St. Vitus Cathedral

Also known as Katedrála sv. Víta

The Czech crown jewels are locked behind a door with seven locks inside this cathedral, and each key is held by a different official: the president, the prime minister, the senate president, the parliamentary speaker, the Prague mayor, the archbishop, and the cathedral dean. They are displayed publicly roughly once every five years.

St. Vitus Cathedral inside Prague Castle is the coronation church of the Bohemian kings and the repository of the Czech crown jewels, locked in a chamber that requires seven different key-holders to open. The nave is free to enter; a combined Castle ticket covers the choir, crypt, and 287-step tower climb. Construction stretched from 1344 to 1929, making the building a visible record of six centuries of architectural change. Look for Alfons Mucha’s Art Nouveau stained glass window in the north nave. Reach the castle by tram 22 to Pohorelec or Kralovky Letohradek.