Chotkův palác

Chotkův palác (Chotek Palace) is a late-Classicist palace in Prague's Malá Strana district, formed from three older houses and linked for generations to the noble Chotek family.

How did three houses become a palace?

The building started out as three separate 17th-century town houses. One of them, known as "U Zlatého pelikána" (At the Golden Pelican), stood on the eastern side of what is now the palace and belonged to violin maker Jan Jiří Hellmer — local tradition holds that Ludwig van Beethoven bought violins from him. Shortly after 1804, the three houses were joined into a single Empire-style palace, a project initiated by Marie Gabriela of Rottenhan.

When did the Chotek family take over?

In the first half of the 19th century, the property passed to the descendants of Marie Gabriela's sister, Marie Isabella, who was married to Count Jan Nepomuk Chotek. From then on, the palace stayed in the family for generations. Count Arnošt Chotek was born there in 1844, and around 1900 the owner was Emerich Chotek. The same family produced Count Karel Chotek, who in 1832 founded the nearby Chotkovy sady — Prague's first public park, laid out beside Prague Castle.

What changed in the building's appearance over time?

A further major reconstruction took place in the second half of the 19th century. In 1885, work on the vestibule and the western carriage passage removed their original vaulted ceilings. An attic storey was later added in 1954. The main façade runs to twenty window bays, with banded rustication on the ground floor; second-floor windows carry simple mouldings, except above the carriage entrances, which are topped with triangular pediments.

Has the palace suffered flood damage?

Yes. Standing close to the Vltava, the building has been hit by flooding more than once — recorded in 1890 and, more seriously, in 2002, when floodwater reached a third of the way up the ground-floor windows. Between 1994 and 1996 the palace underwent a complete reconstruction carried out by a private company, which has managed the building ever since.

Where exactly is the palace, and what's nearby?

Chotkův palác stands on Hellichova street in Malá Strana, close to the Jan Neruda grammar school. It's a quiet, historic corner of Prague, lined with town houses and palaces from different eras, just a short walk from Charles Bridge. The building is listed as a protected cultural monument.

Frequently asked questions

Who built Chotkův palác? It was formed from three 17th-century houses, rebuilt into a single palace after 1804 on the initiative of Marie Gabriela of Rottenhan. The Chotek family only acquired it later, in the first half of the 19th century.

Why does the palace carry the Chotek name? Because it belonged to that family for generations — it passed to the descendants of Count Jan Nepomuk Chotek, and Count Arnošt Chotek was born there in 1844.

Has the original appearance survived? Partly. The twenty-bay façade with its rusticated ground floor dates from the earlier rebuilding, but the interior was altered again in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the whole building was thoroughly restored between 1994 and 1996.

Is the palace connected to the Chotek Gardens (Chotkovy sady)? They share a family name but are separate places. The gardens beside Prague Castle were founded in 1832 by Count Karel Chotek, while the Malá Strana palace is an earlier, distinct family property.

Where exactly should visitors look for it? On Hellichova street in Malá Strana, near the Jan Neruda grammar school, within easy walking distance of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.