Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/334

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294
THREE YEARS IN EUROPE.

is crowned with the Palace of the Bohemian kings. The palace is well worth a visit, Palace.with its Throne room and Council room, and its two great dining halls, known as the French hall and the Spanish hall. They are over 150 ft. in length, and are lighted by 2000 and 3600 candles respectively! The Cathedral adjoining the palace contains the remains of the proud old Bohemian kings. At the foot of the hill is the palace of Wallenstein, a hero of the Thirty Years' War, and a greater man in his time Wallenstein's Palace.than reigning kings and princes! His stables had 375 horses, and a hundred pages and numerous servants attended in his hall. His descendants still own the house.

The ancient glory and pride of Bohemia is gone since its union with Austria, but nevertheless there is a strong local patriotism among the Slav population of this country, and the integrity of the kingdom is still to some extent preserved. The Emperor cf Austria is King of Bohemia, and is crowned as king in this ancient capital.

To Vienna at last! Every capital town in the continent of Europe has, within the last 20 or 30 years, been beautified with spacious streets Vienna.and fine houses after the fashion of Paris, but the improvements made in Vienna are perhaps unique even in Europe. New streets and squares and gardens have been laid out, and palatial buildings constructed with a rapidity which is marvellous. Fine rows of houses,—palaces to all appearance,—line the spacious streets in every direction, and the visitor is bewildered in the midst