Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DominatingthePragueskyline,Pražskýhrad(PragueCastle)istheCzechcapital'stop
sightandamust-seeforanyvisitor.Avastbuilt-upareaoccupyingapromontoryabove
the River Vltava, the Hrad is considered the largest castle complex in the world and is,
ofcourse,aUNESCOWorldHeritageSite.There'sbeenacastleofsomekindheresince
at least the late ninth century, and since then whoever has had control of the Hrad has
exercised authority over the Czech Lands. It continues to serve as the residence of the
Czechpresident,aswellasprovidingahometoseveralmuseums,galleriesandPrague's
most important place of worship, the Cathedral of St Vitus.
The Hrad makes up much of the disrict of
HRADČANY
, a tiny part of the capital whose
inhabitantstraditionallyworkedfortheirmastersinthecastle.Evennow,despitetheoddres-
taurantand
pivnice
(pub)inamongthepalaces(andevenintheHraditself),there'sverylittle
activity here beyond the stream of tourists who trek through the castle and the civil servants
who work either for the president or the government, whose departmental tentacles spread
right across Hradčany and down into neighbouring Malá Strana. This makes it a very peace-
ful and attractive area where it's easy to lose the crowds and enjoy a leisurely stroll.
ZOOM
LEFT
ZOOM
RIGHT
APPROACHING HRADČANY
Stretched out along a high spur above the River Vltava, Hradčany shows a suitable disdain
for the public transport system. There's a choice of
approaches
from Malá Strana, all of
which involve at least some walking, and one option of arriving by
tram
.
