St. Vitus Cathedral is the spiritual heart of Prague Castle and the largest and most important church in the Czech Republic, holding the coronation jewels and tombs of Czech kings, queens, and saints. Its foundations trace to a Romanesque rotunda built around 925 by Prince Wenceslas, but the Gothic cathedral seen today was begun in 1344 and not finally completed until 1929, nearly 600 years later.
The cathedral’s soaring nave, stained-glass windows — including one designed by Art Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha — and the ornate St. Wenceslas Chapel draw visitors alongside architecture enthusiasts tracing its centuries of construction across Gothic, Renaissance, and Neo-Gothic phases. Climbing the Great South Tower rewards visitors with panoramic views over Prague’s rooftops.
St. Vitus Cathedral is open April through October from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and November through March from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with last entry 20 minutes before closing; the cathedral closes to visitors during religious services.