Schwarzenberg Palace

The Schwarzenberg palace is easily recognizable by its rich black-and-white graffito decorations on its walls. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of Prague Renaissance architecture. It represents a perfect link of domestic tradition with the new Renaissance architecture of Northern Italy.

The Owners Of The Palace

Schwarzenberg Palace was built in a dominant position above the Leader Town on the site of older buildings that had been destroyed by the fire in 1541. The ruins were bought by Jan Popel of Lobkowicz, a rich nobleman in Bohemia. Construction works under the supervision of the architect Agostino Galli were started in 1545 and completed in 1567. When George of Lobkowicz was imprisoned by Rudolph II all of his properties were confiscated. At that time Petr Vok of Rosenberg took possession of the palace. During the years that followed the palace became the property of several other noble families. The Schwarzenberg family gained the palace by marriage in 1719 and resided here until 1948.

Interior

Inside the Schwarzenberg Palace, we have a wonderful opportunity to admire beautiful ceilings decorated with paintings on canvas stretched over a wooden construction. The paintings made in around 1580 depict famous scenes from antiquity –The Kidnap of Helen, The Conquer of Troy, The Escape of Aeneid, and The Judgement of Paris.

Museums

At the beginning of the 20th century the palace lost its residential function. From 1909 the palace was used by the National Technical Museum, and in 1947 the Military History Museum took over use of the palace.

National Gallery

In 2002 the National Gallery gained use of the building and launched an extensive reconstruction in July 2003. Nowadays the palace houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Baroque Art in Bohemia. The ground floor is restricted to Baroque sculpture. Among some of the sculptors represented are Ferdinand Maximilian Brokof, Ignaz Franz Platzer and Karl Joseph Hiernle, Johann George Brendl, and Matthias Bernhard Braun. The second floor contains a large collection of Karel Skreta, Michael Leopold Willmann,  Johann Christoph Liška, and wonderful drawings and prints of the 17th and 18th centuries. The exhibiton also include works by Wenceslas Hollar, Salvatore Rosa amongst others.

If you want to sleep few minutes from the Schwarzenberg palace, book one of our cosy private double rooms!

Sts Cyril And Methodius Church

This Baroque church is situated at the corner of the streets Na Zderaze and Resslova. Initially, it was consecrated to St Charles Borromeus, and was built together with the adjacent house for emeritus priests in 1730-1739 by the architects Kilián Ignác Dienzenhofer and Pavel Ignác Bayer. After deconsecration in 1783 both of the buildings were used for several different purposes. About 150 years later (1934-35) the church was handed over to the Orthodox Church and consecrated to Sts Cyril and Methodius. The interior of the Sts Cyril and Methodius church is richly decorated with frescoes made by Karel Schopf. The stucco adornments date back to 1739 and represent the work of Michal Ignác Palliardi.

Parachutists

Sts Cyril and Methodius Church in Prague became very well-known especially after the WWII when it served as the hiding place of seven Czech paratroopers from the Western resistence movement (Kubiš, Gabčík and others)  after the assassination of the Nazi Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia, Reinhard Heydrich. Sent from England on several missions, two of them, Jan Kubiš and Jozef Gabčík, attempted to assasinate Heydrich in Prague-Liben on 27th May 1942. He died several days later of blood poisoning from his injuries. Just a few hours before, the parachutists were supposed to change their hiding place, but on 18th June 1942, they were betrayed and attacked in the church by the Gestapo and SS. After three hours of fighting the parachutists used their last bullets on each other to prevent being captured. On the wall of the crypt near a window, where you can still see the bullet holes, and memorial plaque with the names and portraits of the heroes can also be found here.The crypt has been converted into the National Memorial Of The Heroes of the Heydrich Terror. It  house a permanent exhibtion and a sacred site dedicated to the Heroes.

Our hostel is only few minutes from the Sts Cyril and Methodius Church, book from wide selection of our rooms and apartments!

Na Příkopě Street

Street called Na Příkopě connects Wenceslas Square with the Republic Square. This street separates the Old Town from the New Town and was founded in 14th century.

