<Pražský hrad> will reopen to the public on Monday, with controls disappearing

Prague - Prague Castle will reopen to the public on Monday after more than two months of closure due to measures against the new coronavirus. People will be able to visit all normally accessible buildings. At the same time, blanket security checks, which every visitor had to go through upon entering the castle grounds, have been temporarily canceled.

The grounds will be open every day from 06:00 to 22:00, and visitor sites and tours from 09:00 to 17:00. People will be able to see the castle courtyard, gardens, St. Vitus Cathedral, and Golden Lane again. An exhibition of works by Czech painter Ivan Bukovský will also be open in the Queen Anne's Summer Palace.

Prague Castle was closed in mid-March due to government measures aimed at limiting the spread of the new coronavirus. President Miloš Zeman then stayed at the castle in Lány and returned to his castle office this week. The castle grounds are opening to the public simultaneously with the reopening of other Czech monuments.

On Monday, security checks will also be temporarily canceled. According to Chancellor Vratislav Mynář, the decision is related to the current border control and the limitation of tourist traffic. Police will now check visitors only randomly. People should not come to Prague Castle with large luggage or dangerous items, as bringing such items into the grounds is prohibited.

Police checks at the castle entrance were implemented in the summer of 2016. The measures faced criticism as people were unhappy that the grounds effectively ceased to be passable. Long queues formed at the entrances, especially at the beginning.