Windischgrätz Palace in Prague

Windischgrätz Palace is a late Baroque palace in Prague's Malá Strana district, standing on Letenská street right next to the Vojan Gardens. The building carries the name of the aristocratic Windischgrätz family, even though its story begins with an entirely different owner.

Where is the palace, and how close is it to the Vojan Gardens?

The building sits at Letenská 119/3, in Prague 1's Malá Strana, the district spread beneath Prague Castle and Hradčany. Its rear section borders directly on the Vojan Gardens, one of the oldest public gardens in the city. The palace's coordinates place it at roughly 50.09 N, 14.41 E, within the dense historic quarter that stretches between Malostranské náměstí and Charles Bridge.

When was the palace built, and who owned it first?

The building's current form dates to the first half of the 18th century, when two earlier, early Baroque houses were merged into a single residence. Before that transformation, the property was known as the "palác Kagerů ze Štampachu," named after the family that owned it at the time. Only later, once the estate passed to the Windischgrätz family, an Austrian-Bohemian noble house that held extensive land across the Czech lands and Hungary until 1945, did the building take on the name it carries today.

What does the palace look like architecturally?

The palace is built in the late Baroque style. Its main block, facing Letenská street, rises three storeys, while three lower, single-storey wings enclose a rectangular inner courtyard. The structure is of brick masonry construction. A Baroque palace garden once adjoined the southeastern part of the complex, forming an integral part of the residential layout.

What happened to the palace garden after the flood?

Prague's major 2002 flood hit this part of Malá Strana hard. In its aftermath, the old Baroque garden next to the palace was paved over, losing its original green character. