Prague Castle: Everything You Need to Know Before You Visit

Prague Castle is not one building. It is a city within a city — a complex of palaces, churches, gardens, towers and courtyards spread across 70,000 square metres on a hill above the Vltava. Most visitors spend an hour there and leave feeling vaguely overwhelmed. The ones who go with a private guide come away with something completely different: a story that actually makes sense.

A private Prague Castle walking tour takes you through over a thousand years of history — from the first wooden fortifications of the 9th century to the seat of Bohemian kings, Holy Roman Emperors, and the presidents of the Czech Republic today. If you're planning to visit Prague Castle and wondering how to make the most of it — this guide is for you.

The world's largest ancient castle — and why that matters

According to the Guinness Book of Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle complex in the world, covering an area of almost 70,000 square metres — roughly the size of seven football pitches. Its origins date to around 870 AD, when Prince Bořivoj of the Přemyslid dynasty built the first walled structure on this hilltop. Since then, every major ruler of Bohemia has left their mark here — Romanesque stonework, Gothic cathedrals, Renaissance palaces, Baroque gardens — layer upon layer of a thousand years of power.

Today Prague Castle is still the official residence and workplace of the President of the Czech Republic. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept in a hidden room inside it, behind a door with seven locks held by seven different people. It is a living place, not a ruin — and that is what makes it extraordinary.

St. Vitus Cathedral — the heart of the castle

The dominant structure inside the castle complex is St. Vitus Cathedral, whose Gothic spires are visible from almost every point in Prague. Construction began in 1344 under Emperor Charles IV — and was not completed until 1929, nearly 600 years later. Inside: the tomb of St. Wenceslas, patron saint of Bohemia; the stunning stained glass windows including one designed by Alfons Mucha; and the Czech Crown Jewels chamber.

Most visitors walk through the cathedral in fifteen minutes. On our Prague Castle & Lesser Town Walking Tour your guide takes you through it at a different pace — pointing out the details that are invisible without context, and telling the stories behind the stone.

The Golden Lane — Franz Kafka lived here

One of the most charming and most overlooked parts of Prague Castle is the Golden Lane — a narrow street of tiny colourful houses originally built for castle guards and later occupied by goldsmiths and alchemists. House number 22 was rented by Franz Kafka's sister in 1916, and Kafka spent his evenings writing there. His works written during this period include A Country Doctor. The houses today hold small exhibitions of life across different centuries — and are well worth taking slowly.