Prague Castle District: History and What to See in Hradčany
Prague Castle dominates the city skyline, but the neighbourhood surrounding it deserves just as much attention. Known in Czech as Hradčany, the Castle District is a remarkably atmospheric part of Prague filled with palaces, monasteries, churches, quiet lanes and panoramic viewpoints.
Most visitors head directly for the gates of Prague Castle. By doing so, they miss some of the district’s greatest treasures: the magnificent Strahov Monastery, the pilgrimage complex of the Prague Loreto, the monumental Černín Palace and the charming houses of Nový Svět.
Hradčany may look like a grand aristocratic quarter today, but its story began as a small medieval settlement outside the castle walls. Fires, wars and ambitious rebuilding projects gradually transformed it into the ceremonial neighbourhood we see now.
This guide introduces the history of the Castle District, its most important landmarks and a walking route that connects them.
Is Hradčany the same as Prague Castle?
Not quite.
Prague Castle is the enormous fortified complex containing St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica, Golden Lane and numerous courtyards, gardens and administrative buildings.
Hradčany, usually translated as the Castle District, is the historic neighbourhood that developed beside the castle. It extends westwards from the main castle entrance towards Loreto, Nový Svět, Pohořelec and Strahov.
The two areas are closely connected, but they are not identical. It is perfectly possible to explore Hradčany without entering any of the ticketed interiors of Prague Castle.
A brief history of the Castle District
Prague Castle was founded in the ninth century, but the town of Hradčany appeared much later. It was established in 1320 by Hynek Berka of Dubá, the highest burgrave of the Kingdom of Bohemia, on land belonging to the royal castle.
Unlike Prague’s Old Town and Lesser Town, early Hradčany was not an independent royal town. It was a relatively modest settlement inhabited largely by people whose work was connected with the castle.
The original town occupied only a small area near today’s Hradčanské náměstí. Its narrow streets and limited space stood in striking contrast to the enormous royal residence beside it.
During the fourteenth century, the development of Hradčany was influenced by Emperor Charles IV, who expanded Prague and strengthened its position as one of the leading cities of medieval Europe. The Castle District gradually grew westwards, although it remained much smaller than the Old and New Towns on the opposite side of the river.
The great fire of 1541
One of the most important events in the history of Hradčany was the devastating fire of 1541.
The blaze began in the Lesser Town and spread uphill towards Prague Castle and the surrounding district. A substantial part of the neighbourhood was destroyed, together with sections of the castle complex.
The disaster radically changed the appearance of Hradčany. Many of its medieval houses were replaced by Renaissance residences built for wealthy noble families who wanted to live close to the royal court.
This was the beginning of Hradčany’s transformation from a relatively ordinary settlement into an aristocratic district of palaces and religious institutions.
Rudolf II and the rise of Hradčany
The district gained particular importance during the reign of Emperor Rudolf II, who moved his imperial court to Prague in the late sixteenth century.
Artists, diplomats, scholars, astrologers and noble families arrived in the city from across Europe. The presence of the imperial court encouraged further construction around Prague Castle.
In 1598, Rudolf II elevated Hradčany to the status of a royal town. By then, its character had changed considerably. Large noble residences stood beside monasteries, churches and smaller houses occupied by craftsmen and castle employees.
Following the Battle of White Mountain in 1620 and the re-Catholicisation of the Czech lands, several important religious complexes were established or rebuilt in the Baroque style. These included the Prague Loreto and the monasteries associated with the Capuchins and Premonstratensians.
In 1784, Hradčany was united with the Old Town, New Town and Lesser Town to form the unified city of Prague.
Pohořelec – the upper entrance to Hradčany
A convenient place to begin exploring the Castle District is Pohořelec, a small square located above Prague Castle.
Its Czech name is connected with the idea of a place repeatedly affected by fire. This is appropriate: fires were a recurring danger in medieval and early modern Prague, where houses were tightly packed and often built from flammable materials.
Historically, Pohořelec stood near one of the western entrances to Hradčany. Travellers arriving from the direction of western Bohemia passed through this area before entering the town.
Today the square is surrounded by colourful historic buildings and provides easy access to Strahov Monastery, Loreto and the rest of the Castle District.
Beginning a walk here has another advantage: most of the route towards Prague Castle leads gently downhill.
Strahov Monastery
The Strahov Monastery (Strahovský klášter) is one of the oldest and most important monasteries in Prague.
It was founded in 1143 for the Premonstratensians, a religious order established in France during the previous century. The community has remained closely connected with Strahov for most of the monastery’s long history.
The complex has been damaged, rebuilt and expanded many times. As a result, it combines Romanesque origins with Gothic, Renaissance and especially Baroque architecture.
