Entrance Fee will be Charged for St. Vitus Cathedral (Portal of Prague)

From 2nd August entrance to St. Vitus Cathedral will again be subject to an admission fee. The announcement was made by Prague Castle Administration. Admission will be free to only a small part of the Cathedral.

“The historical part will only be accessible with a valid entrance ticket for an official tour,” said František Kadlec of Prague Castle Administration. The entrance fee within the tour remains unchanged.

It’s for a good cause

“The Czech Association of Travel Agents welcomes the reintroduction of this measure,” said the Vice-President of the Association, Jan Papež. “Access to the old parts of the Cathedral only on payment of an admission fee will undoubtedly have not only economic benefit, but will also have a regulatory effect and will improve the flow of tourists through the whole Cathedral,” added Papež.

For a long time the association and representatives of travel agencies have criticised the queues which developed in the Cathedral, as their customers complained that sometimes, due to time restrictions, they did not get into the Cathedral. “We welcome the fact that the money collected will become another source of funds for the upkeep of the Cathedral,” said Papež.

New part free of charge
Access to the new part of the Cathedral, completed in 1928, remains free of charge. It is, therefore, not a case of discrimination against visitors or worshipers who attend regular church services given by the Archiepiscopate of Prague.

A return to the year 2006
“Prague Castle Authority has decided to return to the proven system which operated before 2006. The Cathedral is included in two visitors’ tours, so people will be admitted to the old part of the Cathedral only with a valid entrance ticket and will be able to visit the entire historical part of the building, including, among other things, the Chapel of St. Wenceslas and the tombs of the Premysl Kings and Princes,” said František Kadlec.

How much will admission cost?
The basic admission price will not change. For the large tour, which includes the Old Royal Palace, the Basilica of St. George and the Prague Castle Picture Gallery, visitors will pay 350 CZK. The small tour, covering, for example, the Old Royal Palace, will cost 250 CZK. All admission charges, including family tickets, can be found on Prague Castle portal.