Pražská brána, Medieval city gate in Rakovník, Czech Republic.

Pražská brána is a late Gothic gate built in 1516 by stonemason Jan, standing 12.3 m high on a 9.8 by 9.47 m plan with walls 1.4 to 1.6 m thick. Its roughly hewn sandstone blocks, high saddle roof and four corner turrets on corbels frame a barrel-vaulted passage between two chamfered portals.

The gate was built to defend Rakovník and control entry to the town during the medieval period. Over time, it lost its defensive purpose but survived as a landmark representing the town's fortified past.

The gate reflects Rakovník's historical role as a trading hub, with its orientation toward Prague marking a key direction of commerce. The structure remains central to how locals understand their town's past and its position in the broader region.

The gate is freely accessible to visitors and can be viewed from the outside as it sits in the town center. You can visit at any time of day without needing advance planning or reservations.

On the side facing the historic town, a niche above the entrance once held a chalice, a Hussite symbol. A weathered Latin inscription on the plaster survives, urging merchants arriving here to feed the royal chamber, which moved from Prague to Rakovník in 1599 because of plague.