<Pražský hrad> will be open to the public for free from Friday to Monday

Prague - Prague Castle will be open to visitors for free from Friday to Monday. People will not have to purchase tickets for places like the Old Royal Palace, Golden Lane, or the St. Vitus Treasure exhibition. On Saturday and Sunday, visitors will also be able to see vehicles from the presidential motorcade. Vít Novák from the press department of Prague Castle said this today to ČTK.

Prague Castle reopened to the public on Monday after being closed due to measures related to the coronavirus pandemic. Initially, according to Novák, visitors came sporadically, but interest in the most visited Czech monument is gradually increasing. "But it is completely incomparable to the state before the pandemic," remarked Novák, noting that the Castle grounds are still almost empty.

The free access to castle buildings is, according to Novák, an opportunity to revive tourism at Prague Castle. Visitors will be able to visit the Old Royal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George's Basilica, Golden Lane, the Rosenberg Palace, the exhibition "The Story of Prague Castle," the St. Vitus Treasure, and the exhibition at the Royal Summer Palace without purchasing a ticket.

The Castle grounds are open from 06:00 to 22:00, and temporarily the Office of the President of the Republic has canceled general entrance checks. However, according to Novák, it is still prohibited to enter the Castle with dangerous objects.

The visitor sites and exhibitions are open from 10:00 to 18:00, and tourists can arrive without registration. However, St. Vitus Cathedral will have limited hours from Friday to Sunday for liturgical reasons; people can find the opening hours at www.hrad.cz.

According to Novák, visitors must adhere to prescribed hygiene regulations, meaning, for example, they must cover their mouths in indoor spaces or disinfect their hands. Castle staff will also monitor to ensure that there are not too many people in one place. According to government recommendations, the Castle has set a maximum capacity for its venues so that there is one person per ten square meters. Thus, a maximum of 250 people will be allowed in St. Vitus Cathedral at one time, 200 in the Vladislav Hall, and 130 in Golden Lane.

On Saturday and Sunday, people will be able to see vehicles used by the president and his entourage in the third castle courtyard. They can also watch the midday changing of the guard at the Castle. The ceremony has been slightly modified compared to the usual change, with soldiers, for example, wearing masks.