At its centre stands the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady (Bazilika Nanebevzetí Panny Marie). The church received much of its present Baroque appearance during rebuilding in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
The monastery is also associated with music. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart visited Strahov during his stays in Prague and played the monastery organ.
The Strahov Library
The most famous interior at Strahov is its historic library, which contains approximately 200,000 volumes.
Its two principal rooms are among the most beautiful library halls in Europe.
The Theological Hall (Teologický sál) was created in the seventeenth century. Its Baroque stucco decoration, painted ceiling and rows of theological books reflect the intellectual traditions of the monastery.
The larger Philosophical Hall (Filosofický sál) was completed at the end of the eighteenth century. Its monumental wooden bookcases extend across two levels, while the ceiling fresco presents the spiritual and intellectual development of humankind.
Visitors normally observe the historic halls from their entrances rather than walking freely between the shelves. Exhibitions in the connecting corridor display manuscripts, early printed books and curiosities from the monastery’s collections. The official Prague tourism site describes the library as holding around 200,000 volumes and dates the Theological Hall to 1671–1674 and the Philosophical Hall to 1794.
One of the best views of Prague
The terrace near Strahov Monastery offers one of the finest panoramas in Prague.
From here, you can see the red rooftops of the Lesser Town, the towers of the Old Town and New Town, Petřín Hill and numerous church domes and spires.
It is an excellent place to understand Prague’s geography. The Castle District occupies the high ground above the Lesser Town, while the historical centre spreads across both sides of the Vltava River below.
The Prague Loreto
A short walk from Strahov brings you to the Prague Loreto (Pražská Loreta), one of the most important Baroque pilgrimage sites in Bohemia.
The complex was founded in the seventeenth century as part of the Catholic renewal that followed the Habsburg victory at the Battle of White Mountain.
At its centre stands a replica of the Holy House (Santa Casa) from the Italian town of Loreto. According to Catholic tradition, the original was the house in which the Virgin Mary lived in Nazareth. Copies of the Holy House were constructed across Catholic Europe and became popular destinations for pilgrims.
The Prague Holy House is surrounded by an elegant cloister and a series of chapels. Behind it stands the richly decorated Church of the Nativity of Our Lord.
The Loreto is also known for its carillon. Its bells regularly play a melody that can be heard around the surrounding streets.
Inside the treasury is a remarkable collection of liturgical objects. Its best-known exhibit is the Prague Sun, a seventeenth-century monstrance decorated with thousands of diamonds.
Černín Palace
Directly opposite the Loreto stands the enormous Černín Palace (Černínský palác).
Its extraordinarily long façade makes it one of the most imposing Baroque palaces in Prague. The residence was commissioned in the seventeenth century by Humprecht Jan Černín, a wealthy nobleman and imperial diplomat.
The project was intended to demonstrate the power and prestige of the Černín family. Its scale, however, made the palace extremely expensive to construct and maintain.
The building later served several purposes, including use as military barracks. Today it houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
The palace also has a dark connection with modern Czech history. In March 1948, Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk was found dead beneath the windows of the building. His death occurred shortly after the communist seizure of power and remains the subject of controversy and competing interpretations.
The Capuchin monastery
Beside the Loreto stands the Capuchin Monastery (Kapucínský klášter) and the Church of Our Lady of the Angels.
Compared with the surrounding Baroque monuments, the monastery appears remarkably simple. This reflects the ideals of the Capuchin order, which emphasised poverty, humility and an austere way of life.
The contrast is particularly striking on Loretánské náměstí: the restrained Capuchin buildings stand between the richly decorated Loreto and the monumental Černín Palace.
Nový Svět – Prague’s “New World”
Behind the grand palaces and pilgrimage buildings lies one of the most charming corners of Prague: Nový Svět, or the “New World”.
Despite its name, the neighbourhood is very old. It developed outside the earliest boundaries of Hradčany and was incorporated into the town during its medieval expansion.
The area was traditionally inhabited by poorer residents, craftsmen and people employed at Prague Castle. Its small houses form a marked contrast with the aristocratic palaces only a few streets away.
Many buildings bear poetic historic house names, frequently associated with gold: the Golden Star, Golden Sun, Golden Pear and Golden Griffin. These names did not necessarily indicate wealth. Before modern street numbering, painted signs and symbols helped identify individual houses.
Nový Svět was damaged by fires and warfare on several occasions, but its irregular lanes and intimate scale survived. Later, its quiet atmosphere attracted artists and writers.
Although it lies only a few minutes from Prague Castle, Nový Svět often feels like a small town hidden inside the capital.
Remember that these picturesque buildings are private homes. The area is best explored quietly and respectfully.
Hradčany Town Hall
On Loretánská Street stands the former Hradčany Town Hall (Hradčanská radnice).
