Prague Castle is a huge administrative complex, standing high on a hill overlooking the river in Prague city centre. It’s probably not a castle like you might expect as it has no defensive walls, only office buildings, palaces and churches including the stunning St Vitus Cathedral.
The castle is the seat of the President of the Czech Republic and most external areas are open to the public to walk around. Don’t miss the changing of the guard at the front gates on the hour every hour. Notice the pavements in the castle area too, they are ornate with patterns in the stones. You’ll often find musicians performing in the castle area and the view back down to the Mala Strana, Old Town and Charles Bridge is really impressive.
The big highlight of our visit to the castle was St Vitus Cathedral. This gothic masterpiece is really the centrepiece of the whole area and can be seen for miles around. It dates back to 1344 but was not fully completed until the 20th Century. Spend a bit of time studying the architecture outside with the turrets and towers, before heading inside to see some really impressive stained glass windows, probably some of the best we’ve seen around the world. Other highlights inside include the tomb of “Good King” Wenceslas and the Last Judgment mosaic which is above the south entrance.
Admission to the Cathedral is free, although there may still be a small charge to visit the Crypt or Bell Tower. Open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm in the winter and 9am to 5pm in the summer. The cathedral does not open on Sundays until 12pm.
There are several ways to get to the castle area and the simplest is to walk. You can walk up the steep hill along the tram line, or through a green area in Mala Strana. If you don’t want to walk up the steep hill, take the tram instead – it drops you at the gates of the administrative area in the castle. Notice the pavements in the castle area too, they are ornate with patterns in the stones.
To get the most out of your visit to the castle, you might be interested in the Prague Castle Walking Tour.
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: Prague Castle (Pražský hrad), Castle District, Prague 1, Czech Republic
Tel: +420 224 37 3368
Email: tourist.info@hrad.cz
There are several tram stops nearby (Královský letohrádek, Pražský hrad, Pohořelec) and also two metro stations (Malostranská, Hradčanská). Visitors use mostly tram No. 22 (stop called Pražský hrad). More information here.
MORE ON PRAGUE CASTLE
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Prague Castle – Official Website
Prague Castle Walking Tour – Click for latest prices & times
Prague Castle – Wikipedia
Prague Guide Books – Amazon.co.uk
Prague City Guide – From our sister site, Free-City-Guides.com