Prague Castle 🏰 | One of the Must-Visit Attractions

Prague Castle (including St. Vitus Cathedral), the largest ancient castle complex in the world, covers an area of 70,000 square meters. St. Vitus Cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture—magnificent and awe-inspiring. Its stunning stained-glass windows are particularly captivating when sunlight shines through them, creating a breathtaking effect. You can also climb to the top of the cathedral for a panoramic view of Prague, with its iconic sea of red rooftops and countless spires. 🗺️ Navigation Route 🙅 Avoid following the default map route to Prague Castle (as shown in the upper part of Figure 4), as it involves steep uphill walking and can be extremely tiring. 👍 Instead, take the tram to Prazsky hrad station. From there, it’s a flat walk directly to the entrance of the cathedral. 🔵 Although this route is slightly longer, most of the journey is on the tram, and the total time is similar. It effectively takes you directly to the hilltop, allowing you to start exploring the castle from above. 🎫 Ticket Guide ▶️ Circuit A (Main Circuit): Covers the architectural highlights (marked with red Roman numerals in Figure 6) — 450 CZK/person. Includes St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, and Golden Lane. ▶️ Circuit B (Exhibition Circuit): Covers permanent exhibitions (marked with blue Roman numerals) — 300 CZK/person. 👍 The Main Circuit is highly recommended, as it includes the four core attractions. The exhibitions are optional and may not be worth it for everyone. 👍 Also, make sure to climb the South Tower for a spectacular bird’s-eye view of Prague’s red rooftops—especially during golden hour, it’s a photographer’s dream! ➡️ South Tower admission: 200 CZK/person. Open from 10:00 to 17:30 (closes at 16:00 in winter). Note ⚠️: Last entry at 15:40, tickets stop selling at 16:00. 🚶 Recommended Route 👍 Optimized Route: Prazsky hrad station → St. Vitus Cathedral → South Tower climb → Old Royal Palace → St. George’s Basilica → Golden Lane (blue route marked in the lower part of Figure 6). The Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, and Golden Lane are secondary attractions—worth visiting if time allows, but not essential. The cathedral itself is immense and impressive, both inside and out, ranking among Europe’s grandest churches. Its stained-glass windows are particularly remarkable. 📍 Climbing the South Tower of St. Vitus Cathedral Enter through a side entrance of the cathedral (clearly signposted for the South Tower) to buy tickets and begin the climb. The ascent involves 287 spiral steps and takes about 10-15 minutes. The path is narrow and shared for both ascending and descending. From the top, you can enjoy sweeping views of Prague, including the iconic Charles Bridge. The best time to visit is near sunset for optimal lighting (note: in winter, the tower may close before sunset). #OffTheBeatenPath #PragueTravel #PragueGuide #PragueCastle #PragueCastleGuide #StVitusCathedral #CzechTravel #PragueTourism #PragueSquare