Photos

At the end of the 9th century a castle site originated which was to become the center of the power and ideology of the country in the following centuries. Throughout the whole Middle Ages the seat of the monarchal power, the spiritual center of the country and the scene of the negotiations of the estates fathers were the symbol and expression of the unity of the Czech state. Prague castle was enlarged and renewed on a grand scale by the Premyslids in the 13th century and in the following two centuries by Charles IV and King Vladislav Jagiello. In the late 16th century the Emperor Rudolph II also realized his aims here. Prague Castle underwent its last wide-scale architectural transformation in the 18th century.

The biggest residential area in the country can boast with numerous works of architecture and art. In spite of all the political turns, accompanied in the past also by military events, having. moreover, preserved its polish and glitter continuously throughout a whole millennium up to the present.

Prague Castle was built around 850 AD by the Premyslid family. Its history has been long and rich, from its very origin to present day it has been the seat of administration of the country. "This tradition of eleven centuries standing probably has no parallel in Europe". They moved to this strategic location, a rocky ridge above the Moldava River, and the future city of Prague grew on the mountain below the castle. The first Princes, the Premyslid family, were the founders of the Royal Dynasty.

The original Castle was built of timber and was fortified with a soil rampart. The castle grounds were as large then as they are today and consisted of many small timber houses. This was found quite by accident, Third Square, the oldest part of the castle was being rebuilt in 1920, when the walls of older buildings were uncovered. Archaeological excavation uncovered many important finds concerning Prague Castles' history. This area originally was kept partially open to the public, but today the excavation area has been walled, and it is probably the most extensive researched archaeological site in central Europe.

> More infos about Prague Castle at Castles.org