Castles · Tour

The Royal Garden Was a Vineyard Until 1534, and It Ends at Strahov

A walk through the whole castle district, not only the castle: the complex itself, then out through Hradčany and up to Strahov. Prague Castle is the largest castle compound in the world, and the route takes it in order: the Royal Garden, laid out in 1534 on ground that had been medieval vineyards, the Ball Games Hall, the presidential house, St Vitus Cathedral, St George's Square, Jiřská Street, the Southern Gardens, the Bull Staircase, and then the third, second and first courtyards in turn. Out through the gate to Hradčany Square, one of the grandest squares in the city, with palaces on every side. Along Loretánská to the Loreta, a Marian pilgrimage site with a Baroque Church of the Nativity and a replica of the Holy House, cloisters and chapels around it. Past the Czernin Palace. The walk finishes in the Strahov courtyard, at the viewpoint: the roofs of Lesser Town, the bend of the Vltava, and the towers of the Old Town beyond it. The nearest tram stop is Pohořelec.