Royal city of Hradcany and Prague Castle. Prague Castle and Hradcany: Prague's main attractions in this area. Monument to Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler

Development Prague Castle and Hradcany – historical part

the Czech capital, where many of Prague's main attractions are located. Hradcany is located on a hill and stretches from the central gate of Prague Castle in a western direction. I will provide short description and photos of five main sites in the area that travelers to Prague should see. All these attractions have been published individual articles

on the blog, and using the links provided, it is easy to find out more detailed information.

Prague Castle The castle castle is the main and special attraction of the Czech Republic. The development of Prague began with the fortress. This entire territory has accumulated thousand-year history

and thanks to this fact alone it arouses interest.

Don't lose sight of the ones located under the walls of the fortress. The gardens themselves are interesting, and the views from the alleys and viewing platforms are excellent.

Another garden belonging to Prague Castle is located to the north and is separated from the fortress area by the Deer Moat. The garden is excellent:

Quite spacious, filled with sculptures by Matthias Braun, and has interesting architectural objects. The park part will be completed in the Renaissance style, named after Queen Anne. In front of the palace there is an elegant fountain, which is called a singing fountain for the ringing sound of falling drops. The 17th-century fountain is cast from metal intended for a bell.

Prague Loreta It is the center of Hradcany. This is an interesting pilgrimage and tourist site. The complex is presented architectural structure

, consisting of a facade and side galleries. On the bell tower there is a carillon that plays a melody every hour that glorifies the Virgin Mary.

The architectural square is closed by the Church of the Nativity with magnificent decoration in the Baroque and Rococo styles. And the sacred object of this complex is similar to the Italian one, with a sculpture of the Black Madonna.

On the second floor above the Loreto galleries there is a collection of unique liturgical objects. Among them, the most valuable exhibit is the Prague Sun with 6222 diamonds.

One of the oldest monasteries in Prague, still active today, is adjacent to Hradcany from the side of Petrin Hill.

The monastery leads a fairly open way of life. Some of its facilities function as museums. This is a beautiful baroque library with a Theological and Philosophical Hall, where printed publications and manuscripts, some of which are over 500 years old. The Church of St. Roch also serves as an art gallery.

There is a brewery on site and restaurants where people can go for St. Norbert beer, brewed according to an old recipe.

Hradcanska Square and Sternberg Palace

It stretches in front of the main gate of Prague Castle, is surrounded by palaces, and in its central part there is a plague pillar and an attractive gas lamp. This whole space with palaces is also interesting to explore. The Archbishop's and Schwarzenberg Palaces especially attract attention.

Our tips for visiting Prague Castle: what attractions to see, opening hours, ticket prices, excursions, how to get there. Our photos and reviews of Prague Castle.

We liked Prague Castle (Pražský hrad): you can be transported to the Middle Ages, if you ignore the ubiquitous tourist groups with a guide. The area of ​​the fortress is large, so tourists disperse and hardly disturb. Here we described only those sights of Prague Castle that we visited ourselves.

Tip 1: arrive as early as possible if you want to avoid the crowds. You can also come with the intention of watching the sunset.

Tip 2: Eat a hearty meal before visiting the fortress, as establishments in Prague Castle are expensive. A thorough inspection will take you about half a day.

Imperial Gate and Changing of the Guard

The changing of the guard with the orchestra occurs daily at 12:00. There are many people who want to watch the show, and if you short stature, we're sorry - you won't see almost anything. It is useless to take up space, since the guards disperse the tourists who have accumulated in front of the gate so that the guard can get out and enter. All that remains is to maneuver through the crowd at the moment the guards leave and make your way to the front rows. Lucky owners of long legs and sharp elbows will be lucky.

Photo of the saddest soldier in the Czech Republic.

Due to the crowds of tourists you will see something like this.

Katedrála svatého Víta, Václava a Vojtěcha - this is the Czech name for St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle.

The lacy Gothic cathedral will suddenly appear in front of you as you enter the third courtyard. Incredibly impressive! The cathedral is interesting both in cloudy and sunny weather. Tickets cannot be purchased separately, only as part of a combo. You can only see part of the cathedral for free - they won’t let you go beyond the red ribbon without a ticket, and the sullen guards turn everyone away.

Old Royal Palace

The modest setting of the old royal palace (Starý královský palác) is more reminiscent of a monastery than a palace. Nevertheless, it was unexpectedly interesting. The Vladislavsky Hall and the room with coats of arms are beautiful. You can only take photographs if you purchase a permit (50 CZK).

