St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus Cathedral – Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert Metropolitan Cathedral is Prague’s Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, the archbishop’s seat of Prague. The cathedral was devoted to Saint Vitus until 1997 and is still frequently referred to only as the Cathedral of Saint Vitus.

Quick facts

• Name: St. Vitus Cathedral
• Location: Prague, Czech Republic
• Founded c. 930 (Romanesque rotunda); current Gothic cathedral built 1344–1929
• Type of attraction: Architectural/Cathedral
• Ticket price (2026): The nave near the entrance is free; the full interior is included in the Prague Castle circuit ticket, from CZK 250

A prominent example of Gothic architecture, this cathedral is the country’s largest and most important church. Located within Prague Castle and containing the graves of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors, as part of the Prague Castle complex, the cathedral is owned by the Czech government.

This is one of the main attractions in Prague and the Czech Republic in general, and it is usually visited together with the rest of the Prague Castle tour.

The most eye-catching features of the cathedral are its stained glass windows, which are known for their amazing beauty. It was widely held in the Middle Ages that a church’s lighting should have a divine quality.

Sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows casts a rainbow of hues inside the Cathedral. The stained glass windows in the Cathedral were created by dozens of Czech artists, including the well-known painter Alfons Mucha, whose Art Nouveau window depicting the life of Sts Cyril and Methodius is one of the most photographed details in the building.

The crowning rites of the Bohemian monarchs were held within the walls of St. Vitus Cathedral until 1836 (the last full Bohemian coronation), making it a Catholic church, a royal shrine, and a place to store the coronation regalia. The church is the final resting place for dozens of royals and their kin. The Habsburg emperors and kings are buried in the crypt and mausoleum.

The local nobility paid for the construction of private chapels for their families to use. Having your very personal prayer space was an incredible honour back then. Individual donors commissioned the artists and sculptors who decorated their chapels’ interiors. Chapels were also furnished with holy relics and other riches.

Interesting facts about St. Vitus Cathedral

Here are some interesting facts about this amazing landmark:

• Around the year 925, a Romanesque rotunda was built here, on or near the site of an earlier pagan shrine, by Duke Wenceslas I; construction of the Gothic cathedral seen today began in 1344 and wasn’t completed until 1929, nearly 600 years later.
• The Great South Tower, the tallest of the cathedral’s towers at around 96 metres, can be seen from all over Prague; visitors willing to climb 287 steps are rewarded with one of the best panoramic views in the city.
• The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept in a chamber secured by seven locks, with the keys held by seven different officials and institutions, and are accessible to the public only rarely, on special occasions.