Prague Castle
Prague Castle is an extensive castle complex in Prague, the seat of Bohemian princes, kings and presidents since the 9th century.[4] It is a national cultural monument.[2] The whole complex covers 45 hectares.[1]*
History
The castle's beginnings are linked to Bořivoj, the first historically documented Přemyslid, who moved his seat here in the 880s.[1] It was the seat of Bohemian princes, kings and emperors, and since the founding of the republic in 1918 it has been the seat of the presidents.[1] The complex grew by gradually joining originally separate buildings. Its core is the Romanesque palace on the southern side, which Charles IV and Wenceslas IV extended into a Gothic palace.[2] Under Vladislaus II Jagiellon, at the turn of the Gothic and Renaissance periods, Benedikt Ried created Vladislav Hall and the so-called Louis Wing.[2] Further major building came under Rudolf II, when Prague was the imperial residence. Shortly after the mid-18th century Niccolò Pacassi carried out a unifying reconstruction that gave the castle its present appearance.[2] The architect Josip Plečnik adapted parts of the castle for President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.[2]
The complex
The complex is dominated by the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral. Other principal buildings include the Old Royal Palace with Vladislav Hall, the Romanesque Basilica of St George, the Lobkowicz Palace, the Daliborka Tower, Golden Lane, Queen Anne's Summer Palace and the castle gardens.[4] Guinness World Records lists Prague Castle as the largest ancient castle in the world. It is an oblong irregular polygon with an axis of 570 m and an average width of 128 m, covering 7.28 hectares.[3] The Historic Centre of Prague, which includes the castle, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.[4]
Crown jewels
The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept in the Crown Chamber of St Vitus Cathedral. In 2026 they were displayed in Vladislav Hall from 15 to 28 September, and the exhibition drew about 36,600 visitors.[5]
Sources
* The sources are collected and the preliminary text of this entry is drafted with artificial intelligence, on the instruction of the editorial staff; the entry has not yet been verified by an editor — report a mistake.