K. never made it inside the walls of The Castle. The same, however, can't be said of Kafka, at least in regards to Prague Castle. He even wrote within the walls of this particular castle, at the little place he and his sister rented on Golden Lane. And the interior of the church that Joseph K. visited in the cathedral scene of The Trial is thought to have been inspired by St. Vitus' Cathedral, the landmark building of Prague Castle.

The largely ceremonial president of The Czech Republic resides and "rules" within these walls. Special excitement is created for the president, his entourage, and the many tourists milling about when a convoy of black limousines with police escort pull up into the castle complex, often bringing with them an equally ceremonial president or royal head of state from some other nation. An elaborate ceremony, featuring both heads of state, military guard and brass band, then follows.

MIDI file sequences for Austro-Hungarian and Czech national anthems are from www.nationalanthems.info. Arranged by Greg Evans.