Vatican Museums

What started as just a small collection of sculptures has, over the centuries, turned into a complex of the world's most magnificent museums featuring one of the finest collections of art on the planet.

The many museums that make up the Vatican complex are quite diverse. Nonetheless, each is interesting to explore and which you enjoy most will largely depend on your artistic preferences.

Once you've purchased your tickets for admission to the Vatican Museums, you can choose to follow one of four color-coded itineraries that range from 1.5 hours to more than 5 hours. All itineraries end in the Sistine Chapel. Even with a five-hour tour, it's impossible to see everything there is to admire, but you'll get a good overview and hit the most well-known highlights of these magnificent museums.

St. Peter's Basilica

This great building is the center of christianity. The opulence of the building's interior bears testimony to the wealth of the catholic church in the 16th century.

Emperor Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome, ordered to build a basilica on Vatican Hill. The location was symbolic: this was the place where Saint Peter, the chief apostle, was buried in 64 A.D. A small shrine already existed on the site but it was now replaced by a new building church was completed around 349 A.D.

Prague

During the Middle Ages, Prague was the most important city in Central Europe. After emperor Charles IV had all the city gates' roofs covered with lead, Prague was dubbed the 'Golden City'. It would remain one of the most influential cities in Europe until the 20th century.

Charles Bridge

Probably the most touristy place in Prague, the Charles Bridge (Karlův Most) connects the Old Town with Lesser Town. Especially during summertime it is filled with street-painters, street-vendors and tourists. The first stone bridge over the Vltava, replacing a wooden construction, was built between 1158 and 1732 during the reign of King Vladislav I. This bridge, named Judith bridge collapsed in 1342.

Charles Bridge, named after King Charles, was 502 meters long. Resting on 16 arches it was wide enough for 4 carriages to cross at the same time and would be the only permanent link between both riversides.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16