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Prague Castle

Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Prague Castle ("Pražský hrad", in Czech) is a large historical castle in Prague. It is also currently the seat of the head of state for the Czech Republic. The castle contains a number of attractions and places to visit.

There are two different tours that are available - a short tour, and a long tour. Unless you really want to see certain parts of Prague Castle included on the tour, I wouldn't recommend paying admission. You can still walk around the castle complex without seeing the attractions. Some attractions, like the St. Vitus Cathedral, are free. Lobkowicz Palace is located inside Prague Castle, but is a separate attraction. We found that to be a much more enjoyable attraction.

There is also an audio guide available, which costs 250 Kc for a 2-hour rental (200 Kc for students). The audio guide was of very poor quality, and is not at all recommended. The narrator was very boring. It felt like he was just listing a stream of facts, rather than telling an interesting story. Also, with the exception of the St. Vitus Cathedral, none of the spots on the audio tour were marked. We had difficulty figuring out what the audio guide was talking about.

Included Attractions

Large hall inside the Old Royal Palace

All visitors can enter the St. Vitus Cathedral for free. The Cathedral was the one spot where the audio guide could have been useful, if you are interested in that type of history (we found the audio guide was too boring, and stopped using it after listening to half the explanations in the Cathedral).

Both the short and long tour include access to The Golden Lane, St. George's Basilica, and the Old Royal Palace. The Old Royal Palace had a couple museum-type exhibits. Some of the displays were only in Czech, and others were also in English and German. The audio guide provided some information on things inside, but we had difficulty following it.

Both the short and long tours also include admission to a "tower". The tower wasn't like a tall building that you go up. Instead, it was like a short little tower that you went down into. In the past, it was used as a prison.

The long tour additionally included admission to the permanent exhibit, the gallery, and one other tower.

Changing of the Guard

The Changing of the Guard at noon

Every hour from 5:00am - 11:00pm, the guard in front of Prague Castle changes. At noon, there is a larger ceremony which includes a short musical ceremony. Shortly before noon, the area in front of the palace is roped off, as a large crowd usually gathers. If you want a good spot, get there 15 minutes early!

Hours

The view from just outside Prague Castle (at the top of the 208 stairs)

The hours Prague Castle is open depends on the time of year. Usually, the castle complex opens at 5:00am or 6:00am, and stays open until 11:00pm. The sights and attractions are usually open from 9:00am. When we visited, the castle gardens were closed. They are only open from April through October.

Cost

Two different tours are available - a short tour (which costs 250 Kc for adults, or 125 Kc for students), and a long tour (which costs 350 Kc for adults, or 175 Kc for students).

There is also an audio guide available, which costs 250 Kc for a 2-hour rental (200 Kc for students).

Estimated Visiting Time

The back of the St. Vitus Cathedral

The short tour takes approximately 2 hours, and the long tour would probably take an additional hour. If you were really interested, you could probably double those times if you wanted to see and listen to everything. For a casual tourist, the listed times are probably sufficient.