Buildings

It is lined with numerous important representative buildings including the headquarters of the Czech National Bank, old palaces and last but not least, luxury shops. During the 19th century the street was transformed by construction of important commercial buildings and by the end of the century it was an extremely frequented city boulevard. Na Příkopě contains some of the most expensive commercial real estates not only in Prague but also throughout the world. The avenue is bordered with many shops and shopping “galleries”, including the passages, Černá Růže, Myslbek, and Slovanský dům. It is also possible to see major banks, including the imposing building of the Czech National Bank.

Koruna Palace

One of the famous properties of Na Příkopě is Koruna Palace. It was built here at the beginning of the twentieth century on the site of an older building – according to historical sources, and is one of the first buildings to be constructed after the establishment of Prague’s New Town in the 14th century. In 1912, the corner building and two neighbouring buildings were torn down to clear enough space for the construction of the present Koruna Palace as the seat for the life insurance company. The project was prepared by the architect Antonín Pfeiffer who cooperated with the builder Matěj Blecha. The building’s sculptural decorations are the work of sculptor Vojtěch Sucharda, who refers in this important project to classical and mythological ideals. Between 1974 and 1977, Koruna Palace was adapted for the purposes of the foreign trade company Technoexport and later it was converted into a shopping centre. Its last extensive reconstruction was carried out between 1992 and 1996 by the atelier „Achammer, Tritthart und Partner“ from Munich. Nowadays, the palace serves as an important commercial, business and administrative center.

Myslbek Building

Another property on the left side if you are walking from the Wenceslas Square is the large Myslbek building. The name originated in the thirties of the 20th century when the Arts association named it in honor of the outstanding sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek. The association had a temporary exhibition pavilion here. Nowadays it houses a huge shopping centre.

Czech National Bank

The last property which should not be missed out is the building of the Czech National Bank. The modern built-up area around the present-day CNB and throughout the centre of Prague originated in the 19th century and the construction works continued the following century.

Commercial Centre

Wenceslas Square and Na Příkopě Street grew high in importance and became the commercial centres of the city attracting the attention of new financial institutions. In addition to the economic advantages of the strategic location in the centre the building of banks was conditional on the availability of real estate. The development of new banks in the second half of the 19th century was concentrated in this area.

If you want to sleep near by the Na Příkopě Street, book one of our beautiful rooms!

Celetná Street

Celetná Street has always been a part of the Royal Route – the coronation route of Bohemian kings that ends at Prague Castle. This street was named after the bread rolls that used to be baked here in the Middle Ages. In this street you can still find many houses bearing the original house signs. These signs were used before the establishment of the houses numbering system instigated by the empress Maria Theresa. Celetná Street has become well known for the abundance of its historical and famous buildings.

House Of The Black Madonna

One of them, and perhaps the most beautiful one, is the House of the Black Madonna, designed by the architect Josef Gočár at the beginning of the 20th century. It is considered to be the first example of Cubist architecture in Prague. Nowadays, it serves as home to the National Gallery and the Museum of Czech cubism. The House of the Black Madonna was originally designed as a department store and was built for the tradesman F. J. Herbst in 1912. One of Josef Gočár’s  most challenging obstacles during the project was to design a house that would blend in with its ancient surroundings. Although the first design was scrapped, the second, softer, design was approved for the construction. Cubism is reflected in the doorway, facade, windows, and even the staircase and its handrail all bear features of this artistic style. A Baroque symbol of Black Madonna, that gave the name to the house, is placed at the corner of the house, covered by a golden grille.

Sixt House

Another famous building is the Sixt House bearing number two which is associated with the childhood (August 1888- May 1889) of the famous Prague, and later also world-known, writer Franz Kafka. In 1990, the café of Egon Erwin Kisch was opened on the newly renovated ground-floor. The underground spaces were modified for the purposes of the wine restaurant „U Sixtů“. You can admire the remains of the Romanesque and Gothic architecture inside the building. Ongoing restoration continues to this present day.

House At The Golden Angel

The building bearing the number 29 is the House At the Golden Angel, a hotel boasting important historical guests such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Danish Queen who stayed here in 1862, the Greek Queen, as well as the Russian anarchist Michail Bakunin. The hotel acquired its Classic appearance during modifications carried out in 1860. This tradition of hospitality has continued to the present day.

