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Prague Castle, definitely one of the most significant and interesting sights of the Czech Republic´s capital, is unmistakable and highly visible, resting on a hill above the Vltava river. The largest coherent castle complex in the world, it is not only an ancient symbol of the Czech lands but also one of the most important cultural institutions in the Czech Republic and the official residence of the President.

Since the foundation of Prague Castle, it has been developing uninterruptedly throughout the past eleven centuries. This wondrous castle complex has been the most significant national, cultural, and historical monument for Czechs, and remains a symbol of the development of the Czech state lasting for more than a thousand years.

Located in the Castle District Hradčany, Prague Castle was founded in the 9th century by Prince Bořivoj, the first historically documented member of the Premyslid Dynasty. He transferred his original seat from Levý Hradec (north of Prague) to the hill above the Vltava river. The first princely palace was most probably built out of wood.

1. Where History Meets Today

The famous history of Prague Castle begins with the first stone building – the Church of the Virgin Mary, although only remnants of this can still be seen today. The second church within the Castle complex was the St. George Basilica, established by Prince Vratislav I. Prince Václav (the future famous Czech saint) had the third sanctuary built there in the 920s. The St. Vít Rotund was later (in the 11th century) rebuilt by prince Spytihněv II to a mighty basilica.

At the end of the 10th century, the significance of Prague Castle grew again, as it became not only the domicile of the head of the state but also the seat of the Prague Bishop. The first Bohemian monastery was founded by the St. George Basilica at the same time. At that time the Castle took up about six hectares. The former settlement was then rebuilt into a strong medieval castle in the Romantic era and kept growing.

The appearance of Prague Castle was very markedly affected by the Gothic era, and many changes took place during the significant era of Charles IV (King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor), during whose reign the Castle became an imperial residence for the first time. The celebrated ruler had among other things, the Prague Castle fortifications strengthened and covered some of the roofs with gold-plated metal sheets (that is why Prague is often called “Gold”).

During the Renaissance era many generous constructional modifications came through, once again adding to the uniqueness of Prague Castle. In 1541 a fire greatly damaged some objects in the castle complex, but restorations were made very fast, in a way paradoxically leaving the Castle even more exquisite in the end.

During the reign of the emperor Rudolf II, Prague Castle became for the second time the center of European culture and science. Rudolf, among other things, had new premises for his famous collections built. Also, construction began on the famous Golden Lane during his reign.

Once again the castle was severely damaged in 1631, when it was seized and plundered by the Saxon army, and again by the Swedes in 1648. Extensive reconstruction followed, during the Maria Theresa era in the 18th century. She finally had Prague Castle turned into a highly representative castle complex. Several objects were also modified in relation to the stay of Ferdinand I the Good, after his abdication in 1848 and the promised coronation of Franz Joseph I in the 1860s.

After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Prague Castle welcomed the first president of independent Czechoslovakia – Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. And since the beginning of the 20th century, much attention was paid to archaeological research, which has brought about many findings of the Castle’s history. Research and restoration of the individual premises and objects after 1990 have been guided by the idea of revival via the greatest possible opening for the public. After the Velvet revolution (the non-violent transition of power from Communist rule to democracy in what was then Czechoslovakia), many areas of the Castle were made accessible to the public for the first time in history, including the Royal Garden, Ballgame Hall, the south gardens, and the Imperial Stables.

Today, after many hundreds of years of fascinating history, Prague Castle is the seat of the Czech president, the most important National Cultural Monument of the Czech Republic, a place of storage for many priceless art relics and historical documents, and last but not least an eminently popular target for millions of tourists from all over the world.

2. Location, Opening Hours, Tickets & Entrance Fee

Prague Castle is easily accessible by public transport. There are several tram stops nearby (Královský letohrádek, Pražský hrad, and Pohořelec) and also two metro stations (Malostranská and Hradčanská). Usually, visitors take tram No. 22 to Pražský hrad tram stop and leave down the Old Castle Stairs to Malostranská metro station.

In the Summer Tourist Season (April – October) the Prague Castle complex is open to the public from 6 am to 10 pm and the historical buildings from 9 am to 5 pm. During the Winter Season (November – March) the opening hours are the same for the Prague Castle complex, but the historical buildings close an hour sooner.

There are a variety of options for admission to the Prague Castle premises, with prices ranging from 40 to 700 CZK. See more details in the table below:

Entrance To	Price	Discounted*	Families**	Buy Online
Circuit A	350 CZK	175 CZK	700 CZK	Buy Online
Circuit B	250 CZK	125 CZK	500 CZK	Buy Online
Circuit C	350 CZK	175 CZK	700 CZK	N/A
The Treasure of St. Vitus Cathedral	300 CZK	150 CZK	600 CZK	N/A
Picture Gallery	100 CZK	20 CZK	200 CZK	Buy Online
Powder Tower	70 CZK	40 CZK	140 CZK	N/A