People in Prague will have a rare chance to see the Bohemian Crown Jewels that are to go on show for a few days in September.
They will be on public display from September 18 to 28, meaning tourists have a chance to see the Crown of St. Wenceslas, the Imperial Orb, and the Imperial Scepter, a gold-embroidered coronation robe from 1653.
The Crown Jewels are part of the country’s national cultural heritage and are rarely brought out, except on special occasions.
To retrieve them from the vault in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, seven dignitaries must gather, each of whom holds one of the keys to the seven locks.
Admission to the Crown Jewels exhibition is free, but visitors should expect long waiting times.
When they last went on show in 2025, more than 51,500 people came to see these masterpieces of jewelry and goldsmithing.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” says Czech President Petr Pavel. “I am delighted by the Czechs’ interest in their own history and statehood, and above all, it confirms to me that it makes sense to exhibit the Crown Jewels once a year.”
An accompanying exhibition commemorates the fact that 500 years ago, Ferdinand I became the first Habsburg to ascend the Bohemian throne.
The monarchy did not end until the collapse of Austria-Hungary during World War I.
Nonetheless, as a symbol of Czech statehood and national identity, the jewels arouse great interest when they go on display.
"The Crown of Saint Wenceslas is one of the most beautiful crowns in Europe and was made for the coronation of the Roman Emperor and the greatest of the kings of Bohemia, Charles IV, in 1346," travel office Visit Czechia says.
"According to legend, the Crown of Saint Wenceslas has magical powers. Supposedly, anyone who places the crown on his head without the right to do so will soon die."
Some still see the impetus for the death of acting Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich as his "incognito visit to the St. Wenceslas Chapel in 1941, where he is said to have put on the crown himself," the office says, noting he died in 1942 as a result of an assassination attempt.
