Inside Prague Castle’s closed-door rooms: A rare free visit this November

You can walk through Prague Castle’s courtyards on an ordinary visit. Getting inside the rooms where the president receives foreign dignitaries is another matter.

On Saturday, Nov. 28, the Castle will open its normally inaccessible state rooms for a free public open day, offering a route through ceremonial halls and salons that remain part of the working presidential seat. Decorated for Christmas in gold tones, the interiors will be accessible from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m.

The occasion also brings free admission to several of the Castle’s best-known monuments and exhibitions, plus an unusual opportunity to enter the South Gardens during their winter closure. For residents who know the grounds but have never explored beyond the familiar visitor circuit, it offers a different perspective on the landmark.

The open-day route begins at Matthias Gate, entered from the First Courtyard, and passes through Plečnik’s Hall of Columns, Rothmayer Hall, the Spanish Hall and Rudolf Gallery.

Visitors will also enter the southern wing of the New Palace, including the Throne Room, Habsburg Drawing Room and Mirror Drawing Room. These are among the interiors used for presidential receptions and official meetings, rather than rooms ordinarily included in a sightseeing visit.

Their history helps explain the combination of imperial grandeur and modern state ceremony. The state rooms form a ring around the first floor of the New Palace’s wings. Some spaces served as rulers’ residential or ceremonial quarters as early as the 16th century; the southern rooms acquired their present architectural character during the 18th-century reconstruction under Maria Theresa.

After Czechoslovakia’s establishment in 1918, rooms were gradually adapted for the presidency. The western entrance sequence connects that newer republican role with the older palace interiors.

The Spanish Hall and neighboring Rudolf Gallery reach back to another defining period: the court of Rudolf II. Commissioned around the turn of the 17th century, they provided space for the emperor’s collections. Their subsequent alterations reflect the Castle’s continuing transformation, rather than a single moment preserved intact.

That is part of the appeal of the open day. The rooms reveal how a former royal and imperial residence became the setting for a republic’s official life—and continues to serve that purpose.

The state rooms are the main attraction, but visitors can build a broader itinerary around the free admission elsewhere.

St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica and Golden Lane are included, alongside permanent exhibitions. The South Gardens will also open exceptionally.

Two temporary exhibitions are free that day: Eva Eisler: Circle of Silence in the Chapel of the Holy Cross and Design for Václav Havel in the Castle Riding School. Their opening hours are 10 a.m.–6 p.m., allowing time to visit after the state-room route closes.

There are important details for families and visitors with limited mobility. Strollers and large bags are not permitted inside the state rooms. An accessible entrance is provided from the Second Courtyard through the New Palace’s western wing, with a stair-climbing device available for the staircase in Rothmayer Hall.

The main visitor buildings, cathedral and South Gardens are scheduled to open 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m. Check the Castle’s event page before setting out for any changes.

Expect interest to be substantial. A spring open day attracted a record 11,218 visitors. The events take place regularly in spring and around the beginning of advent, but access to these interiors remains an occasional opportunity.

A practical approach is to prioritize the presidential rooms, then choose a monument or exhibition rather than trying to cover the entire complex.

Nov. 28 also launches Christmas Wandering through Prague Castle, a seasonal program continuing into early January.

Its centerpiece is a Christmas labyrinth in the Imperial Stables, created by the Forman Brothers Theatre and collaborators. This year’s imaginary landscape features Johannes Kepler’s astronomical workshop, a cabinet of scientific toys and an observatory looking toward a Bethlehem scene, alongside space for creative workshops.

Visitors can connect the installation with a walk from the Christmas tree on St. George’s Square, past the nativity scene near St. Vitus Cathedral and through the Second Courtyard. The Castle also plans Christmas music from the Castle Guard Band outside the cathedral on each advent Sunday.

The Christmas attraction is listed as free, with hours of 2–6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.–6 p.m. weekends from Nov. 28 through Dec. 20. From Dec. 21 through Jan. 3, hours are 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily, except for closures on Dec. 24, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

That longer run leaves some flexibility: save the Christmas labyrinth for another afternoon if necessary. The presidential state rooms are the reason to keep Nov. 28 in the calendar.