2 · Castle & churches
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.
- Built
- 1344–1929
- Open
- Mon–Sat 9:00–17:00, Sun from 12:00 (shorter in winter)
- Entry
- With a castle ticket
Charles IV had the cathedral begun in 1344, with Matthias of Arras and then Peter Parler as master builders. Wars and money stopped the work for centuries; the nave and the west front were only finished in 1929, almost six hundred years later.
Inside, look for the Chapel of St Wenceslas with its walls of semi-precious stones, the silver tomb of St John of Nepomuk and Alfons Mucha’s stained-glass window in the New Archbishop’s Chapel.
Walks that pass here
On the map
Nearby on the map
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.
Streets & squares · Houses from the Middle Ages to baroque
Nerudova Street
The steep street up to the castle, its houses named by signs: two suns, three fiddles, a golden horseshoe.
Castle & churches · Late 16th century
Golden Lane
Tiny houses built into the castle walls in the 16th century; Franz Kafka wrote in number 22.
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.