Furstenberg Palace in Prague

Furstenberg Palace (Czech: Fürstenberský palác) is a Renaissance-origin building on Valdštejnská street in Prague's Malá Strana district, right next to the Wallenstein Garden. The name is often associated with the nearby Furstenberg Gardens, but the palace itself is a separate structure with centuries of its own history, now home to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Czech Republic.

Where is the palace, and what surrounds it?

The building sits just outside the old fortified line of Malá Strana, on ground that was purely agricultural land until the 16th century, covered in vineyards and fields sloping down toward the Vltava. Today the area ranks among Prague's most prestigious neighborhoods, a short walk from Prague Castle and the Malostranská metro station.

How did the palace come to be built?

The story starts in 1580, when Václav Berka z Dubé, an imperial councilor, bought newly erected buildings on the plot. Three years later he added the adjoining hillside vineyards to his holdings. Under his ownership the building grew in stages into something close to its present form, a process that essentially wrapped up around 1600. The result mixes elements from different periods: the western side, currently closed to visitors, still carries a Renaissance portal with dated inscriptions, while the northeastern entrance is marked by a Baroque portal with a curved cornice and a relief coat of arms above it.

Who owned the palace over the centuries?

Ownership shifted several times after the Berka family. In 1714 the counts of Vrbna acquired the property. A more decisive change came in 1822, when Prince Karel Egon of Furstenberg bought the by-then neglected building. An educated aristocrat and member of the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences, he later helped establish the Czech National Museum, and it is his name the palace has carried ever since. In 1920 the property passed to the newly formed Czechoslovak state, and since 1922 it has been leased continuously to the Polish embassy, a role it still holds today.

What defines the palace's architecture?

Like many Prague residences reshaped over the centuries, Furstenberg Palace layers several architectural periods on top of one another. Its Renaissance core, dating to the turn of the 17th century, was later joined by a Baroque entrance on the courtyard side, with a passage leading through to a grand staircase. The building is protected as a cultural monument, and its direct proximity to the Small and Large Furstenberg Gardens, counted among Prague's finest historic gardens, adds further weight to the whole estate.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors tour Furstenberg Palace? The building serves as the Polish embassy, so access to the interior is restricted and it is not set up as a regular tourist attraction.

How does the palace differ from the Furstenberg Gardens? They are related but separate sites: the palace is the residential and representative building on Valdštejnská street, while the Furstenberg Gardens (Small and Large) are the adjoining terraced green spaces, also tied to the Furstenberg family name.

Where does the palace's name come from? It comes from Prince Karel Egon of Furstenberg, who bought the neglected estate in 1822 and restored it.

Who built the original palace? The Renaissance residence was commissioned by Václav Berka z Dubé starting in 1580, taking shape in stages that lasted until roughly 1600.

Who uses the building today? Since 1922 the Czech state has leased the palace to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland.