Ditrichštejnský Palace in Hradčany

Ditrichštejnský palác (also known as the Dromsdorf or Kleov palace) is a Renaissance palace on Loretánská Street in Prague's Hradčany district, between Pohořelec and Hradčanské náměstí, close to the Loreta shrine and Prague Castle. The building carries the name of the Dietrichstein family today, but over several centuries of ownership each family that held it left its own mark on the facade or interior.

How did the palace's history begin?

On the site of two derelict Gothic houses from the 14th century, the Šlik family built a grand High Renaissance residence in the second half of the 16th century. That structure still forms the core of today's palace: the cellars and most of the rooms keep their Renaissance vaulting, while two rooms retain older Gothic vaulting, a trace of the original medieval plots.

Which owners reshaped the building?

In the first quarter of the 17th century the house passed to the Lobkowicz family, who remodeled it in a late Renaissance style. The Martinic family owned it next, and in the 1680s the property passed to the Kolowrat family, whose coat of arms still decorates the rusticated portal of the main facade. The name the palace carries today only appeared in 1741, when the Dietrichstein family bought the building; their coat of arms remains on the knocker of the rococo entrance door.

What can visitors see on the facade and inside?

The main facade has kept its late Renaissance character, with a rusticated portal bearing the Kolowrat coat of arms. The entrance door itself is rococo, with the Dietrichstein crest on its knocker — a pairing of two styles and two noble families at a single doorway that sums up the building's layered history well. The second floor still holds fragments of painted Baroque ceilings from the late 17th century. The palace has a four-wing layout over two storeys, and its staircase remains Renaissance in style.

Can the palace be visited today?

No. Ditrichštejnský palác is privately owned and closed to visitors. In the early 19th century the building was divided into several apartments, and its interior was altered more than once during the 20th century to suit residential use. From the outside, though, the facade and portal are easy to admire while walking along Loretánská Street toward the Loreta shrine or Hradčanské náměstí.

Is the palace a protected monument?

Yes. Ditrichštejnský palác has been listed as a kulturní památka — a cultural monument of the Czech Republic — since 1964.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Ditrichštejnský palác located? On Loretánská Street in Prague's Hradčany district, between Pohořelec and Hradčanské náměstí, near the Loreta shrine and Prague Castle.

Where does the palace's name come from? From the Dietrichstein family, who bought the building in 1741. Earlier owners included the Šlik, Lobkowicz, Martinic and Kolowrat families.

Can visitors go inside? No, the palace is privately owned and closed to the public — only the facade can be viewed from the street.

What architectural styles does the building combine? Renaissance cellars and most interiors, two rooms with Gothic vaulting, a late Renaissance facade with a rusticated portal, and a rococo entrance door.

Is the palace protected as a historic monument? Yes, it has held the status of a Czech cultural monument since 1964.