Prague Castle - just 1,5 min walk from Golden Horse

Prague Castle has retained churches, chapels, halls and towers from every period of its history. From the Gothic splendour of St Vitus´s Cathedral to the Renaissance additions of Rudolph II, the last Habsburg to use the Castle as his principal residence. The courtyards date from 1753 - 75, when the whole area was rebuilt in Late Baroque and neo - classical styles. The Castle became the seat of the Czechoslovak president in 1918, and the current president of the Czech Republic has an office here.

Star sights of Prague castle:

St Vitus´s Cathedral

Work began on the city´s most distinctive landmark in 1344 on the orders of John of Luxembourg. The first architect was the French Matthew of Arras. After his death, Swabian Peter Parler took over. His masons´lodge continued to work on the building until the Hussite Wars. Finally completed by 19th and 20th centrury architects and artists, the cathedral houses the crown jewels and the tomb of “Good King” Wenceslas.

Royal Palace

The palace was the seat of Bohemian princes from the 11th century. The building consists of three different architectural layers. A Romanesque palace built by Sobeslav I around 1135 forms the cellars of the present building. Premysl Otakar II and Charles IV then added their own palaces above this, while the top floor, built for Vladislav Jagiello, contains the massive Gothic Vladislav Hall.

St George´s Basilica and Convent

Founded by Prince Vratislav (915 – 21) the basilica predates St Vitus´s Cathedral and it’s the best-preserved Romanesque church in Prague. It was enlarged in 973 when the adjoing St George´s Convent was established here, and rebuilt following a fire in 1142. The massive twin towers and austere interior have been scrupulously restored to give a good idea of the church´s original appearance.
St George´s convent

The first convent in Bohemia was founded here close to the Royal Palace in 973 by prince Boleslav II. His sister Mlada was its first abbess. Today it houses the National Gallery´s collection of Bohemian Baroque art. It shows works by some of the best Baroque masters, including the painters Karel Škréta, Petr Brandl and Václav Vavřinec Reiner, and the sculptor Matyáš Bernard Braun.

Golden Lane

Named after the goldsmiths who lived here in the 17th century, this short, narrow street is one of the most picturesque in Prague. One side of the lane is lined with tiny, brightly painted houses which were built right into the arches of the Castle walls. They were constructed in the late 1500s for Rudolph II´s 24 Castle guards. A century later the goldsmiths moved in and modified the buildings.
Golden lane has been home to some well-known writers, including the Nobel prize – winning poet, Jaroslav Seifert, and Franz Kafka.