After passing through the gate, you reach the second courtyard and are met by a fountain from 1686. Nearby is one of the castle's 18-meter-deep wells. It is closed with a baroque wrought-iron lid, which was quite elegant at the time. It is said that in the Middle Ages, unfaithful wives were thrown into this well.

The second courtyard, formed by filling up an old moat, is the most compact. Its current look goes back to the mid-18th century, and a good deal of it now serves as the President of the Czech Republic's official house.

The Holy Cross Chapel, located on the south side of the courtyard, was built in the 18th century. It was designed by Italian architects. The building houses the wealth of St. Vitus and many spiritual objects, such as reliquaries, crucifixes, liturgical objects and embroidered treasures.

In 1929, the Slovenian architect Joze Plecnik renovated the former stables. Today it serves as a picture gallery (Obrazarna), which houses the art collections of Rudolf II. The emperor had engaged over forty Italian, German and Flemish painters and built up an international network of antique dealers who selected art treasures for him, especially his favourite sensual paintings. The collection once comprised over 4,000 paintings, but during the Thirty Years' War, looters ravaged Prague and many of the works were lost.

An interesting fact: the Treasure of St Vitus, displayed in the Chapel of the Holy Cross, is not to be confused with the much more valuable Crown Jewels in the Cathedral Chapel. The Bohemian crowns, sceptres and other artefacts are kept behind seven different locks and are only accessible to the public on special occasions (with rare exceptions).