Saint Vitus Cathedral

Saint Vitus Cathedral, crowning Prague Castle's skyline, is the largest church in the Czech Republic and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague — a Gothic edifice whose construction began in 1344 under Crown Prince Karl, later Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. The project was first led by French architect Matthias of Arras and then shaped decisively by the German master builder Peter Parler, whose intricate flying buttresses and net vaulting became the defining grammar of Bohemian Gothic. For centuries the cathedral served as the coronation church of Bohemian kings, who processed solemnly up the Royal Way from Prague's Old Town to receive their crown here. The royal crypt holds the remains of several Bohemian rulers including Charles IV himself, while the Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept within the cathedral complex. Inside, Art Nouveau stained-glass windows designed by Alfons Mucha cast vivid colour across the nave, and the south tower offers sweeping views over the castle and the city below.