Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

272 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp288–91 and pp292–5

STAR FEATURES

. Cathedral Tower
. Plzeň Madonna
. Sternberg Chapel

The tower has a

balcony at the top,

which is open to

the public.

. Cathedral Tower
Originally the cathedral
had two towers. One
collapsed when struck
by lightning in 1525.

Stained-Glass Windows
The striking elongated
stained-glass windows
in the aisles and the
presbytery, which
provide the church
interior with beautiful
light, were fitted in the
early 20th century.

Sculptures in the Cathedral

The church houses a large

number of sculptures,

including the figures

of Saints Barbara,

Katherine and

Wenceslas, on

the pillars of

the main nave.

Main door

This small

tower is over

the main

nave.

The Gothic Cathedral of St Bartholomew dominates
Plzeň’s Market Square (see p270) from its position
in the centre. Its 102-m (335-ft) spire can be seen
from all over the city, and was used in the 19th
century by the imperial land surveyors in laying
out transport routes around Plzeň. Construction
of the church started in the late 13th century
and continued until 1480. The Sternberg Chapel,
adjoining the south wall of the presbytery, is an
early 16th-century addition featuring an unusual
keystone at the centre of the vault and
Renaissance paintings.

Plzeň: Cathedral of St Bartholomew

Chrám sv Bartoloměje