Prague Castle & Charles Bridge

The huge hilltop complex known collectively as Prague Castle (Prazský Hrad), on Hradcanské námestí, encompasses dozens of houses, towers, churches, courtyards, and monuments. A visit to the castle can easily take an entire day or more, depending on how thoroughly you explore it. Still, you can see the top sights -- St. Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, the Powder Tower, and Golden Lane -- in the space of a morning or an afternoon.

Although the individual attractions are closed, you can also explore the castle complex at night, as it's generally lit until midnight, or make a return trip to see the Gothic art in St. George's Convent. The complex is always guarded and is said to be safe to wander at night, but keep to the lighted areas of the courtyards just to be sure.

If you're feeling particularly fit, you can walk up to the castle, or you can take metro line A to Malostranská or Hradcanská or tram no. 22 or 23.

Tickets & Castle Information -- Tickets are sold at the Prague Castle Information Center in the second courtyard after you pass through the main gate from Hradcanské námestí. The center also arranges tours in various languages and sells tickets for individual concerts and exhibits. The castle is located at Hradcanské námestí, Hradcany, Praha 1 (tel. 224-373-368; Fax 224-310-896; www.hrad.cz). Admission to St. Vitus Cathedral and the grounds is free. A combination ticket for a tour of the Royal Palace (including "The Story of Prague Castle" permanent exhibition, St. George's Basilica, Powder Tower, Golden Lane, Daliborka Tower, and the Prague Castle Picture Gallery), without a guide costs 350Kc ($17/£8.35) adults, 175Kc ($8.35/£4.15) students; the short tour (Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, Golden Lane, and Daliborka Tower) costs 250Kc ($12/£5.95) adults, 125Kc ($5.95/£3) students. For guided tours (groups of five and more), supplement 100Kc ($4.75/£2.40) per person and hour (4 hr. minimum) only Tues-Sun 9am-4pm). All tours are free for children under 6. Tickets are valid for 2 days. The castle is open daily 9am to 6pm (to 4pm Nov-Mar). Metro: Malostranská, then tram no. 22 or 23, up the hill two stops.

St. Vitus Cathedral (Chrám sv. Víta)

St. Vitus Cathedral (Chrám sv. Víta), named for a wealthy 4th-century Sicilian martyr, isn't just the dominant part of the castle, it's the most important section historically. In April 1997, Pope John Paul II paid his third visit to Prague in 7 years, this time to honor the thousandth anniversary of the death of 10th-century Slavic evangelist St. Vojtech. He conferred the saint's name on the cathedral along with St. Vitus's, but officially the Czech state calls it just St. Vitus.

Built over various phases beginning in A.D. 926 as the court church of the Premyslid princes, the cathedral has long been the center of Prague's religious and political life. The key part of its Gothic construction took place in the 14th century under the direction of Mathias of Arras and Peter Parlér of Gmuend. In the 18th and 19th centuries, subsequent baroque and neo-Gothic additions were made. The Golden Portal entrance from the third courtyard is no longer used; however, take a look above the arch. The 1370 mosaic The Last Judgment has been painstakingly restored with the help of computer-aided imagery provided by American art researchers.

As you enter the cathedral through the back entrance into the main aisle, the colored light streaming through the intricate stained-glass windows that rise to the Gothic ceiling above the high altar may dazzle you. The center windows, restored in the 2 years after World War II, depict the Holy Trinity, with the Virgin Mary to the left and St. Wenceslas kneeling to the right.

Of the massive Gothic cathedral's 21 chapels, the St. Wenceslas Chapel (Svatováclavská kaple) stands out as one of Prague's few must-see, indoor sights. Midway toward the high altar on the right, it's encrusted with hundreds of pieces of jasper and amethyst and decorated with paintings from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The chapel sits atop the gravesite of Bohemia's patron saint, St. Wenceslas.

Just beyond this, the Chapel of the Holy Rood (Kaple sv. Kríze) leads to the entrance of the underground royal crypt. In the early 1900s, the crypt was reconstructed, and the remains of the kings and their relatives were replaced in new sarcophagi. The center sarcophagus is the final resting place of Charles IV, the favorite Bohemian king who died in 1378 and is the namesake of much of Prague. In the back row are Charles's four wives (all in one sarcophagus), and in front of them is George of Podebrady, the last Bohemian king, who died in 1471.

Continuing Through the Castle Complex

For more than 700 years, beginning in the 9th century, Bohemian kings and princes resided in the Royal Palace (Královský palác), located in the third courtyard of the castle grounds. Vaulted Vladislav Hall (Vladislavský sál), the interior's centerpiece, hosted coronations and is still used for special occasions of state such as inaugurations of presidents. The adjacent Diet was where kings and queens met with their advisers and where the Supreme Court was held. From a window in the Ludwig Wing, where the Bohemia Chancellery met, the Second Defenestration took place. Since 2004, a new part of the permanent exhibition called "The Story of Prague Castle" has been presented within the Royal Palace. This project shows the transformation of the castle from the prehistoric period up to the present. For information and booking, contact tel. 224-373-102 (www.pribeh-hradu.cz). It is open daily from 9am to 5pm and the 90-minute presentation costs 140Kc ($6.65/£3.35) adults, 70Kc ($3.35/£1.65) students. The castle's tour ticket includes admission to this exposition as well.

St. George's Basilica (Bazilika sv. Jirí), adjacent to the Royal Palace, is Prague's oldest Romanesque structure, dating from the 10th century. It also houses Bohemia's first convent. No longer serving a religious function, the convent contains a gallery of Gothic Czech art that you should see on a separate visit, if you have the time.

Inside the sparse and eerie basilica you will find relics of the castle's history along with a genealogy of those who have passed through it. If you look carefully at the outer towers, you'll notice that they're slightly different from each other: They have an Adam-and-Eve motif. The wider south tower represents Adam, while the narrower north tower is Eve.

Golden Lane (Zlatá ulicka) and Daliborka Tower is a picturesque street of tiny 16th-century houses built into the castle fortifications. Once home to castle sharpshooters, the houses now contain small shops, galleries, and refreshment bars. In 1917, Franz Kafka is said to have lived briefly at no. 22; however, the debate continues as to whether Kafka actually took up residence or just worked in a small office there.

The Prague Castle Picture Gallery (Obrazárna Prazského hradu) displays European and Bohemian masterpieces, but few are from the original imperial collection, which was virtually destroyed during the Thirty Years' War. Of the works that have survived from the days of Emperors Rudolf II and Ferdinand III, the most celebrated is Hans von Aachen's Portrait of a Girl (1605-10), depicting the artist's daughter.

The Powder Tower (Prasná vez, aka Mihulka) forms part of the northern bastion of the castle complex just off the Golden Lane. Originally a gunpowder storehouse and a cannon tower, it was turned into a laboratory for the 17th-century alchemists serving the court of Emperor Rudolf II.

Crossing the Vltava: Charles Bridge

Dating from the 14th century, Charles Bridge (Karluv most), Prague's most celebrated structure, links Prague Castle to Staré Mesto. For most of its 600 years, the 510m-long (1,673-ft.) span has been a pedestrian promenade, though for centuries walkers had to share the concourse with horse-drawn vehicles and trolleys. Today, the bridge is filled with folks walking among artists and busking musicians. In 2007 cleaning and revitalization of the bridge has started, but it still will be accessible for pedestrians throughout the process. Also, new gas lamps will be installed here again to bring back the authenticity of old ages.

The best times to stroll across the bridge are early morning and around sunset, when the crowds have thinned, the shadows are more mysterious and you can take in the 30 statues lining the bridge.