The story of Prague Castle

According to the Guinness Book of Records, this is the largest ancient castle in the world, covering almost 70,000 square metres, about 570 metres long. It has been the seat of power for over a thousand years: Bohemian kings, Holy Roman emperors and presidents have all ruled from here, and today it is the official residence of the Czech president.

Its story began in 870 with its first walled building, the Church of the Virgin Mary; soon came the basilicas of St. George and St. Vitus. Charles IV rebuilt the palace in Gothic style and began the great cathedral, finished almost six centuries later, on 28 September 1929. In 1485 King Vladislaus II added the vast Vladislav Hall.

Rudolf II made it his main residence and filled the Spanish Hall with his art collections, many looted by the Swedes in 1648. In 1618 the Third Defenestration of Prague here sparked the Bohemian Revolt. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept in a hidden room inside.