Basilica of St. George

Basilica of St. George (Bazilika svatého Jiří) is a small Romanesque church. This is the oldest church in Prague Castle - it has existed since 920. It is gloomy, echoing, and you can feel the grave cold of the ancient slabs. The acoustics are excellent: concerts are held here.

Golden Lane

On Golden Street (Zlatá ulička) there are the same colorful houses that you have seen in numerous photographs of Prague. They are built into the fortress wall. The street, although overly popular with tourists, is extremely interesting. In some houses there are shops, in others the life of artisans has been restored. Kafka lived in house number 22. Everything is very nice and cozy.

In the tower of the fortress wall there is a torture room and an exhibition of armor and weapons. Very authentic! You can get onto the street for free after 16:00 (in winter) and after 17:00 in summer, but almost all the houses will already be closed - except for shops.

Photo of a street without tourists. Wait until the employees close the houses and escort tourists off the street. Take photos at this moment! The main thing is to be on time, since the street is empty for literally 2-3 minutes. Then those who did not buy tickets are allowed through the turnstiles.

Panoramas and gardens

There are plenty of panoramas from the adjacent gardens! There are also some from the fortress itself, we visited two: one at the Dalibork Tower, the other to the right of the Black Gate (this is the end of Prague Castle). Beautiful views of the tiled roofs of the city. We watched the sunset there. The sites are surrounded by tourists, but you can get through.

Gardens. According to tourists, the gardens in Prague are excellent. Since they are closed in winter, we were not able to visit them. IN summer season gardens are open: Royal, Southern, Lumbe, St. Vineyard. Vaclav and others.

Hradcany

Visit Pražská Loreta, Hradcany Square and the palaces. Tourists advise finding a quiet baroque street New World(Nový Svět) - there are almost no tourists there, and yet it is one of the most interesting places in Hradcany. We were not there, as we learned about it much later.

Ticket to Loreta costs 150 CZK. Opening hours: daily at summer period from 9:00 to 17:00, in winter - 9:30 to 16:00. Closed on some holidays. Audio guide - 150 CZK, photo permission - 100 CZK.

Opening hours of Prague Castle

• During the summer season (April 1 - October 31), the complex is open from 6:00 to 22:00, and the historical buildings from 9:00 to 17:00. Cathedral of St. Vita in Sun is open from 12:00 to 17:00.
• During the winter season (November 1 - March 31), the complex is open from 6:00 to 22:00, and the historical buildings from 9:00 to 16:00. Cathedral of St. Vita in Sun is open from 12:00 to 16:00.

IN winter holidays attractions operate on special schedules, so check the opening hours of Prague Castle at.

In general, you can walk around Prague Castle for free. But entry to many attractions is only available as part of combo tickets. We recommend taking district B- this is how you will see the main attractions of Prague Castle. We chose this type of ticket, like most tourists.

Tickets to Prague Castle are valid for 2 days: on the day of purchase and the next day.

Where to buy tickets:

• in the information centers in the second and third courtyards;
• in an art gallery;
• in the old royal palace;
• at two ticket offices on Golden Street.

It is prohibited to photograph the interiors - you need to buy a special permit for 50 CZK. Do not use a tripod or flash. The permit does not apply to some exhibitions ("History of Prague Castle", "Treasure of St. Vitus Cathedral" and the art gallery).

Tours of Prague Castle

Where to find a Russian-speaking guide:

• In tourist places (for example, Old Town Square or Wenceslas Square).
• IN information center in the third courtyard of Prague Castle for 100 CZK per person (minimum 4 people). The tour takes place around the Cathedral of St. Vita and the old royal palace and lasts 1 hour.
• The site has many interesting excursions from local guides - from classic sightseeing tours to highly specialized ones.

There are 5 ways to get to Prague Castle, which are shown in the screenshot above. Let's tell you more about each.

1. The first way is simplest: Take tram number 22 and get off at the Prague Castle stop (Pražský hrad), then turn left and go straight. In 5 minutes you will reach the second courtyard of Prague Castle.
2. The second way is the possibility at the same time see Hradcany. You need tram number 22 and stop Pohořelec. Then walk for about 10 minutes along Hradcany past Loreta until you come to Hradcany Square.
3. Third option. Here you will have to sweat because of the climb, but you will be rewarded beautiful views on the way to the roofs of Mala Strana. Take the same tram number 22 and get off at the Malostranské náměstí stop. Turn onto Zámecká street, then onto Thunovská. The stairs will lead you to the Titans Gate. An alternative is to go along Nerudova and then turn onto Ke Hrady street.
4. The fourth way to get to Prague Castle is Metro. Take the green line to the Malostranská station. Follow the tram along the rails for about 100 meters and turn onto the Old Castle Staircase. Along it you will come to the Na Opyši gate.
5. The fifth option will do only in summer season(April 1 - October 31), as the path passes through the park, which is closed in winter. So, take tram 22 to the Královský letohrádek stop. We enter the Royal Garden, go through it and turn left - this street will lead you to the second courtyard.

