Castle's Courtyards

The sculpture of Ignatz Platzer's battling Titans dominates the entrence from Hradcanske namesti to the first courtyard. The changing of the guards takes place here, the big ceremony starts everyday at noon, the usual change is every one or two hours depending on season. Mathias Gate, barouge portal from 1614, takes you to the second courtyard. Stairs on the left leads to the Spanish Hall, which is opened to the public only at special occasions. The decor hasn't changed much since the 19th century when it was done up for the occasion of the corronation of the Emperor Franz Joseph I. Since about 1950 it was used by polititians. In the middle of the courtyard is a seventheenth-century barouque fountain and the Chapel of the Holy Rood, which was rebuilt in late 19th century. The state rooms of ths courtyard used to house Rudolf II's art collection. Some of it was taken away by Swedesh soldiers, the rest is shown in the Prague Castle Picture Galerry.
There is a high granite obelisk, 17m, in the third courtyard, which is a memorial to the dead of World WarI.Close the the Golden Portal is the entrance to the Old Royal Palace. Golden Portal used to be the main entrance to the Cathedral until the 19th century. Above it is a mosaic of The Last Judgment by 14th century Venetian Craftsmen.

Old Royal Palace

This palace was the seat of Bohemian princes and kings and consists of three architectural layers. A Romanesque building built at the biggining of 12 century by Sobeslav I forms the cellar of the present building. Charles IV had the whole building rebuilt into an imposing royal and imperial seat. The Old Palace was last rebuilt during the reign of the house of the Jaggelons. Many of the rooms were restored after having been destroyed by a great fire in 1541. During the period of Habsburg rule the palace housed government offices, courts and the old Bohemian Diet(parliament), and which was also the throne room. The Top floor contains the highlight of palace, the Vladislav Hall .The hall's magnificent rib vaulting was designed by Benedikt Reid at the turn of the 16th century. The square windows are the first sign of the Renaissance in Bohemia. Painting from the 17th century by Aegidius Sadeler shows that the Royal court was likely to be a public market. It is here that the National Assembly elects its new president.
Rider's Steps allowed knights to enter the hall on horseback for indoor jousting compatitions.
All Saints' Chapel was built by Peter Parler for Charles the IV. Some rooms in the palace are decorated with crests of clerks who worked here from 1561-1774.

Powder Tower

The gate was built as a part of town fortification and through which led the road to Kutna Hora and eastern Bohemia. The tower was built after 1475 by late Gothic architect Matej Rejsek for the King Vladislav Jagellon on the site of the Odrana Gate. Originally it was named Mountain Tower and its name Powder Tower gained only in the 17th century when a store of gunpowder was kept there. Next to the tower used to stand the Royal Court, the short lived residence of the Czech rulers. The court was founded by king Wenceslas IV and was inhabited later by Zikmund of Luxemburg, Posthumus or George of Podebrady. King Vladislav Jagellon moved from here in the end back to the Castle in 1483.
Most of the decoration has been destroyed over time, especially in 1757 when Prague was besieged by Prussian troops. A large part of the modern decoration was done between 1875 – 1886, carried out by Josef Mocker.
In the past from here also used to start so called Kings Route that used be taken by Czech rulers to the Castle via today’s Celetna street, Old Town Square, Small Square, Charles Bridge, Mostecka street, Little Quarter Square and Nerudova street.

Basilica of St George

The best preserved memorial of Romanesque architecture in Bohemia was built here in 920. Over the centuries it was rebuilt several times. The renovation at the begining ot the 20th century uncovered the original arcades. The foundation and the two towers are the original ones.

Convent of St George

Lobckowicz palace

Golden Lane

The street contains lots of small cottages that used to line both sides of the lane. The name probably dates from the 17th century when the city's goldsmiths worked here. although the houses look separate, a coridor runs the lenght of their atticks and used to be occupied by the sharp-shooters of the Cslte Guard. franz Kafka staed there a while at his sister in the house No.22. The place was insparation for his novel The Castle. Today this street is full of souvenire shops.

The Toy Museum

Dalibor Tower

The tower is at the eastern end of the Castle and its name is after its famous inmate Dalibor, who spent the death row there and enjoyed himself by playing the violin. The legend says that he attracted many outlookers who came later on to his execution.

The Royal Garden

The Royal Palace can be found here, but you may first enjoy a nice walk through the The Royal Garden which can be reached from the second courtyard on the outer side. The garden originally included a maze and a private zoo, and it was laid out for Ferdinad I in the 1530s. The Swedish soldiers ruined the plae during 17th century. very close to the entrence is a musturd-coloured building, the Summer House, built by Dientzenhofer and from 1948 to 1989 was used as the presidental residence.
On the southern side of the garden is a renaissance building covers with black and white sgrafitto. It was completed by Bonifac Wohlmut in the middle of 16th century to house the king's Ball Game Court.
The main part of the garden is the renaissance BELVEDER at the eastern side.

Paradise Gardens

Enter to the garden with a beautiful view below Castle walls is from Bull Staircase leading up to the Castle's third courtyard. The gardens were laid down in 1562 and rededigned in the twenties in the 20th century.

ST Vitus Cathedral

The Cathedral dominates on the third courtyard.It is the third church to stand in this place-the first was a rotunda built by Wenceslas in 929, then Spytithnev's and Vratislav's basilica in 1060 and in 1344 Charles IV began the building of a gothic cathedral, which was only completed in 1929. Thirty coronations of Bohemian princes and kings and their wives took place here and about fiftien of them the Cathedral became their resting place. The constraction of cathedral began under the instruction of French architect Matthew of Arras. After his death Swabian Peter Parler took up the challenge.
One of the dominant feature is the Great Tower where is the largest bell in Bohemia, Sigismund, weighing in at 15,120kg. Chapel of St Wenceslas stands on the site of the original tenth century rotunda where prine Wenceslas was buried. A door in the corner leads to the chamber that contains the crown jewels. The door are locked by seven diferent keys held by seven diferent people. The silver tombstone of St John of Nepomuk is a barouqe addition to the cathedral. Two tons of silver were used to create the pedestal, statue of of the saint and fluttering cherubs holding up a red velvet canopy.
Close to this there are steps which leads to the Crypt where royal tombs are as well as vestiges of the early rotunda and basilica. There are buried kings like Charles IV and his four wives, George of Podebrady or Rudolf II.
Multicoloured stained glass windows of the Cathedral were created at the beginning of the 20th century. The most famous one is the third one on the left, in the Archbishop Chapel made by Alfons Mucha.