The Old Royal Palace was up to 16th century the seat of Bohemian princes
The ducal and royal palace is located on the east side of the Third Courtyard; traces of the historical development of the building are clearly visible. A first ducal edifice of the 9th century was replaced in the 11th century by a Romanesque palace, which was remodelled in 1135 in the course of alterations to the whole castle site. From the mid-13th century, during the reign of Otokar II, it was enlarged all round, and under Emperor Charles IV further alterations were made. At the end of the 15th century Benedikt Ried undertook the last major alterations for Vladislav Jagiello. Until the end of the 16th century the Old Royal Palace was the ruler’s seat. When the actual residence moved west under the Habsburgs, the palace rooms were turned into chancellery offices or storerooms.Parts of the Romanesque palace are preserved beneath Vladislav Hall on the ground floor and below; parts of the original castle fortifications are also visible. Above are the parts of the palace newly built by Přemysl Otokar II, Charles IV and Wenceslas IV. The centre of Vladislav Jagiello’s new second floor, created by alteration and expansion, is Vladislav Hall – the „pièce de résistance“ of secular castle buildings.
