Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1928, and a copy of a 14th-century bronze figure of
St George
slaying the dragon;
the original is on display in the Story of Prague Castle exhibition.
The courtyard is dominated by the southern facade of St Vitus Cathedral, with its
Old Royal Palace
sion with Prague Castle tour ticket; 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Mar)
at the courtyard's
eastern end is one of the oldest parts of the castle, dating from 1135. It was originally
used only by Czech princesses, but from the 13th to the 16th centuries it was the
king's own palace.
The
Vladislav Hall
(Vladislavský sál) is famous for its beautiful, late-Gothic
vaulted ceiling (1493-1502) designed by Benedikt Rejt. Though over 500 years old,
the flowing, interwoven lines of the vaults have an almost art-nouveau feel, in con-
trast to the rectilinear form of the Renaissance windows. The vast hall was used for
banquets, councils and coronations, and for indoor jousting tournaments - hence the
Riders' Staircase
(Jezdecké schody) on the northern side, designed to admit a
knight on horseback. All the presidents of the republic have been sworn in here.
A door in the hall's southwestern corner leads to the former offices of the
Bohemi-
an Chancellery
(České kanceláře). On 23 May 1618, in the second room, Protestant
nobles rebelling against the Bohemian Estates and the Habsburg emperor threw two
of his councillors and their secretary out of the window. They survived, as their fall
was broken by the dung-filled moat, but this Second Defenestration of Prague sparked
off the Thirty Years' War.
At the eastern end of the Vladislav Hall, steps lead up to a balcony that overlooks
the right leads to a terrace with great views of the city. To the right of the Riders'
Staircase you'll spot an unusual Renaissance doorway framed by twisted columns,
which leads to the
Diet
(Sněmovna), or Assembly Hall, which displays another beau-
tifully vaulted ceiling and a case containing replicas of the
Bohemian crown jew-
els
.
Story of Prague Castle
Housed in the Gothic vaults beneath the Old Royal Palace, this huge and impressive
9am-6pm Apr-Oct, 9am-4pm Nov-Mar)
ranks alongside the Lobkowicz Palace as one of
