CASTLE, Introduction

Hi, my name’s Jill, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the wonders of the world: Hradcany, Prague’s Castle District. It is the largest fortress in the world, 130 meters long and covering 70,000 square meters.

Prague Castle is not just a single building, but a whole fortified district, perched on top of a hill, with just three gateways. Inside, visitors can admire a variety of buildings, towers, churches, gardens and museums, built in almost all the styles of the last thousand years, which attract 1,800,000 tourists a year.

This original settlement of Prague was made up of only wooden constructions, until, in 870, the first stone was laid of the Church of the Virgin Mary, the foundations of which can still be seen today. The following century saw the building of St. George’s Basilica, and the rotunda of St. Vitus Cathedral.

The castle began to take shape in the 14th century, during the reign of Charles IV, when the fortifications were strengthened and the Royal Palace and Cathedral were built in opulent Gothic style....