Prague Castle, Prague

Prague Castle is a sprawling castle complex and the official workplace and residence of the Czech president. Its story reaches back to the 9th century, when the site became a fortified seat of power; it later served Bohemian rulers and Holy Roman emperors. The complex still carries that political role, while also preserving the Bohemian Crown Jewels in a concealed chamber.

The buildings gathered around you belong to several eras and architectural traditions, including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque work. The most commanding sacred building within the complex is St. Vitus Cathedral, begun in 1344 by Matyáš z Arrasu and later continued by other architects.

Its long construction finally reached completion in 1929. The cathedral contains royal tombs, the burial places of important Bohemian saints, and the crown jewels. The scale is extraordinary: Guinness identifies Prague Castle as the largest ancient castle in the world, extending about 570 metres in length and about 130 metres in average width.

Its many courtyards, palaces, churches, gardens and defensive towers form a single historic complex. Look toward the cathedral’s stone mass and the surrounding palace buildings: here, centuries of religious ceremony and state power remain physically joined.