Prague Castle was begun in 870 with the Church of the Virgin Mary, its first walled building. St George's Basilica and St Vitus Basilica followed in the first half of the 10th century. A Romanesque palace rose in the 12th century, and Charles IV rebuilt the royal palace in the Gothic style in the 14th century. He also began a vast Gothic church in place of the old rotunda and basilica, and St Vitus Cathedral was finished on September 28, 1929.
Vladislaus II started rebuilding in 1485, and Benedikt Rejt built the Vladislav Hall. After 1918, Jože Plečnik renovated the New Royal Palace and gardens.
The complex covers almost 750,000 square feet (70,000 sq m), is about 1,870 feet (570 m) long, and averages about 430 feet (130 m) wide. Guinness World Records lists it as the largest ancient castle in the world. It is the seat of the Czech president and drew 2.59 million visitors in 2024.
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