Prague Castle

Prague Castle is astonishing - size of a small town and includes churches, galleries, gardens and state buildings. The Castle's château-like appearance dates from 1753 to 1775, situated atop a large hill on the left bank of the Vltava River dominating Hradcany Quarter with majestic assurance. It is one of the places you simply must visit, either independently or as a part of a guided tour. The tour of Prague Castle takes two hours if you do not enter the buildings and the gardens. A thorough inspection of Prague Castle may take the whole day, but without the art galleries, four hours suffice. Earphones for an audio-guided tour are available at the information centre. The major sights of Prague Castle are St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George's Basilica, the Royal Palace and Golden Lane. Before you leave the castle complex one thing you MUST do - climb the tower. The sight over the whole city is amazing.

Location: Hradcany
Open: Castle complex, daily 05.00-midnight; premises, 26 Mar-Oct daily; 09.00 until 17.00 Nov 15-Mar daily.

  • Photo 1 of 4Prague Castle

    View of Prague Castle at Night

  • Photo 2 of 4Prague Castle Square

    Square of st. Jili at Prague Castle

  • Photo 3 of 4Vrbta Garden

    Vrbta Garden bellow Prague Castle

  • Photo 4 of 4St Vitus Cathedral

    St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle Square

Story of Prague Castle - adult 140 CZK, Open: 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Mar. This is one of the castle's newest and most compelling exhibitions, with displays expertly presented in a low-lit, state-of-the-art environment and explained in English. The collection of armour, jewellery, glassware, furniture and other artefacts traces more than 1000 years of castle history. One outstanding sight is the skeleton of the pre-Christian 'warrior', still encased in the earth where archaeologists found him within the castle grounds.

Prague Castle Courtyards

Visitors enter the first courtyard through a nice Baroque gate guarded by two giant statues, created by Ignác František Platzer and dating from 1769. For centuries a moat divided the castle from Hradčanské Square where the gate now stands, and the castle could only be accessed across a drawbridge.

Prague St. Vitus Cathedral charges an entry fee again

After several years, the cathedral is now charging an entry fee again. However people, who go there to worship and pilgrims do not have to pay.

Jeleni Prikop

This is a naturally occurring gorge within the complex of Prague Castle. Its' area spans 8 hectares and it is intersected by the Brusnice Stream. This dike is presently partitioned into 2 sections – lower and upper. Originally, the gorge was utilized just as a barrier for protection, but under Rudolf II's reign, deer were moved here. They were hunted to provide the kitchens of the castle with meat and for entertainment. This is how the title “Jelení příkop” or “Deer’s Dike” originated.

Martinicky Palace

The Martinický palace on the Hradčanské square, newly opened to the public, offers the chance to view its interiors, to rent its rooms for various events, or to attend some of the events organised here. The Martinický palace is one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Prague.

The Great Fürstenberg Garden

The Great Fürstenberg Garden is spread out around the Fürstenberg Palace. It was founded in the early 18th century by an unknown architect in place of the former vineyards.

Rosenberg Palace

This large palace is located on Jirska Street in the area of the Prague Castle. Originally a Renaissance palace of the noble family of Rosenberg, it was rebuilt in Baroque style and used as a residence for unmarried women from insolvent noble families.

The Old Provosty

You can see the Old Provosty, the former seat of the Prague bishops, by the south-western corner of St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle. The bishop residence was already there in the 11th century and there are the remains of the huge former Romanesque palace kept there.

Matthias Gate

When you visit the Prague Castle, you will go through the Matthias Gate from the first castle courtyard to the second one. It is the earliest work of Baroque architecture in Bohemia. It was built in 1614 as a triumphant antique arch, standing separately between the Castle Square and the Prague Castle. It was an imposing gate to the royal residence.

Martinic Palace

When you visit Prague Castle, don't forget to look around the Castle Square before the main entrance. There are several historical palaces and the Martinic Palace is one of them - it is one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Prague, and was built in the 16th century.

Chapel of the Holy Cross in Prague

You can find the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the Prague Castle's second courtyard. It was built in 1763 and temporarily became a treasury of the St. Vitus Cathedral in the 20th century. Valuable works of art can be seen in the chapel.

Castle Square

When visiting Prague Castle, you should definitely see the view from the ramp at Castle Square. It is one of the best lookout places in Prague. Castle Square is the large area in front of the entrance gate to Prague Castle.

Black Tower

The Black Tower is one of the oldest existing buildings in Prague. It was built in 1135 as an eastern gate of the Romanesque fortification of Prague Castle. You can still see the former gateway on the ground floor, but it is walled up now.

Prague Castle Riding School

Prague Castle Riding School is a dipteral building by the U Prazskeho Mostu Street, which goes to the Northern gate of Prague Castle. At the end of the 17th century, it was built in Baroque style by the constructionist Jakub Antonin Canevall.

Deer Moat

Deer Moat (Jelenni prikop) used to be a part of Prague Castle's northern fortification and helped to defend the Castle. It was created by Brusnice stream which was drained via underground pipes in 1899. Archaeologists found out in the 19th century that the moat hid traces of prehistoric settlement.

South Gardens

Occupying the long, narrow band of land below the Castle, South Gardens are quite small gardens linked together.

Schwarzenberg Palace

From a distance, the facade of this well preserved palace appears to be clad in projecting pyramid-shaped stonework, but it is an illusion created by rich black-and-white sgraffito patterns incised on a flat wall. It is an example of the so-called Czech Renaissance – mixing the Italian influences with Czech traditions.

Belvedere - The Royal Summer Palace

To the north of the castle fortifications and across from the deep moat stands Belvedere Palace, a pleasant place to relax. The palace can be seen from the tram if you take a ride up to the castle. This finest Italian Renaissance building was completed in 1564.

Royal Garden

There are seven gardens surrounding the Prague Castle but The Royal Garden is historically the most important of them, created in 1535 for Ferdinand I. Originally a Renaissance garden, with some beautiful pieces of architecture inspired by Italian influences, it used to be a place, where the king and his family relaxed, played games and raised exotic plants.

Mihulka Powder Tower

This tower was built in the late 15th century by King Vladislav as a cannon bastion overlooking the Stag Moat. At that time it was one of the most modern and effective fortifications. The tower was rebuilt after the fire in 1541 and became the gunpowder deposit and home of Tomáš Jaroš.

Prague Castle

Prague Castle looks almost like a small town itself. It is the largest ancient castle in the world (570m long and on average 128m wide). It is also where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of the Czech Republic used to have their offices. It is not surprising that this is the most visited tourist attraction in Prague.