Tour 3a  Prague Castle in detail

Our guide will take you by coach to Prague Castle. During this tour of the interiors of the castle you will visit the Royal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George‘s Basilica and Golden Lane. Our guide will highlight all important historical details of Prague Castle’s role in Czech history. After the visit you will descend the castle stairs to the Lesser Town and continue walking towards Charles Bridge where the tour terminates.

Prague Castle was most likely founded in around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty (Přemyslovci).Castle complex consists of a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles: Old Royal Palace, gothic St Vitus Cathedral, romanesque St. George´s Basilica, Golden Lane, Great South Tower of the Cathedral, renaissance Queen Anne's Summer Palace. In 1918, the castle became the seat of the president of the new Czechoslovak Republic, Tomáš Masaryk. The New Royal Palace and the gardens were renovated by Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik.

Highlights: Old Royal Palace: the original residence building, mostly wooden, was built at Prague Castle already at the turn of the 9th and 10th century. Its exact location is not documented. It was prince Soběslav in the 12th century who had a stone Romanesque palace built right next to a new fortification wall. Remains of it have been preserved in the underground till the present times. The palace was adjoined on its eastern side by All Saints' Chapel, which was consecrated in 1185.

The Vladislav Hall: from the 16th century, the Vladislav Hall served particularly royal state purposes. It was the scene of coronation festivities and banquets, knights' tournaments and markets with artistic and luxurious goods. The Vladislav Hall still partly fulfils the state function: the elections of the president of the Czech Republic used to take place there.

St Vitus Cathedral: around the year 925, Prince Wenceslas (Václav) founded a Romanesque rotunda here, which after 1060 was converted into a basilica with three naves and two steeples.In 1344, Charles IV began the construction of a Gothic cathedral. Its first builders were Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler. In 1419 the construction of the Cathedral stopped because of the Hussite Wars. It was not until the latter half of the 19th century that the Union for the Completion of the Cathedral began the repair of the original part and the completion of the Cathedral in Neo-Gothic style. St. Vitus Cathedral was finished on September 28, 1929.

St George´s Basilica: the interior is Romanesque, austere and monumental. The tombs of members of the ruling Premyslid dynasty are situated in the main nave. One of them belongs to prince Vratislav, father of St. Wenceslas.

Newly open for visitors is Deer Moat.