Illustrative photo.
Source: Unsplash
From early in the morning on Sundays, people come to visit Prague Castle on the occasion of the open day. President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva welcomed the arrivals.
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On Sundays, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., visitors can view the otherwise inaccessible areas of the Castle for free, where important state, protocol and social events take place. The first arrivals had been waiting at Matyáš’s gate since 07:00 and a long queue was forming across the entire Hradčanské náměstí. At 09:00 the gate opened for people. In the Rothmayer Hall, the President and the First Lady welcomed the visitors. “The open day falls within the resolution I made. That Prague Castle will be open not only to visitors, but also for various cultural events and gatherings,” said Pavel, who assumed the position exactly one year ago, on March 9, 2023.
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Those interested could have autograph cards signed by the president and greet the presidential couple. “It’s an exceptional event and we’re looking forward to seeing the premises,” said one visitor who had been queuing at the gate since 07:20. On Sunday, people can see, for example, Plečnik’s Hall, Rothmayer’s or Spanish Hall, Rudolf’s Gallery, Janák’s Hall, Mirror Salon, Throne Hall and other spaces.
Other important sights in the castle grounds will also be freely accessible throughout the day, i.e. St. Vitus’ Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, Zlatá ulička or the re-opened castle gardens after the winter break. Visitors can also view exhibitions in the Prague Castle Gallery, the Rožmberk Palace and the Powder Tower, or Mihulka, which houses a permanent exhibition on the history of the Castle Guard. According to the president’s office, free admission does not apply to the South Tower of St. Vitus Cathedral in the third courtyard.
Prague Castle regularly organizes an open day with the opening of representative rooms. However, during the previous mandate of President Miloš Zeman, widespread police checks, which made access to the Castle difficult for tourists and Prague residents for several years, caused criticism among other things.
Last April, about a month after taking office, Petr Pavel announced that most of the security frames at the entrances to the castle grounds would be removed, thus ending extensive inspections. Now the police officers at the Castle are only checking at random, because of this several security frames have remained in place, as well as barricades on the access roads.
Source: ČTK