Palác Schützenů, Praha

Schütz Palace (Czech: Palác Schützenů), also known as the Harbuval-Chamaré Palace or Bylandt-Rheidt Palace, is an early Baroque residence in Prague's Malá Strana district, at Sněmovní Street 13. Overshadowed by grander neighbors, it nonetheless carries a history stretching back to the late 17th century and a succession of noble owners whose names it has borne in turn.

Where exactly does it stand?

The palace sits at Sněmovní 171/13, right in the heart of Malá Strana, within easy walking distance of Prague Castle. Building a residence close to the castle was a common move for Baroque-era Prague nobility, and this stretch of the district is still lined with similar aristocratic houses.

When was it built, and what stood there before?

Construction ran from 1685 to 1699, on a plot that had previously held two medieval houses and the Church of St. Michael, cemetery included. The counts of Klenová and Janovice commissioned the new building. Architecturally it blends early Baroque forms with Renaissance touches, visible for instance in the rusticated ground floor, a decorative treatment typical of the period.

Why does it carry three different names?

Ownership changed hands several times after construction. The palace passed from the founding family to the Harbuval-Chamaré family, then to the Bylandt-Rheidt family, and eventually to the Schütz family, whose name is the one most commonly used today. That's why sources refer to the same building under three different names: Harbuval-Chamaré, Bylandt-Rheidt, and Schütz.

What does the building look like?

The palace has an irregular four-wing layout around an inner courtyard, a shape that reflects its origin on a plot merged from several older properties. The courtyard still holds a well with a granite surround. A garden adjoins the palace, laid out in Baroque style with sculptural decoration added between 1728 and 1769, well after the main building was finished, under later owners.

Can visitors go inside?

Schütz Palace is a listed cultural monument, but it remains privately owned and has not served any public function for a long time. In 2008, plans surfaced to convert the whole complex into a hotel, the Art Palace Chamare project, which would have enclosed the courtyard and garden wing in glass and added an underground pool in the garden. The proposal drew criticism from heritage conservationists, and available information indicates the building still stood empty as of 2017. For now, it's best appreciated from the street as part of Malá Strana's architectural fabric rather than as an open tourist attraction.

Frequently asked questions

Is Schütz Palace the same building as Harbuval-Chamaré Palace? Yes. It's the same structure — the name changed with each new owning family, so both names, along with Bylandt-Rheidt, appear in different sources.

Can you visit the palace? No, it is privately owned and not open to the public as a museum or tourist site. It can only be viewed from outside.

Where is it located? At Sněmovní 171/13 in Prague's Malá Strana district, close to Prague Castle.

When was it built? Between 1685 and 1699, in an early Baroque style with Renaissance elements.