Where is Prague Castle on the map?

Photos

Hradcany (Czech Republic) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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On the western side, Hradcany is adjacent to Prague Castle - a rich, noble district of Prague, which, however, was intended, when founded in 1320, for the settlement of palace servants - grooms, cooks, scribes and servants. After the fire of 1541, which destroyed the crappy poor houses, the nobility chose these places to build their palaces and mansions, and the area has since been considered a prestigious place to live.

Attractions Hradcany

Loretan Monastery is the most remarkable monastery in Prague and popular place pilgrimages of Catholics from all over the world. The architect of the “hut” was an Italian who knew the “original”, so the Prague Loreta reproduces the Italian building relatively accurately. The marble hut-chapel (consecrated in 1631) contains fragments of 17th-century frescoes depicting scenes from the childhood of Jesus, and a silver altar.

Loreta, or "holy hut" is a small stone house in the Italian city of Loreta, in which the Archangel Gabriel communicated to the Virgin Mary good news about the future birth of Christ. According to legend, the hut was brought to Italy from Palestine by angels in the 13th century. In the 16th – 18th centuries. Copies of the hut appeared all over the Czech Republic, rather reminiscent, however, of Renaissance palaces. This was due to the active process of re-Catholicization of the Czech Republic.

Church of the Nativity (1730s) - main temple monastery, amazes with fresco paintings and a magnificent organ. Musical bells from the late 17th century installed on the bell tower. They still delight the ear with melodious ringing. On the territory it is also worth visiting an ancient well, baroque fountains and a gallery surrounding the courtyard, on the second floor of which there is a monastery treasury. The famous monstrance (1699), otherwise called the “Prague Sun,” is exhibited here. This jewelry miracle is made of gold and silver, decorated with 6222 diamonds and weighs 12 kg.

The Old Town Hall is one of the oldest buildings in Hradcany, whose narrow façade is decorated with paintings.

The Church of St. Benedict (XIV century) belongs to the Carmelite monastery and can be visited only during morning services. The main shrine - the mummy of the founder of the monastery, Maria Electra - is kept near the main altar.

The Church of John of Nepomuk (1729) was built in the Baroque style for the Ursuline monastery. Behind it is the oldest Capuchin monastery in the Czech Republic (1600-1602). In the courtyard of the monastery, the court astronomer and astrologer Tycho Brahe worked in his observatory, and in the church the organ on which Mozart played was preserved.

Strahov Monastery is one of the oldest and largest monasteries in the Czech Republic; it was rebuilt several times; buildings in the Baroque style have survived to this day. The main attraction is the library with manuscripts from the 11th century. and first printed books (total approx. 130,000 books). The monastery's art gallery (Strahovská obrazárna), which has more than 1,000 paintings, has also become widely known. From the observation deck eastern walls The monastery offers a wonderful view of the Vltava and Mala Strana.

Hradcany

Palaces in Hradcany

• Archbishop's Palace (1538), rebuilt in the 18th century. rococo. In the second half. XVI century here was the residence of the Prague archbishops, the archbishop's coat of arms adorning the façade of the palace reminds of this.
• Sternberg Palace (1770), which now houses the National Gallery. In the halls of the palace you can admire works of art from antiquity to the 18th century. - works by Bruegel, Durer, El Greco, Goya, Murillo, Rubens, Rembrandt and others.
• Martinice Palace (XVI century) was rebuilt in mid-17th century V. Distinctive feature buildings in decorating the walls with paintings of biblical scenes, made using the sgraffito technique.

Sgraffito is a technique for making a pattern on plaster, the essence of which is that the required number of layers of plaster are applied to the wall different colors, and then, according to the artist’s plan, they scrape off the top layers onto different depths to the desired color. Sgraffito was widely used during the Renaissance.

• The Tuscan Palace (1691), which now houses the Czech Foreign Ministry, belonged to the Dukes of Tuscany until 1918. The facade is decorated with the ducal coat of arms and statues of the seven liberal arts.
• The Schwarzenberg Palace (1545-1677), commissioned by the wealthy Schwarzenberg family, is also decorated with sgraffito paintings. The palace building today is occupied by a military history museum.
• Chernin Palace (beginning of construction 1667) is an impressive structure, the customer of which, Count Chernin, dreamed of amaze his contemporaries with a building comparable in beauty to Venetian palazzos, but died before the completion of the work.

