The Smell of Incense: St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague

Prague, Czech Republic

A strong smell of incense fills the air as the cathedral opens for the day. The smoke from the incense rises to the ceiling, mixing with the sunlight streaming through ornate windows, giving a hazy look to the intricate detail on the windows. Perhaps this is fitting, St. Vitus is an active Church, with the priests going about their daily routines before the crowds enter.

I began my visit to the cathedral by taking a short 20 minute walk to Prague castle from the Charles Bridge. The day I visited, being Sunday, the Cathedral wasn't open until 12:00 noon. By the time I arrived at the cathedral, a line had formed stretching around the outside of the building, almost to the rear. Fortunately, the wait was only about 20 minutes, giving me plenty of time to look at the stained glass windows from the outside and the various statues on this Gothic building.

History of the Cathedral

In 1344 Charles IV, the Holy Roman Emperor (born born Wenceslaus (Václav), King of Bohemia), ordered the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral. Later, in the 16th century, Renaissance touches were added, but the cathedral was not fully completed until the 20th Century, with its consecration in 1929. The Cathedral is the most prominent example of Gothic architecture in Prague and is the largest and most important church in the Czech Republic. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague and the place where saints, kings, princes and emperors of Bohemia are buried.

Around We Go

The Cathedral was very crowded when I entered and surprisingly quiet. The first thing I noticed was the sunlight above streaming in and mixing with the incense, making a misty glow on the ceiling.

The tour takes you on a clockwise route along the edges of the vestibule, past the Cathedral Treasury and the Wooden Altar. Here, I was able to see the inside of the stained glass windows that I had seen from the outside.

The Neo-Gothic part of the Cathedral consists of the main nave and the narrow side aisles, lined with chapels, and the northern wing of the transverse nave.

Thun Chapel is designed on the theme of the Psalm “Those who Sow in Tears shall Reap in Joy” by František Kysela. The door in the corner of the chapel leads to the capitular library on whose internal wall are installed Renaissance gravestones.