Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Prague's winding cobblestone streets and enjoying the unique atmosphere. Only by
foot can you explore the countless nooks and crannies. It would be hard to think of
another world capital where there is so much in such a compact area.
PRAGUE CASTLE (PRAZ SK: HRAD) & CHARLES BRIDGE
(KARL& V MOST)
The huge hilltop complex known collectively as Prague Castle (Pra z sk ;
Hrad) , on Hrad c anské nám ê stí, encompasses dozens of houses, towers,
churches, courtyards, and monuments. A visit to the castle can easily take an entire
day or more, depending on how thoroughly you explore it. Still, you can see the top
sights—St. Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, the Powder Tower,
and Golden Lane—in the space of a morning or an afternoon.
If you're feeling particularly fit, you can walk up to the castle, or you can take metro
line A to Malostranská or Hrad c anská or tram no. 22 or 23.
TICKETS & CASTLE INFORMATION Tickets are sold at the Prague Castle
Information Center in the second courtyard after you pass through the main gate
from Hrad c anské nám ê stí. The center also arranges tours in various languages and
sells tickets for individual concerts and exhibits. The castle is located at Hrad c anské
nám ê stí, Hrad c any, Praha 1 ( & 224-373-368; fax 224-310-896; www.hrad.cz).
Admission to the grounds is free. A combination ticket for tour A to six main attrac-
tions (St. Vitus Cathedral, Royal Palace including “The Story of Prague Castle” per-
manent exhibition, St. George's Basilica, Powder Tower, Golden Lane, and Daliborka
Tower), without a guide costs 350K c ($15/£7) adults, 175K c ($7/£4) students; with
an English-speaking guide, 440K c ($18/£9) adults, 265K c ($11/£5) students. Tour B
(St. Vitus Cathedral, Royal Palace, Golden Lane, and Daliborka Tower) costs 220K c
($9.20/£4)adults, 110K c ($5/£2) students; Tour C (only Golden Lane and Daliborka
Tower) costs 50K c ($2/£1) adults and students. For guided tours (groups of five and
more), supplement 90K c ($4/£2) per person (only Tues-Sun 9am-4pm). All tours are
free for children under 6. Tickets are valid for 2 days. The castle is open daily 9am to
5pm (to 4pm Nov-Mar). Metro: Malostranská, then tram no. 22 or 23, up the hill
two stops.
TOURING ST. VITUS CATHEDRAL (CHRÁM SV. VÍTA)
St. Vitus Cathedral (Chrám sv. Víta), named for a wealthy 4th-century Sicilian
martyr, isn't just the dominant part of the castle, it's the most important section
historically.
Built over various phases beginning in A . D . 926 as the court church of the Premys-
lid princes, the cathedral has long been the center of Prague's religious and political
life. The key part of its Gothic construction took place in the 14th century under the
direction of Mathias of Arras and Peter Parlé r of Gmuend. In the 18th and 19th cen-
turies, subsequent baroque and neo-Gothic additions were made. The Golden Portal
entrance from the third courtyard is no longer used; however, take a look above the
arch. The 1370 mosaic The Last Judgment has been painstakingly restored with the
help of computer-aided imagery provided by American art researchers.
Of the massive Gothic cathedral's 21 chapels, the St. Wenceslas Chapel (Svatová-
clavská kaple) stands out as one of Prague's few must-see, indoor sights. Midway
toward the high altar on the right, it's encrusted with hundreds of pieces of jasper and
amethyst and decorated with paintings from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The
chapel sits atop the gravesite of Bohemia's patron saint, St. Wenceslas.
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