Ledebur Palace in Prague

Ledebur Palace (Czech: Ledeburský palác) stands on Valdštejnské náměstí in Prague's Malá Strana district, and today it is best known for the terraced garden attached to it, which climbs the slope all the way up to the wall of Prague Castle. The garden forms part of a connected chain of palace gardens below the Castle, alongside the Small and Great Pálffy Gardens and the Small Fürstenberg Garden, together forming one of the largest walkable garden complexes overlooking the city.

How did the palace come to be?

Five separate medieval houses originally stood on the site. A major fire that swept through Malá Strana in 1541 badly damaged them, and the plots were gradually merged into a single property over the following decades. In 1665, the site was bought by Jan Václav Novohradský z Kolovrat, who commissioned an early Baroque reconstruction. The work, designed by Italian architect Giovanni Domenico Orsi, was completed by 1669. The building changed appearance again in 1802, when architect Ignác Palliardi reworked it in an early Classicist style. The palace owes the name it still carries to Count Adolf Ledebour, who became its owner in 1852.

Who created the famous garden?

The garden was laid out in 1697 by the Trautmannsdorff family, alongside the expansion of the residence itself. Its architectural design is attributed to Jan Santini and Giovanni Battista Alliprandi. Alliprandi is also credited with the garden's distinctive sala terrena, decorated with wall paintings drawing on Roman mythology and Italian veduta painting. In the early 18th century, the layout was reworked to emphasize an east-west axis: a new sala terrena was built, matched on the opposite side by a symmetrical wall enclosing a Hercules fountain. The garden rises in terraces up the hillside to the wall of the Prague Castle gardens, making it one of the most scenic corners of this part of the city.

When did the garden reopen to the public?

After 1989, the garden underwent a thorough modern restoration. The restoration was supported by a fund headed by President Václav Havel and Prince Charles (now King Charles III). The restored garden was officially opened to the public in 1995.

What is inside the palace today?

The palace building now serves as the seat of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), the Czech state body responsible for monument protection. It is listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic, and its address on Valdštejnské náměstí places it directly at the foot of Prague Castle hill.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Ledebur Palace located? On Valdštejnské náměstí in Prague's Malá Strana district, at the base of Prague Castle hill.

Is the palace the same thing as Ledebur Garden? No. The palace is the residential building, now home to the National Heritage Institute. Ledebur Garden is the historic terraced garden attached to it, part of the larger chain of gardens below Prague Castle.

Who designed the garden? Its architectural layout is credited to Jan Santini and Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, the latter also responsible for the sala terrena with its mythological frescoes.

Since when has the garden been open to visitors? After falling into disrepair, the garden was restored following 1989 and reopened to the public in 1995.

Where does the palace's name come from? From Count Adolf Ledebour, who purchased the building in 1852 and gave it the name it still carries today.