Our tips for visiting Prague Castle: what sights to see, opening hours, ticket prices, excursions, how to get there. Our photos and reviews about Prague Castle.
In the Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) we liked it: you can travel back to the Middle Ages, if you abstract from the ubiquitous tourist groups with a guide. The area of the fortress is large, so tourists disperse and hardly interfere. Here we have described only those sights of Prague Castle that we ourselves visited.
Tip 1: come as early as possible if you want to avoid the crowds. You can also come with such a calculation to meet the sunset.
Tip 2: Have a hearty meal before visiting the castle, as the establishments in Prague Castle are expensive. A close inspection will take you about half a day.
Look for interesting excursions in Prague on the websites Sputnik8 and Tripster. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
Imperial gate and changing of the guard
The changing of the guard with the orchestra takes place daily at 12:00. There are many people who want to see the show, and if you are short, we are sorry - you will see almost nothing. It is useless to occupy places, since the guards disperse the tourists who have accumulated in front of the gate so that the guard can go out and enter. It remains only at the moment the guards leave to maneuver in the crowd and make their way to the first rows. Lucky for those with long legs and sharp elbows.
St. Vitus Cathedral
Katedrála svatého Víta, Václava a Vojtěcha - this is the Czech name for St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle.
The lacy Gothic cathedral will unexpectedly rise in front of you when you pass into the third courtyard. Impressive incredibly! The cathedral is interesting both in cloudy and sunny weather. You cannot buy tickets separately, only as part of a combo. You can only partially see the cathedral for free - they won't let you go beyond the red ribbon without a ticket, the gloomy guards will turn everyone around.
Old royal palace
The modest setting of the old royal palace (Starý královský palác) looks more like a monastery than a palace. Nevertheless, it was unexpectedly interesting. The Vladislavsky hall and the room with the coats of arms are beautiful. You can only take pictures with a permit (50 CZK).
Basilica of St. George
Basilica of St. George (Bazilika svatého Jiří) is a small Romanesque church. It is the oldest church in Prague Castle - it has existed since 920. It is gloomy, resounding, and one can feel the grave cold of ancient slabs. The acoustics are excellent: concerts are held here.
Golden Lane
On the Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička) there are the very picturesque houses that you have seen in numerous photographs of Prague. They are built into the fortress wall. The street, although extremely popular with tourists, is unusually interesting. In some houses there are shops, in others the everyday life of artisans has been restored. Kafka lived in house number 22. Everything is very nice and cozy.
There is a torture room and an exhibition of armor and weapons in the tower of the fortress wall. Very authentic! You can get to the street for free after 16:00 (in winter) and after 17:00 in summer, but almost all the houses will already be closed - except for shops.
Photo of a street without tourists. Wait for the moment when employees will close the houses and escort tourists from the street. At this moment and take pictures! The main thing is to be in time, as the street is empty for just 2-3 minutes. Then those who did not buy tickets are launched through the turnstiles.
Panoramas and gardens
There are many panoramas from the adjacent gardens! There is also a fortress from the fortress itself, we visited two: one at the Daliborka tower, the other to the right of the Black Gate (this is the end of Prague Castle). Wonderful views of the city's tiled roofs. We met the sunset there. The sites are covered with tourists, but you can break through.
Gardens. The gardens, according to tourists, are excellent in Prague. Since they are closed in winter, we were not able to visit them. In the summer season, gardens are open: Royal, South, Lumba, St. Wenceslas and others.
Hradcany
Visit Pražská Loreta, Hradcany Square and palaces. Tourists are advised to find a quiet baroque street Nový Svět - there are almost no tourists, and yet this is one of the most interesting places in Hradcany. We were not there, as we learned about it much later.
Ticket to Loretu costs 150 CZK. Opening hours: daily in summer from 9:00 to 17:00, in winter - 9:30 to 16:00. Closed on some holidays. Audio guide - 150 CZK, photo permission - 100 CZK.
Opening hours of Prague Castle
- During the summer season (April 1 - October 31), the complex is open from 6:00 to 22:00, and the historic buildings from 9:00 to 17:00. Cathedral of st. Vita is open on Sun from 12:00 to 17:00.
- During the winter season (November 1 - March 31), the complex is open from 6:00 to 22:00, and the historic buildings from 9:00 to 16:00. Vita is open on Sun from 12:00 to 16:00.
During the winter holidays, attractions work on a special schedule, so check the opening hours of Prague Castle on the official website.
Tickets to Prague Castle
In general, walking around Prague Castle is free. But the entrance to many attractions is only as part of combo tickets. We advise you to take district B - this way you will see the main attractions of Prague Castle. We chose this type of tickets, like most tourists.
Tickets to Prague Castle are valid for 2 days: on the day of purchase and the next day.
Where to buy tickets:
- in information centers in the second and third courtyards;
- in an art gallery;
- in the old royal palace;
- at two ticket offices on Golden Lane.
Taking pictures of interiors is prohibited - you need to buy a special permit for 50 CZK. Tripod and flash cannot be used. Permission does not apply to some exhibitions (The History of Prague Castle, The Treasure of St. Vitus Cathedral and the Art Gallery).
Guided tours of Prague Castle
Where to find a Russian-speaking guide:
- In tourist spots (for example, Old Town Square or Wenceslas Square).
- At the information center in the third courtyard of Prague Castle for 100 CZK per person (minimum 4 people). The tour takes place in the Cathedral of St. Vitus and the old royal palace and lasts 1 hour.
- On the site sputnik8.com there are many interesting excursions from local guides - from classic sightseeing tours to highly specialized ones.
How to get to Prague Castle?
You can get to Prague Castle in 5 ways, which are shown in the screenshot above. Let's tell you more about each one.
- The first way is simplest: Take tram 22 and get off at the Pražský hrad stop, then turn left and walk straight. In 5 minutes you will reach the second courtyard of Prague Castle.
- The second way is the opportunity at the same time see Hradcany... You need tram number 22 and stop Pohořelec. Then walk 10 minutes along Hradcany past Loreta until you come across Hradcany square.
- The third option. Here you will have to sweat because of the rise, but you will be rewarded beautiful views on the way to the rooftops of Mala Strana. Take the same tram number 22 and get off at the Malostranské náměstí stop. Take street Zámecká, then onto Thunovská. The staircase will lead you to the Titans Gate. An alternative is to go along Nerudova and then turn to Ke Hrady street.
- The fourth way to get to Prague Castle is Metro... Take the green line to Malostranská station. As the tram goes along the rails, walk for about 100 meters and turn onto the Old Castle Staircase. Take it to the gate Na Opyši.
- The fifth option will do only in the summer season (April 1 - October 31), as the path passes through the park, which is closed in winter. So, by tram 22 we reach the Královský letohrádek stop. We enter the Royal Garden, go through it and turn left - this street will lead you to the second courtyard.
Where is Prague Castle located on the map?
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