3 · Castle & churches
Golden Lane
Tiny houses built into the castle walls in the 16th century; Franz Kafka wrote in number 22.
- Built
- Late 16th century
- Open
- Daily with a castle ticket
- Entry
- With a castle ticket
The little houses were built into the arches of the castle’s northern wall for the castle’s guards and craftsmen at the end of the 16th century. Legend says Rudolf II’s alchemists worked here; in truth, goldsmiths gave the lane its name.
Franz Kafka used number 22, rented by his sister Ottla, as a quiet place to write in the winter of 1916–17. The houses are now furnished as they might have been through the centuries.
Walks that pass here
On the map
Nearby on the map
Castle & churches · 1344–1929
St Vitus Cathedral
The Gothic heart of the castle, begun in 1344 and finished in 1929, with the tombs of kings and a window by Alfons Mucha.
Gardens & river · 1623–1630
Wallenstein Garden
A baroque garden with a grand loggia, a dripstone wall and peacocks, made for the general Albrecht von Wallenstein.
Castle & churches · 1704–1755
St Nicholas Church
The finest baroque church in Prague, with a green dome over the Lesser Town; Mozart played its organ in 1787.
Castle & churches · From the 9th century
Prague Castle
A thousand years of kings and presidents on one hill: three courtyards, palaces, churches and the best view over the red roofs.