Prague Castle opens crown jewels exhibition: Here's how to visit

The Crown Chamber in St. Vitus Cathedral, where the Czech crown jewels are kept, was opened today by President Petr Pavel and six other state, church, and city representatives.

The jewels will be moved from St. Vitus Cathedral to the Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle for a public exhibition, open for free until the end of September. The last time the ceremonial insignia were displayed was a year ago, following President Pavel’s decision to hold the exhibition annually in honor of St. Wenceslas Day on Sept. 28.

According to tradition, the president and the other keyholders — Prime Minister Petr Fiala, represented today by Filip Minář from the Office of the Government; Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil; Chamber of Deputies Speaker Markéta Pekarová Adamová; Prague Archbishop Jan Graubner; Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda; and Dean of the Metropolitan Chapter of St. Vitus Václav Malý — met to unlock the Crown Chamber.

This year’s exhibition, titled The Mysterious Power of Stones, features a holographic animation that reveals what stones adorned St. Wenceslas' crown in 1347 during the coronation of King Charles IV. Initially, the crown was set with 13 green emeralds and 60 pearls. However, Charles IV replaced them with blue sapphires later in life. The animation allows visitors to view the crown’s original design.

The exhibition is free, with no option to purchase or reserve tickets in advance. It will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Thursday, Sept. 19, when only registered school groups will be admitted, and Thursday, Sep. 26, when public access will begin at 1 p.m.

The Czech crown jewels, symbols of the power of Czech kings, include the St. Wenceslas Crown, royal scepter, royal orb, a cushion for the crown, and a coronation cloak with accessories. The crown was made in 1346 for the coronation of Charles IV as King of Bohemia the following year.

The exhibition does not accept reservations in advance; last year long queues formed with the public eager to get a glimpse of the priceless national treasures which had last been displayed in 2018.

The crown jewels have been exhibited at Prague Castle eight times since the establishment of the independent Czech Republic. Twice under Václav Havel and Václav Klaus, four times under Miloš Zeman, and most recently last January on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Czech Republic.