Prague Castle

Prince Bořivoj founded the castle around 880, and from the 10th century it was the seat of both the ruler and the Bishop of Prague. Under Charles IV it became the home of the Holy Roman Emperor, and in 1344 he began the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral on the site of an older rotunda and basilica. Matthias of Arras and then Peter Parler built the choir, but work stopped in 1419 with the Hussite Wars, and the cathedral was only finished and consecrated in 1929. The Crown Jewels are kept in a chamber off St Wenceslas Chapel.

After 1483 the Jagiellon kings moved back in and built new walls and towers on the north side, among them Daliborka, which served as a prison. Their architect, Benedikt Ried, built Vladislav Hall in the Old Royal Palace, finished in 1502 and in its day the largest vaulted secular hall in Europe. In 1618 two governors and their secretary were thrown out of a window of the palace. All three survived, but the event started the uprising that led to the Thirty Years' War.

Golden Lane grew up along the same northern wall at the end of the 15th century: a row of small houses where castle marksmen, goldsmiths and their families lived until after the Second World War. Franz Kafka lived at No. 22 during the First World War.

The castle runs along the ridge through a chain of courtyards, from Hradčany Square in the west to the Old Castle Stairs in the east. St Vitus Cathedral stands in the Third Courtyard, with the Old Royal Palace and St George's Basilica beside it and Golden Lane along the north wall.

The Main circuit ticket covers four places: St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace with Vladislav Hall, St George's Basilica, and Golden Lane with Daliborka Tower. A second ticket covers the permanent exhibitions, among them The Story of Prague Castle and the Picture Gallery. Climbing the cathedral's Great South Tower to its viewing gallery is a separate ticket. Tickets stay valid for two days, but each building lets you in only once. Children under six go free.

Police may ask to check your bag as you come in, and anyone who refuses is turned away. Inside the buildings you cannot eat or drink, and photos need a paid photo permit, without flash or tripod. Every day at noon the Castle Guard changes with a ceremony in the First Courtyard. Since this is the working seat of the head of state, single buildings or the whole area can close for state events.

The castle grounds are open every day of the year from 6:00 to 22:00. The historic buildings open at 9:00 and close at 17:00 from April to October and at 16:00 from November to March. They are shut on 24 December. On Sundays the cathedral opens to visitors only at noon, after the morning services, and there is no sightseeing during services at any time.

You can walk the courtyards from 6:00, well before the buildings open, and stay until 22:00, long after they close. The Royal Garden, the South Gardens and the Stag Moat are free and open from March to October, from 10:00 until between 17:00 and 20:00, depending on the month. From November to February they are closed.