Prague Castle
Prague Castle is an enormous complex of palaces, courtyards, and fortifications that has served as the seat of power for Bohemian kings, Holy Roman Emperors, and Czech presidents for over a millennium. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the largest ancient castle in the world, dominating the city’s skyline with the soaring, multi-century masterpiece of St. Vitus Cathedral at its center.
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First Courtyard
The First Courtyard of Prague Castle serves as the grand ceremonial entrance to the complex, bordered by the monumental Matthias Gate from the early 17th century.
Photo by Tomas Tuma
First Courtyard
The courtyard draws crowds of tourists every day to watch the ceremonial Changing of the Guard, which takes place right beneath the dramatic statues of battling giants.
Photo by Tomas Tuma
St. Vitus Cathedral
St. Vitus Cathedral is a magnificent Gothic masterpiece that took nearly six hundred years to officially complete, with construction beginning in 1344 and ending only in 1929.
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Eastern façade of St. Vitus Cathedral
The eastern façade of St. Vitus Cathedral, with its magnificent apse and soaring flying buttresses, is considered the purest and most breathtaking example of High Gothic architecture in Prague.
Photo by Tomas Tuma
Golden Lane
The Golden Lane is a tiny, picturesque cobblestone street tucked against the northern wall of Prague Castle, originally built in the 16th century to house the castle’s marksmen and servants. Today, it’s famous for its brightly colored, miniature houses that look like they belong in a fairytale, one of which was even home to the famous writer Franz Kafka during World War I.
Photo by Tomas Tuma