Prague Castle & Hradčany

The Prague Castle is not a single castle, but a vast complex of palaces, churches, gardens, galleries, and courtyards, stretching over 70,000 m² — the Guinness Book lists it as the largest enclosed castle complex in the world. Since the year 870, it has been the political and spiritual center of Bohemia: seat of Bohemian kings, Holy Roman Emperors, and today the Czech President.

Tickets

The castle grounds themselves are freely accessible — you can stroll through the courtyards and enjoy the view. For the interiors, you need a ticket:

• Circuit B (recommended): 250 CZK — St. Vitus Cathedral (interior), Old Royal Palace, Basilica of St. George, Golden Lane. The best of the castle in 2–3 hours.
• Circuit A: 350 CZK — Everything from B plus Picture Gallery, exhibition rooms, and Powder Tower.
• St. Vitus Cathedral Nave: Free! — Access to the rear part of the cathedral (chapels, crypt, tower) requires a ticket.

Practical Tips

• Best Time: Mornings before 10 AM or after 3 PM — the tour groups arrive between 10 AM and 2 PM.
• Security Check: Bags are scanned at the entrance — similar to the airport.
• Getting There: Tram 22 to "Pražský hrad" (closest to the entrance) or "Pohořelec" (farthest, but most beautiful route through Hradčany). Alternatively: walk up Nerudova Street (steep but beautiful).

The St. Vitus Cathedral is Prague's outstanding structure — literally: The Gothic cathedral towers with its 99-meter high south tower far above the castle walls and is the first thing one sees of Prague. Construction began in 1344 under Emperor Charles IV and was only completed in 1929 — almost 600 years of construction.

What is there to see?

• The Nave: The sheer dimensions take your breath away: 124 meters long, 60 meters wide, 33 meters high vault. Gothic pillars that grow like trees into the sky. The nave is freely accessible.
• Alfons Mucha's Art Nouveau Window: The famous stained glass window in the northern aisle, designed by Art Nouveau master Alfons Mucha — an explosion of colors and light that tells the story of the Slavic apostles Cyril and Methodius. Mucha's only church window.
• Wenceslas Chapel: The most magnificent chapel in the cathedral — with over 1,300 semi-precious stones (amethysts, jasper, carnelian) in the walls, gold decorations, and 14th-century frescoes. The Bohemian crown jewels rest here behind seven locks, to which seven different people hold the keys.
• Royal Crypt: In the crypt beneath the cathedral lie Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, and Rudolf II — three of the most significant Bohemian rulers.
• South Tower: 287 steps up (no elevator!) — the reward is a 360° panorama over all of Prague. 150 CZK extra.

The Zlatá ulička (Golden Lane) is one of the most fairy-tale-like lanes in the world: Tiny, pastel-colored houses — barely larger than a garden shed — cling to the northern castle wall. In the 16th century, the goldsmiths of Rudolf II lived here, who were supposedly tasked with making gold for the emperor. Legend says that alchemists tried to find the philosopher's stone here.

Kafka in the Golden Lane

The house No. 22 — a tiny blue house — was inhabited by Franz Kafka in the winter of 1916/17. Here he wrote most of the stories in the collection "A Country Doctor." Today it is a bookstore with Kafka souvenirs. The idea that one of the most important writers of the 20th century worked in this dollhouse is surreal — and very Kafkaesque.

What is there to see?

The 16 preserved houses are set up as a museum: reconstructions of life in the 16th–19th centuries, a weapons exhibition on the upper floor (medieval armor and swords), and small workshops. At the entrance and exit of the lane, there are souvenir shops in the houses.

Visitor Tip

The Golden Lane is included in the castle ticket (Circuit A or B). During the day, it is extremely crowded — hardly any room to breathe. After 5 PM (after ticket office closure), you can enter the lane for free — then it is empty, the houses are closed, but the atmosphere is magical.

The Hradčany (Hradčany) is the aristocratic district around the castle — a quarter of palaces, monasteries, gardens, and quiet lanes that has hardly changed since the 18th century. While the masses stream into the castle, Hradčany is often surprisingly quiet.

Highlights in Hradčany

• Hradčany Square (Hradčanské náměstí): The monumental square in front of the castle gate — surrounded by the Archbishop's Palace, the Schwarzenberg Palace (Military Museum), and the Sternberg Palace (European Old Masters of the National Gallery: Dürer, Cranach, El Greco).
• Strahov Monastery (Strahovský klášter): The Premonstratensian monastery from 1143 houses two of the most beautiful library halls in the world: the Theological Hall (baroque bookshelves up to the ceiling, stucco ceiling) and the Philosophical Hall (classical, ceiling frescoes). The adjacent Strahov Brewery makes excellent monastery beer. Library: 120 CZK, Brewery: Beer from 55 CZK.
• Loreta: The pilgrimage site with the replica of the Holy House of Loreto, a baroque cloister, and the Loreta treasure — including a monstrance with 6,222 diamonds. Admission: 200 CZK.
• Nový Svět (New World): A hidden lane on the edge of Hradčany — tiny houses, cobblestones, silence. The astronomer Tycho Brahe lived here. Prague's best-kept secret — no tourist gets lost here.