- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 9th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Style
- Romanesque architecture
- Architect
- Benedikt Rejt, Jože Plečnik
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 50.0900°, 14.4000°
History
Prince Bořivoj of the Přemyslid dynasty founded a fortified seat on the hill in the late 9th century, and it has housed Bohemian dukes, kings and at times emperors ever since. It flourished under Charles IV, who began the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral, and under the Jagiellonian kings, when Benedikt Ried built the soaring Vladislav Hall. In 1618 Protestant nobles threw imperial officials from a window of the Bohemian Chancellery, an act that sparked the Thirty Years' War. Since 1918 the castle has been the seat of the Czech or Czechoslovak head of state, and between the wars the Slovene architect Jože Plečnik remodelled parts of it.
What to see
Within the walls you will find St Vitus Cathedral with the St Wenceslas Chapel and royal tombs, the Old Royal Palace with Vladislav Hall, the Romanesque Basilica of St George and Golden Lane with its tiny houses. Take time for the castle gardens and the changing of the guard at the main gate. The terraces offer one of the finest views across Prague.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q193369
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