St. Vitus Cathedral

The Roman Catholic St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrala St. Vita), located within the grounds of Prague Castle, is the Czech Republic's largest and most important Christian church. It is the home of the Archbishop of Prague, as well as the tombs of countless saints and three Bohemian kings. The cathedral was begun in 1344 on the site of a Romanesque rotunda completed in AD 925 and took more than 525 years to finish, resulting in a mix of current Neo-Gothic and 14th-century Gothic styles, as well as Baroque and Renaissance influences (be sure to keep an eye out for the impressive gargoyles adorning the exterior of the cathedral).

Interior highlights include exquisite stained glass windows depicting the Holy Trinity, a 1370 mosaic (The Last Judgment), and the St. Wenceslas Chapel (Svatovaclavska kaple), which features a spectacular jewel-encrusted altar with over 1,300 valuable stones. The Czech royal jewels are also noteworthy, albeit they are only displayed once every eight years on average. Make the ascent to the cathedral's 97-meter main tower for spectacular views of Prague. Visitors are also welcome to attend church services at the cathedral.