Hrzánský palác

Hrzánský palác (the Hrzán Palace) is a modest-looking but history-dense palace complex in Prague's Hradčany district, tucked between Hradčany Square and Loreta Square on Loretánská street. Visitors walking from Prague Castle toward the Loreta shrine pass right by it, usually without realizing how many owners, rebuilds and one famous resident are packed into its late-Baroque façade.

Where exactly is the palace, and why does it look understated?

The building sits directly on the short stretch of Loretánská connecting Hradčanské náměstí with Loretánské náměstí, at coordinates roughly 50.0885, 14.3944. Compared to the grand aristocratic palaces closer to the castle gates, its façade is restrained — a relatively plain late-Baroque front rather than an ornate showpiece, a look that traces back to how the property changed hands over the centuries.

How did the palace get its name and its owners?

A Gothic house belonging to the St. Vitus Cathedral chapter originally stood on the site. In 1359 it was bought by Petr Parléř, the master builder, architect and sculptor behind Prague's Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral and Charles Bridge. Parléř sold the house again around 1372, after which it apparently fell into disrepair and may eventually have been demolished.

After the Thirty Years' War, the property passed to Vilém Albrecht, Count Kolovrat-Krakovský, a land judge of the Bohemian Kingdom. The name we know today dates from 1708, when Count Zikmund Valentin Hrzán z Harasova bought the entire estate — the palace has carried the Hrzán family name ever since. Ownership returned to the St. Vitus chapter in 1756, and between 1775 and 1780 the chapter carried out a rebuild that produced the late-Baroque main façade still visible today.

Who lived and worked in the palace more recently?

In 1894, before Czechoslovak independence, the future first president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk — then a university professor — lived in the palace, and is remembered as its most notable resident. He was particularly fond of the view over the rooftops of Malá Strana from the palace terrace.

In 1915 the painter Ferdinand Engelmüller bought the "upper" house within the complex and turned it into his studio. After his death in 1924, the studio passed to another well-known Czech painter, Jan Slavíček, who kept working there for years afterward.

What is the palace used for today?

Between 1949 and 1954 the whole complex underwent a major reconstruction that turned it into a government building, first for the Ministry of Culture and later for the Presidium of the Government. Today Hrzánský palác belongs to the Czech Government Office and is used exclusively for diplomatic, representative and social occasions — it is not a place you can simply walk into on an ordinary day.

Frequently asked questions

Can the palace be visited? Not routinely — it's an active government building, closed to casual visitors. Access is occasionally granted on open-door days tied to Czech state holidays, and during occasional exhibitions, when guided tours run in groups and last around 40 minutes.

What can you see from the terrace? The rooftops of Malá Strana, Petřín Hill, and part of Prague's historic centre — the same view that reportedly captivated Masaryk during his stay.

Where does the palace's name come from? From the Counts Hrzán z Harasova, who bought the estate in 1708; earlier owners of the site included the architect Petr Parléř and the St. Vitus Cathedral chapter.

Is there a connection to St. Vitus Cathedral? Indirectly, yes — the original house on the site belonged to the cathedral's chapter, and its first known private owner was Petr Parléř, the cathedral's own master builder.