The Prague Castle

Set on a hill overlooking the Old and New Towns, the Prague Castle dominates in the city's skyline. According to the Guinness Book of Records, this is the largest castle in the world. We admired it from a far as soon as we arrived in Prague, and on Saturday morning we set out to see it for ourselves.
Not a single structure, the castle is actually a serious of buildings surrounded by a wall. Construction began in the 9th century and it has been the seat of power for the royal families of Bohemia, the Czech bishops, and later the governments of Czeslovakia and the Czech republic. The crown jewels are houses somewhere in this complex, along with other treasures of the state.

Entrance to the castle grounds and main cathedral is free. You can walk take in the impressive size and complex wondering through the many courtyards. There are also lookout points that afford picturesque view of the city below. Surrounding the castle are gardens, which appear to be a popular place for residents to run, walk there dogs, and play with their children.
In front of one of the palaces are uniformed guards. They stand, unflinching, as tourists pose for pictures. Other guards march around the castle’s grounds. At noon the guards change position in an elaborate ceremony.

Admission tickets must be purchased to enter many of the buildings. We opted for the "short tour" package, which include entry into the Old Royal Palace, an exhibition entitled "The Story of Prague Castle," St. George's Basilica, and Golden Lane, a small street with shops and Kafka’s house.
We also purchased the accompanying audio guide. As an added benefit, visitors with the audio guide getting to skip the long line the wrapped around the outside of the cathedral. We were told that the line could last upwards of an hour.
Despite having purchased the "short tour," our trip to the castle lasted from 9:30 AM to past 1:30 PM. The audio guide has to be one of the most detailed I've ever listened to, giving lots of historical facts for the interior and exterior of each building in the complex. How else would I have known that jousting matches took place in the great hall of the old palace as a form of amusement for the ladies of the court?