Prague Castle in winter
Prague Castle is the city's big daytime sight, and in December the daylight is short. The courtyards open early, but the cathedral and the palace rooms close earlier in winter, so the castle belongs to the morning. This guide explains what you can see for free and what needs a ticket, then plans a castle day that ends at a market down the hill.
Go up in the morning
December days in Prague are short, with sunrise around 7:55 am and sunset around 4 pm. That suits the markets, which come alive once the lights go on, and it decides the castle for you. Prague Castle is one of the largest castle complexes in the world, a long chain of courtyards and churches along the ridge above the Lesser Town. The courtyards and lanes open early, while the paid interiors close earlier in winter, around 4 pm. See the interiors in the morning and you have the afternoon to drift back down toward the river.
The grounds and the ticketed interiors
You can walk through the courtyards, look at the cathedral's facade and watch the guard without paying anything. A ticket is needed for the interiors, and the main circuit covers four sights.
- St. Vitus Cathedral. The Gothic heart of the castle, begun in the Middle Ages and finished only in 1929. One of its stained-glass windows was designed by Alfons Mucha, and it draws a crowd of its own;
- The Old Royal Palace. Its Vladislav Hall is a vast late Gothic room with a ribbed vault, built for royal ceremonies;
- St. George's Basilica. A Romanesque church, older and plainer than the cathedral next door;
- Golden Lane. A row of tiny houses built into the castle wall, now filled with small exhibitions.
St. Vitus is the part most visitors care about, and the queue for it is the longest. Without a ticket you see only the area just inside the entrance. Golden Lane is narrow and fills up quickly, so leave it for last if your group is moving slowly.
Christmas at the castle
A big Christmas tree stands in the castle grounds, and on a frosty morning the courtyards look their best. The castle has not held a Christmas market for several winters, though, so ignore any page that still promises one. For stalls and svařák, plan to come down the hill. The changing of the guard takes place at the main gate on the hour, with the bigger ceremony at noon. The noon ceremony draws the biggest crowd, so arrive a little early for a view.
A guided tour with the entry included
If you want the stories behind the stones, Fun in Prague's castle tour with a local guide, from ~$58, covers the main circuit in about two and a half hours. It meets at the drinking fountain by Malostranská metro station, then takes the tram up the hill, with the tram ticket and the castle admission both included. Headsets let you hear the guide in a crowded nave, and you skip the ticket line. You can book a small group or a private tour. It rates 4.7 from more than 12,000 GetYourGuide reviews, which makes it one of the most reviewed tours in the city.
The catch is that skipping the ticket line does not mean skipping security. Everyone passes a check at the castle entrance, and on a busy morning that takes time. Expect a lot of standing on stone floors in cold rooms, and wear shoes that grip. The tour is sold on GetYourGuide only.
The cathedral and the palace with a local guide
Fun in Prague meets you at Malostranská, rides up with you by tram and guides you through St. Vitus and the Old Royal Palace with entry included, from ~$58. Take a morning slot, before the winter closing.
Seeing it from outside for less
The grounds cost nothing, and on your own you can wander the courtyards and the viewpoints for free. For a guide without the interiors, Get Prague Guide's three-hour walk, from ~$30, starts at the company's office on Maiselova 5, about four minutes from the Astronomical Clock. Expect the tales behind the clock first, then a slow crossing of Charles Bridge with stops at its saints. A tram, with one ticket included, then carries you up to Hradčany Square for the castle complex and its views. It runs in six languages and rates 4.8 from 7,234 reviews, and reviewers call it a good introduction on a first morning. The catch is that you see the castle from the outside only. Groups can be big, the route is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs, and it runs in any weather.
Getting up the hill
Tram 22 is the easy way up. Get off at Pražský hrad and walk in through the northern side of the complex. On foot, the Old Castle Steps climb from near Malostranská station to the eastern end of the castle, and the walk from Charles Bridge through the Lesser Town takes about 25 minutes uphill. The cobbles get slippery in damp cold, so go up by tram and walk down if the steps look icy. Our December weather guide covers shoes with grip and the layers that work for a morning outdoors.
Down to the Lesser Town and Kampa
Once the interiors close, the walk down brings you into the lanes of Malá Strana just as the light goes. The nearest market is on Kampa island, below Charles Bridge, where stalls run from early December to early January, 10 am to 8 pm. Its stalls sell mostly food and drink, and you look across the river. Final dates and hours appear only shortly before each season, when the organizers publish them, so open the market's own page before you set off, or see our dates and hours guide.
From Kampa, cross Charles Bridge to reach the Old Town Square market in about 10 minutes. Our guide to svařák and Christmas food tells you what to order at the stalls, and a night at a Christmas concert makes a warm end to a day that began on the hill.