Celetná Street Today

As you can see Celetná Street today is lined with shops selling crystal and jewellery, as well as tacky souvenirs shops. During day the street is full of life, and during the night,  illuminated by romantic gas lamps.

If you want to sleep few minutes from the Celetná Street, book one of our cosy private double rooms!

Czernin Palace

One of the most beautiful, and the most monumental example of Prague Baroque architecture, Czernin Palace or Černínský palác is situated in the Loretanske Square just opposite the Loreto Church. It used to belong to the noble family Czernin of Chudenice, one of the oldest noble families in Bohemia. According to the legend the name Czernin might be derived from the word “černý” (black). Black as the black fireplace where a small boy from a noble family was hidden while his entire family was murdered.

Construction

Construction of the Czernin Palace lasted many years. The building works were started in 1668 after the project overseen by the Italian architect Francesco Caratti. A substantial part of family funds was spent on building and decorating the palace. After finishing the palace it served as a famous picture gallery. Since then the palace has had its “ups and downs”. It was looted by the French and Bavarian armies in 1742. Reconstruction followed in the years 1744-1749, and was carried out under the direction of the architect Anselmo Lurago who cooperated with the sculptor František Ignac Platzer and the stuccoer Bernardo Spinetti. The most beautiful part of the palace are 30 massive Corinthian half-columns running the length of the upper stories of the palace. The main hall of the palace is three floors high.

After The 18th Century

The palace was severely damaged by the Prussian bombardement in 1757 and it had to be repaired by Jan Antonin Quittainer. In the mid-18th century the members of Czernin family started to loose their interest in this palace – as they moved their seat to Vienna. The palace remained abandoned and then began to serve as a hospital, factory, storehouse etc. In 1848, the building was sold to the army, converted into barracks and subsequently fell into a considerable state of disrepair. Extensive reconstruction was not carried out until the first half of the 20th century when the building was modified by the architect Pavel Janák for the use by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Czernin Palace Today

Czernin Palace now serves as the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and visited by presidents, ministers of foreign affairs and other prominent people from all over the world. It’s been the office of ministers of foreign affairs of the former Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. Czernin Palace is not opened to the public – with the exception of special occasions.

Jan Masaryk’s Death

Minister of foreign affairs, Jan Masaryk, the son of the Czechoslovakia’s first President, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, died as a result of a fall from the top-floor window of Czernin Palace. It happened after the Communist Coup in 1948. It has not been successfully resolved up to now whether he committed a suicide or if  he was murdered.

If you want to sleep near by the Czernin Palace, book from wide selection of our rooms and apartments!

Šternberk Palace

The Šternberk Palace was built here between 1697 and 1707 for Václav Vojtěch of Šternberk. It represents one of the most significant examples of high Baroque secular architecture in Bohemia.

Art Collection

In 1796 the Society of Patriotic Friends of the Arts was founded by the Franz Josef Šternberk whose name the Šternberk Palace bear today. Members of this society loaned their finest artworks to be displayed in this palace with the collection growing from year to year. Fortunately before the First World War, the collection was taken over by the Government to ensure the collection’s survival during the war.

National Gallery

Between 1946 and 1948 the Šternberk palace was adapted for use by the National Gallery. The Collection of european art from the classical era to the close of baroque period has been situated here since 2003.

First Floor

The exhibition is divided into several parts. The first part belongs to the Greek and Roman antiquities. The first floor is dedicated to the art from the 14th to the 16th century. It came from the collections of the Archduke Francesco Ferdinando D‘Este from his castle, Konopiště. You might admire the paintings by the Tuscan masters such as Bernardo Daddi or Lorenzo Monaco with others coming from the venetian school and works by the Florentine Manerists, Alessandro Allori and Bronzino. The same floor contains the collection of Flemisch paintings which includes a triptych from Geertgen tot Sint Jans and its alterpiece.

