The Royal View from Prague Castle

Any guy will tell you his home is his castle, but for some guys that's factually true. All I'm saying is, if you were a Czech king, president or Holy Roman Emperor, you had it pretty good at the Prague Castle.

The 1100-year-old Prague Castle is quite possibly the largest ancient castle still in existence. At least that's what the people over at Guinness say, and I always trust someone who makes a good brew (I'm joking). It's true magnificence is not its size or age, though, but rather its diversity of architectural heritage. This UNESCO World Heritage site features palaces, churches and other buildings that range from Gothic to Roman to Renaissance in style. Though the earliest construction happened in the late 800s, future rulers added structures -- e.g. St. Vitus Cathedral, the Basilica of Saint George, the first Bohemian convent, palaces -- in subsequent centuries and reflected the styles of the times. In addition to housing the Crown Jewels, the castle also features a National Gallery collection, a toy museum and a picture gallery, and the courtyard even hosts the Shakespeare festivals.

In future posts, I will talk about the free sections of the castle, but for now I want to focus on the sights inside that are accessible only through a ticket purchase. The ticketed journey starts in the Old Royal Palace, where the earliest action happened in the ancient castle, especially in its top-floor Vladislav Hall. The palace, which features a large terrace with a gorgeous city view, also housed the Crown Jewels during World War II in order to protect them from the Nazi air strikes.

Heading into the next courtyard, you encounter St. George's Basilica. Built in the 900s, this Romanesque church is the second oldest in all of Prague. Today, it hosts artworks from the Baroque, Gothic and Rudolphian periods.

The final stop on the ticket tour (note: there are longer tours than the one I took) is the Golden Lane. Dating back to the 15th century, this street features 11 historic homes from that time period that have been converted into things like a medieval armory (similar to the Tonic intern training room actually) and naturally a series of shops. Despite its commercialism, it's actually a beautiful street where you can sit down for a meal or buy imitation crown jewels or even pieces of armor. The second-floor armory itself is also worth a look with its gorgeous painted shields.

The Prague Castle is the clear highlight of any Czech trip, and there's more to be written about its lovely garden and stunning cathedral in future posts. You just have to make sure, if you're visiting Prague, to put the castle at the top of the to-do list.