Prague Castle to close Giant's Gate this summer, with no ceremonial guard change

The Giant’s Gate, which serves as the ceremonial entrance to Prague Castle from Hradčanské náměstí, will be closed for several weeks starting Monday due to the replacement of security bollards, the presidential office's communication department announced.

The gate is expected to reopen in the last week of August. During the closure, the traditional changing of the guard ceremony will be temporarily replaced by performances by the Castle Guard Music in the third castle courtyard from 12 to 12:15 p.m. daily.

“The Castle Guard will also temporarily not be on duty at the posts of honor in front of the Giant’s Gate,” the castle said in a statement.

Officials said the pillars at the gate are reaching the end of their lifespan. However, visitors can still exit the castle grounds through the southern side gate in the first courtyard.

The length of the reconstruction project is primarily due to necessary archaeological research at the site. The Giant’s Gate, with iconic fighting giant statues, is the castle’smain ceremonial entrance. It bears the monogram of Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II.

The sculptures were created by Ignác František Platzer between 1770 and 1771; the originals were replaced in 1921 by copies by Antonín Procházka and Čeňek Vosmík.

Architect Jože Plečnik redesigned the first castle courtyard in the 1920s, adding granite paving, lighting, and flagpoles.

Czech Tourism recently announced that Prague Castle is the most visited castle in the Czech Republic, with 2.2 million people visiting last year and an over 50 percent increase in visitors year on year.

The main Prague landmark’s area of ​​almost seven hectares makes it the largest castle in the world, as confirmed by its entry in the Guinness Book of Records. It was probably founded sometime around the year 880 by Prince Bořivoj of Přemysl, and thanks to its long construction history, today, the showcases a plethora of architectural styles.

The Romanesque Basilica of St. George with a Baroque facade, the Gothic Cathedral of St. Vitus with a Neo-Gothic addition, the exhibition Vladislav Hall from the border between Gothic and Renaissance, or the Mannerist Matthias Gate set in a Baroque palace complex stand a short distance from each other.