Second Floor

The Second floor is dedicated to the works from the 16th to the 18th century. In these times the schools such as Italian, Spanish, French and Dutch were very popular. Artists of this period are represented by Tintoretto, Ribera, El Greco, Tiepolo, Goya, Van Dyck or Rubens. The main pieces from Flemisch and Dutch works were by Hals, Rembrandt, Ruydsale, Terbich and also Van Goyen.

Ground Floor

Finally, we should mention the ground floor which contains German and Austrian paintings from the 16th and the 18th centuries. The main artists are Lucas Cranach and Hans Baldung. The most beautiful masterpiece is The Feast of the Rose Garlands from 1506 and is the work of Albrecht Durer. This work was transferred to Prague by Rudolph II. The collection also includes small sculptures and drawings.

If you want to sleep near by the Šternberk Palace, book one of our beautiful apartments!

Jan Hus Monument

In the middle of the Old Town Square, there is the rising monument of Master John Hus, the Czech thinker, religious reformer and the follower of the ideas of English church reformer John Wycliffe.

Jan Hus

Jan Hus was born in 1369 and was rector of the Charles University between 1402 and 1413. He criticized the frailties of the church, as well as the whole feudal society of that time. Among others, he simplified the Czech written rules and he wasn’t afraid to openly criticize the corrupt practices of the Catholic Church and the Papacy. For his ideas he was pronounced a heretic and burned to death at Constance in 1415. His beliefs were shared by the Czech nationalists, nobles as well as common people, and the Hussite wars in 15th century followed his dramatic death.

Monument

The monument of Master John Hus was created by the Art-Nouveau sculptor Ladislav Šaloun and was ceremonially revealed on the Old Town Square on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of his death, the 6th of July 1915. Ladislav Saloun drew inspiration from the famous works of the French artist Auguste Rodin.

Jan Hus Monument is only 15 minutes walk from our hostel, book from wide selection of our rooms!

Archbishop’s Palace

The Archbishop’s Palace represents a respectable opposite to the secular power on the Hradčany square. After the destruction of the Bishop Palace in the Lesser Town during the Hussite wars in 1420, the Habsburg monarch Ferdinand I decided to build a new palace on Hradcanske square next to Prague Castle in 1562 after he had reestablished the Prague Archbishopric in 1561. Since 1562 Archbishop Palace has served as seat of Prague’s archbishop and the archdiocese office. In 1599 the chapel of St John the Baptist was built and decorated with valuable wall and ceiling stuccoes and frescoes painted by Daniel Alexius of Květná. In 1669-1694, the Palace was rebuilt in the early Baroque style to the design of the French architect Jean Baptiste Mathey. The palace was composed of a large complex with four wings and four courtyards. The sculptural decoration of the front facade, including the coat-of-arms of the Archbishop Peter Příchovský above the main entrance, mostly represent the work of the  sculptor Ignac Frantisek Platzer.

Interior

The interior of the Archbishop’ palace was mainly designed in the Rococo style and the most valuable items are represented by a collection of nine French tapestries as well as the gallery of portraits of Prague’s archbishops. There is also a fine set of sumptuous Gobelin tapestries adorning several rooms, with decorative 18th-century furnishings set amidst a large collection of sacred portraits.

Legend Of Crucifixion Painting

Legend tells that the main altar in the chapel was decorated with a Crucifixion painting by an unknown Italian artist. The artist wanted to create the painting perfectly as he received the commission from the archbishop himself. But the painter was not satisfied with the face of the dying Christ which wasn’t, according to him, showing enough death awe. He asked a beggar from the Charles Bridge to become his model. Tying the beggar to the cross, the artist wasn’t satisfied with the look of suffering on the beggar’s face. Furious with the his model, the artist plunged his dagger into the beggar’s heart, and worked fast to capture the expression on the beggar’s face before the poor soul died. The painting was impressive, but it had claim two lives. That of the beggar, and that of the artist, who, full of remorse for the foul deed, committed suicide by jumping off a mountain.

Statue Of Tomas Garrigue Masaryk

In the proximity of the palace you can see the bronze statue cast during the 20th century. The statue honors Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of the then newly independent Czechoslovak state.

If you want to sleep near by the Archbishop’s palace, book one of our beautiful apartments!

