CASTLE, Square Hradcany

The slightly sloping Hradcany Square, one of the most popular entry points to the Castle, is surrounded on all sides by monumental buildings, between which you can see a number of streets and some delightful views over the rooftops of Malà Strana, the neighborhood south of the city whose name means “little bank” in Czech.

On the opposite side of the Castle, the backdrop is formed by the Baroque palace of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, with little twin towers at the entrances.

Almost overhanging the steep descent towards Malà Strana is the sixteenth-century Schwarzenberg Palace, with a façade decorated using the sgraffitto technique to mimic sculpted stone.

The Palace’s spacious, frescoed rooms with sculpted wooden ceilings provide an impressive home for the Baroque art section of the city’s National Gallery. On the second floor is a large collection of Mannerist art, while the other two floors host the finest examples of Czech Baroque paintings and sculptures. From the windows, there are unique views over Petřín Gardens....