Why go

St Vitus Cathedral is the spiritual heart of the Czech lands and the building that gives Prague its skyline. Work on the Gothic cathedral began in 1344, when Charles IV had the Prague bishopric raised to an archbishopric, and the first architects, Matthias of Arras and then Peter Parler, set out the soaring choir that still stands. Wars and money troubles left it half finished for centuries, and the nave and west front were completed only in 1929.

Inside, the scale is breathtaking. Light pours through stained glass from several centuries into a lofty nave, and side chapels hold the tombs of saints, kings and archbishops. Coronations of Bohemian kings took place here, and the cathedral remains the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Even visitors who have seen many of Europe’s great churches tend to stop in the doorway, because the height of the vaulting and the colour of the glass are a genuine surprise after the plain courtyard outside.

What to see

  • The St Wenceslas Chapel. Walls set with semi-precious stones and Gothic wall paintings surround the tomb of the country’s patron saint. A door here leads to the chamber where the crown jewels are kept, which is not open to visitors.
  • The Mucha window. Alfons Mucha’s Art Nouveau stained-glass window in the nave tells the story of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
  • The tomb of St John of Nepomuk. A huge Baroque silver monument in the ambulatory.
  • The Great South Tower. A climb of around 280 steps brings you out above the castle with views across the whole city.
  • The Golden Gate. The south portal is covered with a 14th-century mosaic of the Last Judgement.

Plan your visit

Entry to the cathedral is included in the Prague Castle main circuit ticket, which costs 450 CZK for adults, 300 CZK reduced and 950 CZK for a family and also covers the Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica and Golden Lane. The ticket is valid for two days. A small area at the back of the nave can be seen without a ticket, and worshippers attending services enter free.

In winter the cathedral opens Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm and on Sundays from noon to 4pm, because of morning services, and it stays open later in summer. The Great South Tower costs 200 CZK for adults, 150 CZK reduced and 500 CZK for a family, and in winter opens from 10am to 5pm with last entry at 4.30pm. Services and ceremonies can change the hours at short notice, so check the cathedral’s daily programme before you go.

Allow an hour inside, or a little more with the tower. Weekday mornings at opening are the quietest time, before groups arrive from the castle gates.

Nearby

The Old Royal Palace and St George’s Basilica stand beside the cathedral in the third courtyard, and Golden Lane is a few minutes’ walk east. The Royal Garden lies just north of the castle, and Strahov Monastery is about 15 minutes’ walk west. For a gentler descent, walk through the South Gardens below the castle walls, which open from April to October, or take the Old Castle Steps down to Malostranská metro.