Pöttingovský Palace in Prague

Pöttingovský Palace stands on Karlova Street in Prague's Old Town, a short walk from the route connecting Old Town Square to Charles Bridge. It's a Baroque town palace with a passage linking Karlova Street to Anenská Street, best known today for the black-light theatre performing inside it.

Where exactly is the palace?

The building sits at Karlova 8/186, right in the historic core of the Old Town, within the protected heritage zone of central Prague. One distinctive feature is its through-passage — it lets pedestrians cut from the busy Karlova Street to the quieter Anenská Street, a layout that's fairly unusual among the dense townhouses of the Old Town.

How did the palace come to be built?

Two Gothic houses originally stood on the site, later rebuilt in Renaissance style. Their owners eventually merged the two plots and commissioned a single, unified residence, completed around 1726 in a late-Baroque form. The person behind the project was Count František Karel Pötting, whose family name gave the palace its own. Heraldic emblems on the entrance portal still show the coats of arms of the count and his wife, Marie Josefa of Žerotín — these are what allowed historians to confirm who commissioned the rebuilding.

Who designed the Baroque façade?

The Baroque appearance of the building is attributed to Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel, one of the leading architects working in Bohemia at the time, known for blending Baroque forms with Gothic elements. No document survives that confirms his authorship beyond doubt, but the style of the portal and the composition of the façade point to his workshop.

What changed in the early 20th century?

A further significant rebuild took place between 1929 and 1931 under architect František Kavalír. It added a new wing facing Anenská Street (now numbered Anenská 5/186) and roofed over the inner courtyard, giving the palace extra usable space while keeping its historic façade along Karlova Street intact.

Who owns the palace, and what happens inside it today?

Since 1924, the building has belonged to the Religious Society of Czech Unitarians. A memorial bust of Norbert F. Čapek, founder of the Czech Unitarian movement, stands in the entrance hall in his honour. The palace is also home to the Unitaria publishing house and the Czech Garnet Museum, dedicated to the country's well-known gemstone.

A large part of the building is occupied by the Ta Fantastika theatre, known for shows that combine mime, dance and black-light effects. The Charlotte G. Masaryk Hall inside the palace hosts concerts and has been leased for performances by singer Lucie Bílá, among others. Earlier in its history, the palace housed a vegetarian dining hall and served as a meeting point for the wartime resistance. Alongside its cultural functions, the building also contains residential apartments and hotel accommodation.

Why is it worth a stop while exploring the Old Town?

Pöttingovský Palace isn't a headline stop on most Prague itineraries, but it shows how Baroque noble residences changed use over the centuries — from an aristocratic family seat to a religious and cultural institution, and now a working theatre. Walking down Karlova Street toward Charles Bridge, it's easy to pass the façade without a second look, but the heraldic portal and the passage through to Anenská Street are worth a glance.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Pöttingovský Palace located? At Karlova 8/186 in Prague's Old Town, between Old Town Square and Charles Bridge, with a passage leading through to Anenská Street.

Who built the palace, and when? It was created by merging two older Gothic houses on the commission of Count František Karel Pötting; the rebuild into a single Baroque residence was completed around 1726.

Who designed the Baroque façade? The design is attributed to architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel.

What changed at the palace in the 20th century? Between 1929 and 1931, architect František Kavalír added a new wing facing Anenská Street and built over the inner courtyard.

What is housed in the palace today? The Ta Fantastika theatre, the Czech Garnet Museum, the Unitaria publishing house, and the Religious Society of Czech Unitarians, alongside residential apartments and hotel rooms.