The building dates from the period after Hradčany was elevated to the status of a royal town by Rudolf II. Its façade still displays symbols connected with the district’s historic municipal identity.
Look carefully at the old wooden doors. They preserve historic markings connected with Prague’s traditional systems of measurement and provide a small reminder that town halls once regulated local trade as well as administering justice and government.
The building ceased to serve as an independent town hall after the unification of Prague in 1784.
Hradčanské náměstí
The ceremonial heart of the Castle District is Hradčanské náměstí, the large square in front of Prague Castle.
Its present appearance is the result of centuries of aristocratic construction. Noble families built their residences here to remain close to the monarch and the political life of the kingdom.
The centre of the square is relatively open, allowing impressive views of the castle gates, St Vitus Cathedral and the surrounding palaces. From the southern edge, visitors can also enjoy a panorama over the Lesser Town and central Prague.
A Marian plague column stands in the square, commemorating the end of an epidemic that struck Prague in the early eighteenth century.
Schwarzenberg Palace
The most immediately recognisable building on Hradčanské náměstí is the Schwarzenberg Palace (Schwarzenberský palác).
Built during the sixteenth century, it is one of Prague’s finest Renaissance palaces. Its walls are decorated with elaborate black-and-white sgraffito. Although the patterns create the illusion of three-dimensional stonework, they were produced by scratching through contrasting layers of plaster.
The palace now belongs to the National Gallery Prague and houses an important collection of Renaissance and Baroque art in Bohemia.
The collection includes paintings, sculptures and decorative objects by artists active in the Czech lands between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
Salm Palace
Standing beside the Schwarzenberg Palace is the Neoclassical Salm Palace (Salmovský palác).
Its restrained façade creates an interesting contrast with the dramatic Renaissance decoration of its neighbour. The building is also administered by the National Gallery Prague and is used for exhibitions and cultural purposes.
Together, the Schwarzenberg and Salm palaces form one of the most distinctive architectural groups on the square.
Sternberg Palace
Hidden behind the Archbishop’s Palace is the Sternberg Palace (Šternberský palác).
Today it houses part of the National Gallery’s collection of European art. Its galleries contain works by Italian, Dutch, Flemish, German and other European artists.
Because the palace is partially concealed from the main square, it is easily overlooked by visitors heading towards the castle. For art lovers, however, it is one of the most important places to visit in Hradčany.
The Archbishop’s Palace
The large Rococo building facing Prague Castle is the Archbishop’s Palace (Arcibiskupský palác).
The palace has served as the Prague residence of the archbishops since the sixteenth century. Its present appearance is largely the result of eighteenth-century reconstruction.
Its prominent location beside the main entrance to Prague Castle reflects the close historical relationship between royal authority and the Catholic Church.
The palace is not normally open as a standard tourist attraction, but its façade forms an essential part of the architectural composition of Hradčanské náměstí.
Martinic Palace
The Martinic Palace (Martinický palác) is another impressive Renaissance residence in the Castle District.
Like the Schwarzenberg Palace, it is decorated with extensive sgraffito. Its façades show architectural motifs as well as scenes inspired by biblical history.
The palace is connected with the powerful Martinic family. One of its best-known members was Jaroslav Bořita of Martinic, one of the royal governors thrown from a window of Prague Castle during the famous Defenestration of Prague in 1618.
He survived the fall, but the incident helped ignite the Bohemian Revolt and the wider Thirty Years’ War.
Tuscany Palace
At the western end of Hradčanské náměstí stands the imposing Baroque Tuscany Palace (Toskánský palác).
The palace occupies the site of several earlier houses and was completed around the beginning of the eighteenth century. Its name comes from Anna Maria Franziska, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, who acquired the building.
Today the palace is used by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Its long, symmetrical façade helps define the western side of the square and illustrates how completely noble palaces transformed the former medieval town.
The main gate of Prague Castle
The eastern side of Hradčanské náměstí is dominated by the main entrance to Prague Castle.
The ceremonial gate is guarded by two monumental sculptural groups showing battling giants. The original eighteenth-century sculptures were created by Ignác František Platzer; the figures visible today are later copies.
Beyond the gate lies the first castle courtyard, redesigned as part of the great reconstruction carried out for Empress Maria Theresa in the eighteenth century.
This entrance presents Prague Castle as a grand Baroque and imperial residence. The complex behind it, however, preserves architecture from almost every major period of Czech history.
What to see inside Prague Castle
Prague Castle is one of the largest historic castle complexes in the world. Visitors could easily spend several hours exploring its courtyards, churches, palaces and gardens.
Its principal sights include:
St Vitus Cathedral
St Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála svatého Víta) is the spiritual and architectural heart of Prague Castle.