After visiting all the palaces and churches that Hradcany is rich in, you will enjoy a leisurely walk along the tiny Nový Svět street, which is popular in late XIX V. representatives of bohemia and at one time considered the “Prague Montmartre”. The plaque at No. 1 states that Tycho Brahe, the Astronomer Royal, lived here.

Attractions

One of the main objects of Hradcany is Prague Castle, which gave its name to the entire area. This beautiful building served as the residence of kings for a long time. Now some representatives are buried here royal families. At the beginning of the 20th century, Prague Castle became the headquarters of the country's president.

To get to the castle, you need to go through the gate from Hradcany Square. They are guarded by amazing figures of giants, which were created by Ignác František Platzer. Every day at exactly noon you can see the changing of the guard.

The second castle courtyard is separated by the beautiful Mateusz Gate. Here you can take a closer look at the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the Picture Gallery of Prague Castle, and there is a fountain in the center of the courtyard. The Gallery exhibits wonderful works by famous European masters such as Titian, Brandl, Rubens, Veronese and others. The decoration of the collection is the image of the Madonna of Ara Coeli, made in the 14th century.

From the second courtyard you can get to the third. In the center rises Cathedral St. Vitus. For several centuries he served the believers. Coronations, baptisms, funerals or weddings took place there. Inside the temple amazes with its splendor. Twenty-two large chapels are unique, each of them is made using gold and precious stones. In the center stands a tomb, and in the corner there is an entrance to a special chamber where the treasures of the rulers of the Czech Republic are kept. The keys to the safe are held by the head of state and key government officials.

The historical beginning of Hradcany is the current Hradcany Square, located right next to Prague Castle. It is here that you can see the most luxurious Prague palaces and it is here, on the square at the main entrance to Prague Castle, that the traditional ceremonial event, accompanied by music, takes place every day at noon - the changing of the guard of honor.

The palaces located around Hradcany Square are valuable architectural monuments. The archbishop's palace of the early 16th century, decorated with columns and stucco, has perfectly preserved its rich baroque interiors to this day. And the Martinice Palace preserves in its original form its unique facade drawings (sgraffito), depicting religious scenes. The superb Tuscan Palace, built in Baroque style in 1691, is decorated with many valuable sculptures by Czech and Italian masters, including the statues of the Seven Liberal Arts decorating the balustrade and the sculpture of Michael the Archangel.

The Sternberg Palace, built in the 18th century, now houses an exhibition European art National Gallery of the Czech Republic. And in the Schwarzenberg Palace, an architectural monument of the 17th century, which has almost completely preserved its original external and interior decoration, including unique facade sgraffito and interior artistic painting, today houses the Military History Museum.

On the territory of Hradcany Square there is also the Marian Column, otherwise called the “Plague Pillar”. This monument was erected in 1726 in gratitude from the townspeople for getting rid of the plague. At the top of the column there is a statue of the Virgin Mary, and on pedestals around the column there are sculptures of patron saints to whom the population and clergy prayed for salvation from the disease.

IN late XVI century, Hradcany was granted self-government, which means there was a need to build a town hall in which this self-government would be carried out. Hradcany Town Hall was built in 1598 in the Renaissance style and functioned as a residence local authorities until the unification of the Prague cities in 1784. When it was no longer needed, the town hall was converted into a residential building, which is what it is today. The main historical value today is the facade of the Hradcany Town Hall, preserved in its original form, on which you can still see ancient drawings - sgraffito of the Imperial and Hradcany coats of arms and the Allegory of Justice. And the seemingly unremarkable metal strip nailed to the wooden gates of the town hall is an accurate old Bohemian measure of length called the “Czech cubit”, equal to 59.4 cm.

Loreta (Pražská Loreta) is one of the most famous sights of Prague and is a complex of religious buildings, including the Prague Loreta itself (Church of the Nativity of the Lord), a monastery, the Loreto Treasury, as well as the Holy Hut of the Virgin Mary of Loreta, created in the image of the Italian shrine, from which the construction of the Prague Loreta began in 1626, which lasted more than a hundred years. The Treasury of the Prague Loreta houses the most valuable Czech collection of works of art and ancient religious objects from precious metals and stones, the oldest of which is a silver gilded Gothic chalice from 1510 - a bowl with images of the patron saints of the Czech Republic. An equally valuable item in the collection is the so-called “Prague Sun” or “Diamond” monstrance of 1698 - a gilded tabernacle inlaid with more than six thousand diamonds. The tower of the Loreto monastery is decorated with ancient mechanical chimes with 27 bells, which are more than four hundred years old. The arrival of each new hour is greeted by the chimes with a melodious chime - a hymn to the Virgin Mary.

