Prague Castle opens new Czech design shop amid changes under President Pavel
A new shop focused on Czech design and culture opened at Prague Castle on Wednesday, as officials highlighted changes at the country’s most visited landmark “midway” through the presidency of Petr Pavel.
At Prague Castle’s grand Rothmayer Hall on Wednesday, officials presented some of the changes the complex has seen since Petr Pavel became head of state in 2023.
One change has been to the profile of visitors to the complex, with Czechs accounting for 23 percent in autumn 2025, up from 15 percent a few years earlier.
Pavel Vyhnánek is head of the Prague Castle Administration.
“We have more and more visitors. We are now almost reaching 10 million a year. And what we are most pleased about is that they are often locals, who come again and again. That’s mainly thanks to the cultural programme that we offer and several particular events, such as vinobraní, the wine fest. And twice a year we open the whole Castle.”
The latest novelty at the extensive complex – opened at what officials dubbed “half-time” in the Pavel presidency – is a shop showcasing Czech design and culture, located between the second and third courtyards. Pavel Vyhnánek continues.
“First of all, the shop belongs to us. We used to rent shops to external partners, but now we run them ourselves, so we have full control when it comes to the programme and to products. And we focus mainly on Czech designers and producers and high quality products. So it’s not those cheap souvenirs you usually find around Prague, but it’s really high quality products that represent the Czech Republic and Prague Castle.”
President Pavel said he would make his seat more accessible to the public when he took office three years ago, and he has followed through on that pledge. But how much is he personally involved when it comes to making changes? As head of the Office of the President, Milan Vašina is his right-hand man.
“The president is involved in yearly planning regarding what we do for each part of the Castle. Also in evaluation and also in terms of comments, or the steps that we should take. A lot of the activities, like the opening to the public of the Czech crown jewels, come from him.”
As for what’s next for Prague Castle, administration chief Pavel Vyhnánek refers to a project that is impacting the skyline.
“We are now about to finish a three-year investment in the Institute for Noblewomen. This was an investment of about CZK 200 million. You can notice it from the whole of the city, because it has changed about a fifth of the panorama of Hradčany. So if you look from the centre of the city, you still see a little bit of the construction site. But that’s slowly disappearing, and you will see only the restored palace.”
