The Prague Castle

Prague Castle sits high above the city on Hradčany Hill. Generations of master builders have shaped the history of the castle over the centuries. Today, the castle is the residence of the Czech president and is visited by countless tourists every day.

If you want to visit Prague Castle, you have two options: take the streetcar or walk up the steep hill. The streetcar ride is certainly more comfortable, and the ride is not expensive – but the walk is far more rewarding. You need to be a good walker, as most of the way is up uneven paved paths and steps. In summer, water vendors sit at the edge and offer the cool water at overpriced prices. Nevertheless, we think the walk is worth it. In some places, you get a fantastic view over the city.

Entrances to the castle complex

There are several ways to enter Prague Castle. Here is a list of the entrances:

• 2nd courtyard of Prague Castle:
  Best reached by streetcar line 22 from Pražský hrad station.
• Courtyard IV – Hradcany Square Entrance via Courtyard I:
  Ideal for visitors arriving by streetcar line 22 at Pohořelec station.
• Gate of the Titans:
  For visitors walking up the stairs in Hradčanské Square to enter the castle via Courtyard IV.
• Na Opyši Gate:
  The appropriate entrance if you take the metro to Prague Castle and arrive at Malostranská station.
• Entrance to the Royal Summer Palace:
  For visitors taking streetcar line 22 to Královský letohrádek station.

You can find more detailed information on how to get here in our visitor information.

There is a bag check at the entrance, but apparently this is not always carried out. On our last visit, we were able to simply walk through. However, we have also experienced long queues waiting to get in.

History of the castle complex

The oldest written reference to the castle dates back to 855 and tells of the foundation of St. Mary’s Church. However, traces of settlement and fortifications have been discovered that are much older.

Another church was built around 920. Prince Vratislav I founded the basilica of St. George in the eastern part of the castle. A little later, around 930, the third church was built at the suggestion of Prince Wenceslas I, the Rotunda of St. Vitus.

The first Bohemian king and prince Vratislav II moved his residence from Prague Castle to Vyšehrad Castle in 1070, presumably due to power disputes. However, the castle on Hradčany remained the seat of the bishop. It was only later that subsequent rulers returned to the castle.

In 1303, a fire destroyed almost the entire castle complex. Charles IV had it rebuilt from 1333. This was followed by the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral in 1344.

The ruler of the time apparently did not really like it there. He had a new royal court built near the old town. The Bohemian rulers resided there until 1484.

It was only after the Prague Uprising that the royal court moved back to Prague Castle. Numerous renovations followed, always in the style of the time, until a fire destroyed the castle once again in 1541.

The castle was rebuilt and scholars and artists met there. In 1618, the now famous Defenestration of Prague took place, in which the emperor’s governors were thrown out of a window of the Ludwig Wing. Today, this event is known as the beginning of the Thirty Years’ War uprising.

In the years that followed, the ruling families lived in Prague Castle. After 1919, the castle was converted into the seat of the President of the Czechoslovak Republic.

A visit to Prague Castle

Around 1.8 million visitors come to Prague Castle every year. It is therefore not surprising that it is always full. Some of the areas can be visited without an admission ticket. However, if you want to see St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George’s Basilica, the Golden Lane or the Old Royal Palace, you will need a ticket. There is also the option of booking the “History of Prague Castle” exhibition, the picture gallery and the tower ascent in St. Vitus Cathedral for a fee.

Our admission ticket, which we bought in advance via Get Your Guide, was valid for the following areas: St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George’s Basilica, the Golden Lane and the Old Royal Palace.

Explore Prague Castle for free

But first we explored some free areas, such as the many different courtyards of the castle complex.

The Court of Honor forms the entrance to the grounds of Prague Castle from the west. The square is separated from Hradcany Square by an impressive fence. The ceremonial changing of the castle guard takes place here every hour. These can be easily observed from the street or from the square behind the fence.

All castle courtyards are open to visitors free of charge. From there you can discover all the sights from the outside. If you bring some time with you and look for a good location, you will discover beautiful stylistic elements on the façade of St. Vitus Cathedral in particular.

The baroque Eagle Fountain is located in the third courtyard and is not to be missed.

You can also visit the Walled Garden and the Royal Garden free of charge. The rampart garden not only offers a fantastic view of Prague. There is also a bench or two for a break. Two sandstone obelisks under the windows of the Governor’s Hall are a reminder of the lintel.

A visit to the King’s Garden is particularly worthwhile. The garden is designed in the English style. However, there are also Renaissance elements (Giardinetto at the Royal Palace) and Baroque elements (ornamental flowerbeds). It is open in the summer season and can be entered through three entrances (two west gates from U Prašného mostu Street and the north gate at the Royal Summer Palace). The Royal Garden is a wonderful place for a short break during a tour of Prague Castle.

St. George’s Basilica

In the eastern part of the castle is St. George’s Basilica, which was once the church of the former monastery of St. George. A visit is only possible with a valid admission ticket.

The church was built before 921 during the reign of Vratislav I. When he died, the church was completed but not yet consecrated. His son, who had his grandmother Ludmilla buried there in 925, therefore had it consecrated.

In 976, the Benedictine convent was founded on the north side of the basilica and from then on used the church as a convent church. The three-aisled building was extended. A west choir, stands for the nuns and a crypt were added.