Construction began in 1344 under King John of Luxembourg and his son Charles IV. The cathedral was not fully completed until 1929, meaning that its history of construction extended across almost six centuries.
Inside are the tombs of Czech rulers, the magnificent St Wenceslas Chapel, historic stained glass and the royal mausoleum.
The Old Royal Palace
The Old Royal Palace (Starý královský palác) served as the residence of Bohemian rulers.
Its best-known space is the enormous Vladislav Hall, created around the turn of the sixteenth century. The hall combines late Gothic architecture with early Renaissance elements and was used for ceremonies, banquets and even indoor tournaments.
The palace also contains the rooms associated with the Defenestration of Prague in 1618.
St George’s Basilica
The red façade of St George’s Basilica (Bazilika svatého Jiří) conceals one of the oldest surviving churches within Prague Castle.
The basilica was founded in the tenth century and later rebuilt in the Romanesque style. Its comparatively austere interior offers a striking contrast with the elaborate Gothic architecture of St Vitus Cathedral.
Golden Lane
Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička) is a picturesque row of small houses constructed beside the castle fortifications.
The buildings were occupied at different times by castle guards, craftsmen and other residents. Their present colourful appearance largely reflects twentieth-century restoration.
Writer Franz Kafka briefly used house number 22 as a place to work.
A suggested walking route through Hradčany
The most comfortable way to explore the Castle District is to begin at Pohořelec and walk downhill towards Prague Castle.
A logical route is:
- Pohořelec
- Strahov Monastery and the panoramic terrace
- Loretánské náměstí
- The Prague Loreto
- Černín Palace
- Nový Svět
- The former Hradčany Town Hall
- Hradčanské náměstí
- Schwarzenberg Palace
- The Archbishop’s Palace
- The main entrance to Prague Castle
Without entering the paid attractions, allow approximately two hours for this walk. Visiting the Strahov Library, Loreto, National Gallery or Prague Castle interiors can turn it into a half-day or full-day itinerary.
When is the best time to visit the Castle District?
Hradčany is enjoyable throughout the year, but the atmosphere changes considerably during the day.
The area around the main entrance to Prague Castle is busiest during the late morning and early afternoon. Strahov, Loreto and Nový Svět are generally calmer, especially earlier in the morning and towards the evening.
After the major attractions close, the district becomes remarkably peaceful. An evening walk through Hradčanské náměstí and Nový Svět reveals a very different side of the neighbourhood.
The elevated location also means that the Castle District can feel colder and windier than central Prague, particularly in winter.
How to reach Hradčany
The easiest option is usually tram number 22 or 23.
For the upper part of the district, get off at Pohořelec. From there, you can follow the predominantly downhill route through Strahov and Hradčany towards Prague Castle.
For direct access to the castle, use the Pražský hrad tram stop. From there, a short walk leads to the northern entrance.
Visitors who prefer to approach the district on foot can climb from the Lesser Town along Nerudova Street or the Old Castle Stairs. Both routes are scenic, but relatively steep.
Hradčany or the Lesser Town?
Hradčany and the Lesser Town are neighbouring historic districts, but they have distinct characters.
The Lesser Town lies below Prague Castle and is known for its Baroque churches, gardens, embassies, townhouses and streets leading towards Charles Bridge.
Hradčany occupies the higher ground around and west of Prague Castle. It feels more ceremonial and aristocratic, with monumental palaces, monasteries and institutions connected with the Czech state.
The two districts work particularly well together. A walk can begin at Strahov, continue through Hradčany and Prague Castle, and then descend through the Lesser Town towards Charles Bridge.
Discover Prague Castle with a local guide
The Castle District is beautiful even without knowing its history, but its streets become far more meaningful once you understand the connections between the royal court, noble palaces, monasteries and the dramatic events that shaped the Czech lands.
On our Charles Bridge & Prague Castle Free Walking Tour, we cross one of Prague’s most famous landmarks, explore the Lesser Town and continue towards the Prague Castle complex. Along the way, we explain the people, legends and political events behind the monuments.
For travellers who want to explore Hradčany in greater depth, we can also include the Castle District, Strahov and the Prague Castle interiors as part of a customised private tour.
Check our schedule and book your Prague walking tour.
Why you should explore beyond Prague Castle
Prague Castle may be the district’s greatest landmark, but Hradčany is much more than the castle itself.
The neighbourhood tells the story of the people and institutions that gathered around royal power: noble families constructing enormous palaces, religious orders establishing monasteries and pilgrimage sites, craftsmen living in modest houses and diplomats working behind imposing Baroque façades.
Walk only through the castle gates and you will see some of Prague’s most famous monuments. Explore Strahov, Loreto, Nový Svět and Hradčanské náměstí as well, and you will begin to understand the historic district that grew around them.