Palác Hložků ze Žampachu

Palác Hložků ze Žampachu (Palace of the Hložek Family of Žampach) stands on Kanovnická Street in Hradčany, right next to Prague Castle. This early Baroque residence is a listed cultural monument of the Czech Republic and has served for decades as the residence of the Austrian ambassador.

Where exactly does the palace stand?

The building occupies a narrow, rectangular plot on Kanovnická Street, just a short walk from the walls of Prague Castle and close to Jelení příkop, the deer moat separating the castle hill from Hradčany. The palace is a single-story structure made up of a main block and two wings that reach toward the courtyard and a garden above the moat; the western wing rises higher than the eastern one. Its main south-facing facade, fronting the street, has six bays with grouped windows on both the ground floor and the floor above. A terrace between the courtyard wings connects via a staircase to the lower garden.

How did the building take its current form?

Gothic houses already stood on this plot back in the fourteenth century - records name Vlčata and a vicar called Henslin among the owners. That earlier development burned down in the great Hradčany fire of 1541. A large early Renaissance house went up on the same site during the 1550s.

The turning point came in the 1680s, when Albrecht Václav Hložek ze Žampachu, commandant of Prague Castle, had the Renaissance house rebuilt as an early Baroque palace. The Hložek family kept the property until 1757. Other owners across the centuries included the Bořita family of Martinice and the Czech Chamber, which used the building to house pages of Emperor Ferdinand III.

The palace was sold at auction to a commoner owner in 1798, and ownership changed hands repeatedly through the nineteenth century. Countess Kunigunde Nostitz was the last owner before the war. Between 1923 and 1925 the palace underwent a thorough reconstruction, and in 1928 the garden was restored along with the retaining wall above Jelení příkop.

Who uses the palace today?

The palace now functions as the residence of the Austrian ambassador, forming part of the Austrian Republic's diplomatic presence in Prague. Because of that role, the interior isn't open to casual visitors - the building is best appreciated from the outside, while walking along Kanovnická, one of the quieter and older streets in Hradčany.

What should visitors know before stopping by?

The palace sits along the route connecting Prague Castle with the Loreta shrine and the Capuchin monastery, so it's easy to fold a look at the building into a walk between those sights. Kanovnická Street itself has kept the feel of the old canons' quarter and stays notably calmer than the main tourist paths through Hradčany.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Palác Hložků ze Žampachu located? On Kanovnická Street in Hradčany, Prague 1, close to Prague Castle.

Who gave the palace its current form? Albrecht Václav Hložek ze Žampachu, commandant of Prague Castle, had it rebuilt as an early Baroque palace in the 1680s.

Can the palace be visited inside? No - it serves as the residence of the Austrian ambassador and is not open to the public.

Who owned the palace over the centuries? Besides the Hložek family, owners included the Bořita family of Martinice, the Czech Chamber, and, as the last pre-war owner, Countess Kunigunde Nostitz.

When was the building last substantially renovated? Between 1923 and 1925, with the surrounding garden restored in 1928.