A broad bridge spans the river in front of Hyrule Castle and leads to the main entrance. The bridge connects the royal fortress to the forest area, Link's house and regions farther south.
Points of Interest
Sanctuary
It is supposed to be a place of peace, but history shows that the Hyrulean Sanctuary was once the site of a brutal battle. One of the oldest structures in the land, it is where Zelda goes for help when she first escapes from Agahnim, and the Sage there offers her shelter. He is a kind man who will guide Link on the first steps of his legendary journey.
Sacred Ground
The great Hyrulean Cemetery lies just east of the Sanctuary. Buried there are some of the most famous people in Hyrulean history. It is an eerie and mysterious place, and ghosts seem to always hover nearby. It is said that some of the tombstones there hide, not bodies, but buried treasure.
The Castle
Hyrule Castle once welcomed all Hyruleans. It was the home to several generations of royalty who were worshiped by their people. Inside the castle, royal red carpets are rolled out over the stone floors, and rich tapestries from faraway lands adorn its walls. Many fierce battles were waged just outside the castle walls against attackers, but the Hyruleans prevailed—until Agahnim appeared with his sinister strategy.
Link's House
Like the other homes in Hyrule, the house where Link and his uncle live is simple. It is furnished with a bed and table, both hand-crafted from logs bought from the lumberjacks in the north. The only unusual furnishing is a finely carved chest that sits in one corner of the room. The home is south of Hyrule Castle, just at the edge of a thick forest where Link and his uncle hunt for their food.
Leaving Home
Link hears words in the darkness; a plea from Zelda who is being held captive. He awakens suddenly and notices his uncle sheathing his sword. The old warrior looked grim. When his uncle was gone, Link hopped out of bed and opened the chest in the corner and took out the 
Lamp .
The Castle Gates
The castle itself dates back to early Hylian times, but its surrounding wall and gate were constructed in later years. Once long ago, people came from all over the kingdom to pass through them when they were completed. Now, however, one of Agahnim's spellbound guards refuse entry to anyone who arrives.
Outside in the driving storm, Link hears another telepathic message alerting him to a secret entrance outside the castle walls. He crosses the moat, then follows a path of stones until it leads to a bush. With a mighty heave Link pulls the bush out of the ground, revealing a secret entrance.
Secret Passage
After falling through the hole, Link lands in a puddle of water. He stumbles upon his Uncle, fatally wounded. With his dying breath he gives his sword and shield to Link, and teaches him the secret Spin Attack technique, pasted down among the Hyrulean Knights (press and hold the attack button, 
on SNES or 
on GBA, until the magic sparks reach the tip of the sword). Link rises and enters the door on the left.
The guards in the next room don't actively attack Link but he does take damage if they touch him. The chest will contain a Lamp if Link did not collect one back in his cottage. Otherwise, it will contain a blue rupee. After collecting magic potions from the pottery, Link can use the now-powered lamp to light the room; this does nothing here, but lighting these floor lamps in other rooms can often reveal a secret or open a door. When Link is finished, he heads for the stairs to the left.
The Castle Garden
Plants from the far reaches of the kingdom were transplanted in the garden courtyard the fronts Hyrule Castle. Fine marble tiles from the mountains line the walk, and colorful Rosehedge and Orangecap bushes dot the carpet of grass. Guards observe the garden from the catwalks on the castle walls.
Badly outnumbered, Link has to battle his way past the enchanted palace guards that patrol the castle grounds. Hyrulean soldiers are heavily armed. Their shields bear warriors' crests and their swords are specially forged to withstand fierce blows. Link safely makes his way to the double doors that serve as the Castle's entrance.
Hyrule Castle
Inside Hyrule Castle, fires burn brightly in many torches. A central staircase leads up to the throne room, and labyrinth-like hallways lead to other areas of the castle. All rooms—except for the dungeon below—were elegantly furnished.
Floor 1
Link enters the imposing grand hall of the Castle. Immediately, he has some choices to make. He can run straight ahead, but he knows that way leads to the throne room, and he probably won't find Zelda there. If anything, she is locked in the dungeon below. He can take the left exit or the right exit, and in fact both ways will take him to the stairwell in the back that leads to the dungeon. Along the way, he'll have to battle past more possessed knights, but if he breaks the pottery that he finds along the way, he may discover some rupees, or a life refilling heart. Eventually, Link comes across the stairs he is looking for and heads down.
