1000 Places to See Before You Die 24 - Hradcany, The Castle District, Prague


This so-called “Golden City” surrounds the royal castle of Prague on top of a hill overlooking the Vltava River. The district is situated on the western side of the river and the main sights
consist of the castle, the St. Vitus cathedral and the winding streets. 

The royal palace is a monumental complex of buildings that range in age from the 10th century to the 20th century. It is said to be the biggest castle in the world with a length of about 570 m and and average of about 130 m width. On the castle grounds lies the residence of the rulers of the country. In 1990 Václav Havel was sworn in as president of the then country of Czechoslovakia. The complex also houses the two main art collections in the city; the St. Georg convent, which houses Czech art of an older date, and the Sternberg mansion which houses 600 years of European art. 

Changing of the guard at the castle




The St. Vitus Cathedral is located within the castle ground and it is a 99 m high Gothic church. Construction on the cathedral was started in the 14th century, but only finished in 1929. It has 21 chapels and the most glorious of these is dedicated to the “good king “ Wenceslaus (yes, the one from the Christmas carol), who is the saint protector of Bohemia. One of the stained glass windows inside was done by Alphonse (or Alfons) Mucha in the Jugend style (Art Nouveau). It is possible to climb the tower and enjoy a view of the city, featuring the Charles Bridge and the many spires for which the city is known. 


Mucha's window




The view from the top of the cathedral. You can see the Charles Bridge just right of the center


The Golden Lane is also situated in the Castle District. This consists of tiny colored houses, built by the old castle wall. They were originally built for craftsmen, but the guards from the castle have also lived here, and later on many artists moved in, including Franz Kafka who used one of the houses (number 22) to write in peace in 1916 and 1917. The Lane is also connected to the Dalibor Tower, which used to be a dungeon and now houses a display of items dealing with imprisonment and punishment. 

The Golden Lane

At the Dalibor Tower


If you want to see what else there is to see around Prague, be sure to check out my other two posts on the city here and here.

All facts are from “1000 Places to See Before You Die” by Patricia Schultz, my notes from the trip and Wikipedia. 

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