After the fire on the castle grounds in 1142, which also affected the monastery and the church, everything was rebuilt. This resulted in the two tall white towers that still characterize the exterior of the church today. A large mural was probably also created in the course of this construction work. A few surviving sections of the painting can still be seen in the church.

In the High Middle Ages, further elements were created that have been preserved in the basilica to this day. The Chapel of St. Ludmilla and the scriptorium are just a few examples. Emperor Charles IV was later a great supporter of Saint Ludmilla and promoted and strengthened the rights of the monastery.

With our admission ticket, we were able to visit St. George’s Basilica without any problems. I also had the feeling that there weren’t quite as many visitors here. In contrast to our visit to St. Vitus Cathedral, we didn’t have to queue.

The entrance portico on the west side, which dates back to the 13th century, is particularly beautiful. In the church, which has been remodeled several times over the years, an attempt has been made to restore the Romanesque design. Everything is kept very simple and yet monumental. The painting on the vaulted ceiling is truly beautiful and is highlighted by the light.

he nave contains the tombs of members of the Přemyslid dynasty, such as Prince Vratislav I, the father of St. Wenceslas.

I think that many visitors to Prague Castle greatly underestimate St. George’s Basilica. Although the nave is not magnificent, I was particularly impressed by the wall and ceiling decorations.

Golden Lane

The Golden Lane is located between the northern castle wall and the former Burgrave’s Palace. Why this alleyway has become a magnet for visitors was not clear to me when we first visited many years ago. However, I suspect that the name attracts visitors. Goldenes Gässchen sounds like a sparkling and glittering alleyway. However, the fact that it only bears this name because alchemists once tried to produce gold here for Emperor Rudolf II. Many visitors will not know this.

The small alley consists of 11 tiny houses, behind which lies the castle wall with the battlements. The castle guards still lived in the small houses in the 16th century. Later, goldsmiths and alchemists moved in. In the 19th century, it was mainly poorer families. Certainly the most famous resident lived there from 1916 to 1917. The writer Franz Kafka worked in house number 22 and also wrote several stories there. Today, there is a small bookshop in this house that only sells works by and about Kafka. We were in the bookshop and I was amazed to see how many people buy a book there just because Kafka worked there. In another bookshop, they certainly wouldn’t have bought these works.

After the Second World War, the small houses were renovated and the façades painted in bright colors. Today, there is nothing to remind us of their original poor condition. The houses are now uninhabited and are partly used for small souvenir stores, permanent exhibitions and cafés.

What we hadn’t seen on our previous visits was the permanent exhibition of medieval weapons, which is located in the battlements. You can get there via a staircase in a small tower. Some of the armor and weapons on display in the large glass cabinets are quite impressive. Unfortunately, it is just as crowded here as in the Golden Lane and we experienced very unfriendly visitors who didn’t understand if you wanted to take a closer look at an exhibit and stopped in front of the glass display case.

If you want to visit the Golden Lane, you need an admission ticket.

St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus Cathedral can also only be visited with a valid ticket – or you can attend the church service on Sunday, but then you can’t walk around.

We were in Prague Castle on a Sunday and had to wait for the service to finish. About 30 minutes beforehand, visitors were already lining up in a queue. In the hope that the rush of visitors would die down a little, we first looked at other areas of the castle. The queue did get shorter, but even at the usually quieter lunchtime we had to wait around 20 minutes. But I’ll tell you this much: it’s worth the wait!

You can read more about our visit in the article “St. Vitus Cathedral – high above the rooftops of Prague”.

Old Royal Palace (Prague Castle)

The Old Royal Palace can only be visited with a valid ticket. Access is via a side wing of the Old Royal Palace in the third courtyard.

The palace was the seat of Bohemian princes and kings from the 10th to the 16th century and even became the seat of the emperor. The building was erected on the remains of the walls of a Romanesque castle. Almost every ruler had the palace or even just individual rooms rebuilt or extended according to their preferences or had to rebuild it from scratch after a fire, for example. In doing so, they adapted the architectural style to the prevailing trend at the time and so you will not only find Gothic elements and stylistic elements from the Renaissance.

From the 16th century, under the influence of the Habsburg rulers, the palace lost its importance. It was still used for coronation ceremonies, as a meeting room or as a depot.

We enter the Old Royal Palace through a rather inconspicuous entrance (I was expecting a grand driveway with a magnificent staircase for a palace). There is a signposted tour with information on small boards. Photography is not permitted everywhere.

The Vladislav Hall is particularly impressive at 62 meters long, 16 meters wide and 13 meters high. Not only the size, but also the pillarless ribbed vault leaves me in awe of the master builder. The architect Benedikt Ried converted the three Gothic rooms from the time of Charles IV into a hall between 1493 and 1502. The wooden floor that exists today is not quite so old, it dates from around the 18th century. The Renaissance chandeliers that light up the room are also beautiful. The hall has been used as a ceremonial room since the 16th century. Knights’ tournaments were even held there. Horses and riders reached the hall via a wide equestrian staircase.

From the Vladislav Hall, you reach the room that is perhaps best known. The so-called Ludwig Wing once housed the Bohemian Chancellery, where the governors worked. This room was the scene of the Second Defenestration of Prague, which is considered to have triggered the Thirty Years’ War.

Is it worth a visit?

In our opinion, definitely! You should bring some time with you and explore the entire site at your leisure. There is so much to discover that we like to go there again and again.

Visitor information

Address:

Hradčany,
119 08 Prague 1, Czech Republic