Loreta

The construction of the Prague Loreta was inspired by a saint shanty in Mikulov which was built by cardinal Diettrichstein. When Kateřina of Lobkovic saw this property she decided to build Loreta on her own plots. The main architect of this construction was Giovanni Batista Orsi. The origin of Loreta dates back to 1626 when the foundation stone of the holy hut was laid. In 1631 it was consecrated by cardinal Harrach.

Holy Hut

Holy hut is considered to be the most precise copy of the native house of Our Lady of Loreto. It forms a part of  the central courtyard surrounded by six chapels and decorated with reliefs made by Giovanni Bartolomeo Cometa. The alcove chapels in the cloisters were rebuilt between 1710 and 1718 by Kryštof Diezenhofer and the final appearance of the frontal building represents the work of his son Kilian Ignac.

Chapel Of Our Lady Of Sorrows

The most famous cloister‘s chapel is consecrated to Our Lady of Sorrows. Inside this chapel you can find the main altar including the oldest sculptural group of the entire complex – the Gothic pieta from the first half of the 15th century. On the side altar you can see crucifixion of saint Wilgefortis (Starosta) with a beard. The legend says that the St Starosta used to be a really pretty girl. Her father – a  Portugese King – wanted her to marry a pagan Sicilan ruler. However, as a Christian she asked Heaven for help because she did not want to marry him. This prayer was answered by God. The following day she woke up as a man with a beard. The Sicilan king consequently refused to marry her. And this was the reason why she was crucified by her father. Now she represents a patron saint of people with sorrows. The beautiful fresco Adoration is the work of Felix Antonín Scheffler who also painted frescos in St. Anna’s chapel and in the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

Carillon

The dominating feature of the frontage is the tower dating back to 1693. It houses the famous carillon which was constructed by the clockmaker Petr Neumann in 1694. The Renaissance chime consists of 27 bells of different sizes which were cast by the Dutch bellfounder Claudius Fremy. At the top of every hour, you can listen to Our Lady’s Song, heard here for the first time as early as in 1695.

Treasury

Thanks to a financial gift from Katerina of Lobkovice, the treasury was founded on the ground floor in 1683. In 1882, it was modified to the designs of the architect Josef Mocker. The new treasure house was built on the first floor by K. Vacek in 1962. It contains ostensories, small altars, goblets and many valuable votive gifts dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The most remarkable and uniquely beautiful diamond monstrance can be found here. It was dedicated to Loreta by the countess Ludmila of Kolovrat. Her husband, younger by 35 years, had given her 6500 diamonds as a wedding present. In accordance with her last will the Viennese goldsmiths were entrusted with the task of creating the monstrance for Loreta. It was made of gilded silver and adorned with 6222 diamonds to the design of Johann Bernard Fischer of Ehrlach. The remaining diamonds were used as the salary for those artisans.

If you want to sleep near by Loreta, book one of our cosy double rooms!

New World Street

A charming place to have attracted many artists and romantic souls for more than three centuries can be found near the Loreto and and Prague Castle. A narrow street lined by numerous small houses, the New World, or Novy Svet creates a romantic atmosphere any time of the year.

Houses

The houses were built in the mid-14th century to provide accommodation for castle workers or those who wanted to be close to the Prague Castle. This area has been damaged by fire twice, the last time, by the most destructive fire in the history of Prague, in 1541. Most of the small houses were rebuilt in the 17th century. Even though the local people were not wealthy, they were fortunate enough to have a roof over their heads. They used to put house signs above doors to identify their houses. These interesting house signs have been preserved and can still be viewed today.

Famous Inhabitants

New World street is often associated with two famous people who used to live there. One of them is Tycho de Brahe, Rudolf II’s famous astronomer who lived in house no. 1 called At the Golden Griffin. The great Czech violin virtuoso Frantisek Ondricek was born in house no. 25 called At the Golden Plough.

House Signs

The house called At the Golden Grape is decorated with a predatory fish on the bay while the inner courtyard of the house At the White Lion is beautifully ornamented with ivy. You should also look out for the house signs A Golden Pear, a Grape, a Foot, a Bush or an Acorn hidden in New World Street.

The New World Street is only 15 minutes walk from our hostel, book one of our lovely apartments!