Prague Castle
To the citizens of the Czech Republic, Prague Castle (Prazsky Hrad) is a symbol of statehood and national pride. As the headquarters of the first Bohemian princes and kings, Prague Castle was the place where Czech history was formed. It remains the representational headquarters of the Czech president to this day. Together with the historical centre of Prague, it was included among the landmarks of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. The Prague Castle complex is a destination of millions of visitors from all over the world. We recommend you to enter the castle at the Powder Bridge (Prasny most) and after you've finished touring the Prague Castle, exit at the Black Tower (Cerna vez) which leads to the Old Castle Steps (Stare zamecke schody). The view from the top of the steps of the Old Town (Stare Mesto) and the River Vltava is amazing.
St. Vitus Cathedral (Chram sv. Vita)
This monumental Gothic cathedral forms Prague's natural
dominance. The cathedral stays in the middle of Prague Castle. The construction of the cathedral was launched in the year 1344 at the order of Czech king and
Holy Roman Emperor. It was finally completed six centuries later. The heart of the cathedral is considered to be the chapel of St. Vaclav, with its walls
lined with gold 1345 precious stones. The remains of St. Vaclav are preserved here, as are the coronation jewels, kept in the coronation chamber with its
doors bearing seven locks. The underground crypt holds the accessible grave of the Czech rulers.
Golden Lane (Zlata ulicka)
The narrow castle lane, which is form by small, colourfully painted houses, is one of the most colourful places in Prague. The castle guard lived here back in the times of Emperor Rudolph II, but so did alchemists looking for the elixir of eternal life, according to legend. Author Franz Kafka was to find a home here centuries later.
Old Royal Palace (Stary kralovsky palac)
The original Romanesque palace of Prince Sobeslav I was
reconstructed several times during its long history. It primarily served as the headquarters of state authorities and the Czech parliament. Preserved painted
bureaucrats' signs can be admired in the hall of land records, and the Chapel of All Saints (Kaple Vsech svatych) can be seen as well. This is
considered to be one of the most valuable architectural gems, which was created by royal architect Petr Parler and his workshop. The most interesting place
in the palace is Vladislav's Hall (Vladislavsky sal), which was the largest arched hall in Europe at that time. It was used for coronation banquets and
balls, but also as a place to hold knightly tourneys. That's why steps for riders were built into the entry to the hall, which allowed knights on horses to
enter the hall.
The Story of Prague Castle
The permanent exhibition located on the premises of the Old Royal Palace (Stary kralovsky palac) inside the Prague Castle complex, much beloved among visitors, presents a well-arranged exposition of events which took place at Prague Castle during the many centuries of its existence. The exposition is completed by original exhibits from the Prague Castle collections.
Basilica of St. George (Bazilika sv. Jiri)
This is one of the original preserved constructions of Prague Castle.The cathedral was established around the year 920 by Vratislav I. The first Christian Czech martyr, St. Ludmila, is buried here, together with other members of the Premyslid dynasty. In the immediate vicinity of the Basilica of St. George (Bazilika sv. Jiri) is the entrance to the Monastery of St. George (Klaster sv. Jiri), where you can visit an exquisite collection of precious paintings and statutes from eras ranging from the Gothic to the Baroque.
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