Basement 1
When Link arrives in the dungeon, he is immediately greeted by a guard. He must duel the guard in order to grab the 
Small Key he is holding in order to open the door below. Link also opens the chest in the middle of the room to discover a 
Map inside. Now he can view the map at any time. (
on SNES, 
on GBA).
Link opens the southern door and discovers a room whose floor is erected over a deep chasm. If he is not careful with his footing, he could fall to his doom. He soon realizes, however, that the same is true for the guards that patrol the area. In some cases, it is easier for him to knock the guards into the chasm then to fight them to the death.
Link follows the pathway around until he encounters a door next to the left wall. As he passes through it, the doors slam shut behind him. He must defeat the guard in order to reopen the shutter doors. Since the north door is locked, Link goes east. Inside, he encounters another angry guard that's holding a Small Key. Once he defeats the guard, he opens the treasure cheast, and discovers his first alternate weapon: the 
Boomerang. This item can stun many enemies for a short time (such as the soldiers), and it injures or even kills very small enemies. Link returns to the previous room, and uses the key to advance to the next stairwell down.
Basement 2 & 3
Link heads down the stairs to a very small second floor basement, and immediately down the next staircase to the lowest level of the dungeon. At first, he is overcome with joy at the sight a Princess Zelda, safe but stuck inside of a cell. Then he is overcome with fear at the sight of the gruesome guard wielding a morningstar. Link tries to stun him with his new-found Boomerang, but it has little effect. Link fights well, but he takes some damage during the fight. He discovers that the pottery nearby contain hearts, just in case he runs low on life. Better yet, he realizes that he can throw the pottery at the guard, killing him even faster than with a sword. The guard slumps to the ground with a final groan, dropping the 
Big Key that keeps Zelda imprisoned.
Link gladly uses the key to free Princess Zelda, who updates Link with all of the information she has. She informs Link that the destination she would like to reach is the throne room. Link agrees to guard and escort her there. There also happens to be a chest in the cell with the Princess. If by some odd chance, Link had not obtained a Lamp from his home or from the secret passage, this is yet another opportunity for him to collect one. Otherwise, the chest will contain a blue rupee.
Floor 2
With the Princess in tow, Link fights past all of the guards who have returned to the first basement, and along the first floor hallways, and returns to the grand hall of the Castle. This time, Link follows the Princess' instruction and makes his way to the doorway at the top that leads to the throne room above. Even in the throne room, he is attacked by guards, but once Link defeats them, the Princess and he are finally able to rest and plan their next move.
The Princess recalls a secret door that can be revealed by pushing a mantle aside. She asks Link to use his strength to push the mantle, but she politely assists. The mantle slides to the side revealing a hidden stairwell...
Sewers
Once inside the sewers it's very dark. Watch out for rats in this room. They typically run in a straight line and turn at right angles meaning they're mostly at the edge of the room, but they do run into pots or across the central areas. Make your way up and to the right and through the door to the next area. This one has snakes. They move much the same, but if they see you they'll dash towards you at faster than usual speed. The door is directly to the left of the one you came through.
In the next room are more snakes, as well as a chest with aSmall Key. The moment you come to a fork in the room's layout head right to find the chest. The door it opens is directly north of where you entered from.
In the next area all the rats are on a northern stretch of flooring. They can't swim so won't bother you as much as in the previous rooms. A solitary rat runs madly around on a tiny island in the middle. You can hit all the rats on the northen flooring with the boomerang then kill them all for Rupees. Exit to the West.
The next room is much the same. The moment you enter head up and then left. You'll only encounter a Keese this way, the other enemies are all on other floor areas. You can smash the pots scattered around the room for hearts if you wish. Anyway head north.
In this room a rat to your left has swallowed aSmall Key. Get it and then head to the top-right corner for the door, watching out for the Keese and the two other rats.
In the next room you can see again. Take note of the cracked walls on the left-hand side, once you have bombs you can knock them down. For now just kill the rats and head up and through the door by moving the middle block north one square.
In the next room just head down, killing or avoiding rats on your way. But now you're presented with a choice. The left-hand lever releases seven snakes, while the right-hand one opens the door.
Now you get a short cutscene where more of the story is revealed. Once they finish talking open the chest for a 
Heart Container. Now head off west and then south to explore Kakariko Village.