Another interesting attraction of Loretan Square is the Cherninsky Palace, built by order of the royal ambassador Jan Chernin in the Baroque style in early XVIII century.

One of the oldest Premonstratensian (Catholic monastic order) monasteries in the world is the Strahov Monastery, which takes its name from the word “guard”, since the area in Hradčany where the monastery was built for a long time was the location of the royal guards who guarded the routes to Prague Castle. The monastery was founded in 1140 and was built in a mixture of Romanesque and gothic styles. The Baroque gate of the central entrance to the Strahov Monastery is crowned with a sculpture of St. Norbert, the founder of the Premonstratensian Order. And the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Strahov Church) is decorated with frescoes, each of which is a page from the life of St. Norbert. The church houses an ancient organ. They say that Mozart himself played it.

Of other churches, the Church of the Nativity of Christ (1730s) is of interest. The interior of the monastery amazes with fresco paintings and a magnificent organ. Musical bells from the late 17th century installed on the bell tower. They still delight the ear with melodious ringing. On the territory it is also worth visiting an ancient well, baroque fountains and a gallery surrounding the courtyard, on the second floor of which there is a monastery treasury. The famous monstrance (1699), otherwise called the “Prague Sun,” is exhibited here. This jewelry miracle is made of gold and silver, decorated with 6222 diamonds and weighs 12 kg.

After visiting all the palaces and churches that Hradcany is rich in, you will enjoy a leisurely walk along the tiny Nový Svět street, popular at the end of the 19th century. representatives of bohemia and at one time considered the “Prague Montmartre”. The plaque at No. 1 states that Tycho Brahe, the Astronomer Royal, lived here.

Don't forget to check out the famous Zolotaya Ulitsa (Zlata Ulicheka). It is a cluster of small houses where souvenir shops and galleries are located. Several centuries ago, jewelry makers and alchemists lived here.

How to get there

Metro: Malostranska (line A), then take tram 22 to Prazsky Hrad or Pohorelec.

Address: Prague 1 - Hradčany

Panorama on the observation tower of St. Vitus Cathedral

Area (Hradčany) was formed at the beginning of the 14th century as a separate settlement of citizens of the City. The main population consisted of artisans and merchants who served the nearby castle. At the end of the 16th century, under the reign Rudolf II Hradcany received the status of a free city. At the same time, he was formed and New World (Novy'Svet), a quarter with a separate architectural style and was considered a poor area. IN late XVIII century, the emperor decided to unite the small cities into one, which was later called Prague.

One of the main objects of Hradcany is considered to be the one that gave the name to the entire area. This beautiful building served as the residence of kings for a long time. Nowadays, some representatives of the royal families are buried here. At the beginning of the 20th century, Prague Castle became the headquarters of the country's president.

To get into the castle, you need to go through the gate on the side Hradcanska Square. They are guarded by amazing figures of giants that were created Ignaz Platzer (Ignác František Platzer). Every day at exactly noon you can see the changing of the guard.

The second castle courtyard is separated by the beautiful Mateusz Gate. Here you can take a closer look at the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the Picture Gallery of Prague Castle, and there is a fountain in the center of the courtyard. The Gallery exhibits wonderful works by famous European masters such as Titian, Brandl, Rubens, Veronese and others. The decoration of the collection is the image of the Madonna of Ara Coeli, made in the 14th century.

From the second courtyard you can get to the third. It rises in the center. For several centuries he served the believers. Coronations, baptisms, funerals or weddings took place there. Inside the temple amazes with its splendor. The twenty-two large chapels are unique, each of them made with gold and precious stones. In the center stands a tomb, and in the corner there is an entrance to a special chamber where the treasures of the rulers of the Czech Republic are kept. The keys to the safe are held by the head of state and key government officials.

Next door to St. Vitus Cathedral is Royal Palace, considered the main architectural structure in Hradcany. Over the course of several centuries, the room was rebuilt and each room retained its own separate history. Riders rode here on their horses, and feasts, balls and elections of the ruler were held in the Vladislav Hall.

To completely immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Hradcany, Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral are not enough, you need to visit the famous. It is a cluster of small houses where souvenir shops and galleries are located. Several centuries ago, jewelry makers and alchemists lived here.

Every tourist visiting Prague should definitely consider the beauty and splendor of Hradcany.

How to get there

Metro: Malostranska (line A), then take tram 22 to Prazsky Hrad or Pohorelec.