The cathedral is also home to the tombs of royal and religious VIPs, such as Ferdinand I, the first Habsburg emperor, as well as St. John of Nepomuk, a national saint whose tomb boasts more than a ton of silver. Because of the church's proximity to the royals' home, the king had his own boxed pew—connected by an elevated corridor to his private apartment so that he could attend Mass in his pajamas.

After crossing the square, you’ll see the Old Royal Palace, seat of Bohemian princes since the 12th century. Back in the day, the palace's large hall was filled with market stalls, giving nobles a chance to shop without actually going into town. The space was even big enough for jousts, with a staircase that was designed to allow a mounted soldier gallop in. Until the late 1990s, this is where parliament gathered to elect the president.

From here you may choose to wander down to the Toy and Barbie Museum, at the bottom of the castle complex. Although a Barbie museum may sound silly, it is quite wonderful to visit. It's got a century's worth of teddy bears, some 19th-century model train sets, old Christmas decor and a vast collection of all-things-Barbie dating back to 1959—complete with social commentary.

Just across the castle lane is Lobkowicz Palace, which displays the private collection of a prominent Czech noble family, including paintings, ceramics and musical scores. A banner outside boasts that this location is "Prague's Best Palace to Visit."

The highlight of Lobkowicz Palace is the fabulous audio guide, narrated by the actual count of the palace, William Lobkowicz. Formerly a Boston investment banker, William returned here in 1990 to reclaim his family's properties and restore them to their former state. The audio guide, which is included in the visit, brings the place to life and lets visitors get to know the family — which lost all its possessions to the Nazis, retrieved them after World War II, and then lost everything all again to the communists.

Tags: highlights, sightseeing