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Prague Sights

Prague Castle

5 reviews | Write a review

Good for: sightseeing

Not good for: Panorama hotel is bad, those who want to be impressed

  • Address
    • Hradčanské Námĕstí Hradčany
  • Website
  • Phone
    • tel, info: 224 372 423
    • tel, info: 224 373 368
  • Price
    • Castle entry is free, but individual attractions charge entry fee.
  • Hours
    • castle grounds (5am-midnight Apr-Oct, 6am-11pm Nov-Mar); castle gardens (10am-6pm Apr & Oct, to 7pm May & Sep, to 9pm Jul & Aug, closed Nov-Mar); historic buildings (9am-6pm Apr-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Mar)

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Lonely Planet review for Prague Castle

Prague Castle – Pražský hrad, or just hrad to Czechs – is Prague’s most popular attraction. According to Guinness World Records, it’s the largest ancient castle in the world: 570m long, an average of 128m wide and covering a total area bigger than seven football fields. Its history begins in the 9th century when Prince Bořivoj founded a fortified settlement here. It grew haphazardly as rulers made their own additions, creating an eclectic mixture of architectural styles. The castle has always been the seat of Czech rulers as well as the official residence of the head of state, although the Czech Republic’s first president, Václav Havel, chose to live in his own house on the outskirts of the city. Prague Castle has seen four major reconstructions, from that of Prince Soběslav in the 12th century to a classical face-lift under Empress Maria Theresa (r 1740–80). In the 1920s President Masaryk hired a Slovene architect, Jože Plečnik, to renovate the castle; his changes created some of its most memorable features and made the complex more tourist-friendly. There are six different tickets (each valid for two days), which allow entry to various combinations of sights; you can buy tickets at either of two information centres (224 373 368, 224 372 423; www.hrad.cz; 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Mar) in the Second and Third Courtyards, or from ticket offices at the entrances to Golden Lane, the Old Royal Palace and the Story of Prague Castle exhibition. Concession prices are for those aged seven to 16, students and disabled visitors; children aged six or under get in free. The family ticket is valid for two adults and any children aged 16 or under. Taking photographs indoors will cost you an extra 50Kč, and the use of a flash or tripod is not allowed. Tickets listed here do not include admission to other art galleries and museums within the castle grounds; those admission costs are listed in the individual reviews.

 

Traveller reviews for Prague Castle (5)

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    tons of stuff to do

    chovanic recommends this,

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    prague=wondrous and magical; prague castle=horrible ripoff

    senoritagloriosa does not recommend this,

    I completely agree with previous poster about the people who sell tickets at prague castle. I had heard that you could see some of the sight for free (very expensive to purchase ticket). A guy on the first ticket sales office on the right when we entered from the tram said No, this was not possible. When we said we'd think about it, he trashed us in Czech to his co-worker. When my husband went back to buy a ticket, he made an anti-Semitic comment. My husband was very offended, although he is not Jewish (not that that should make a difference). Meanwhile, what we saw for the middle-priced ticket was boring and not worth the money (including an empty ballroom). This was the only negative experience we had in Prague, which we both really loved.

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    Nice city, cheap food, but don�t stay at Panorama Hotel.

    paulofer recommends this,

    a nice place to visit. However don�t stay at Panorama hotel because they give you a room without air conditioning under 80F, and they charge you US$ 5.00 for a glass fo water. The rooms are dirty (other 5 passengers also complained) and the service is very poor.

    Good for: sightseeing

    Not good for: Panorama hotel is bad

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    Very nice place to visit

    waynehobson recommends this,

    A nice handy guidebook is all you need to tell you all the relevant things regarding the castle. It is perched on a hilltop in prague and gives you stunning views of the whole city. It is clean and very quiet especially during the winter periods. The cathedral is also spectacular and the inner grounds of the castle were great. One can easily spend half a day strolling around the castle ground. If you come early enough you are able to see the change of guard taking place everyday.

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    Worst castle ever

    canyonskies does not recommend this,

    The Royal Castle in Prague was truly awful. The Lonely Planet guidebook on Prague raved about it but the praises are totally undeserved. This place turned out to be the most disappointing royal castle or palace I had ever visited in Europe or anywhere else. First, the castle staff actively tries to swindle you. At the first small ticket office at the main entrance, they insist to visitors that there is absolutely no English inside and that one must get an audio guide to understand what he's looking at. This is a big fat lie. There are English signs all over the place inside.

    The audio guide is also freakishly expensive. It costs nearly twice as much as the admissions ticket for a short tour of the castle. The castle staff also bundles up the price of the ticket with the audio guide so you don't actually know what you're paying for. All in all, I ended up paying about $40 for the combo. The price would have been worth it for a place as grand as the Forbidden City in Beijing, but absolutely not for the crappy Prague Royal Castle.

    This place is the complete opposite of what anyone could think of as grand or royal. The interiors of the buildings (with the exception of the cathedral) are really sparse and truly uninteresting. The cathedral is the only building in the entire place that is actually impressive, but you can walk into the nave for free. You can also roam the grounds of the castle for free. So buying a ticket for the absurdly overpriced audio guide or a ticket for any tour is not necessary. If you think that you might miss out on some interesting exhibit, you're wrong. The exhibits inside are totally uninteresting and are in fact quite shabby looking.

    Bottom line, You would not be at a huge loss if you never bother to visit this place, but if you do visit, DO NOT PAY and do not buy the audio guide that the staff here wants to sell you. They are a bunch of liars. Even Third World countries rife with corruption do not try to swindle you at national museums or palaces or castles. The fact that this happens in Prague reflects really poorly on the Czech Republic as a country.

    Not good for: those who want to be impressed

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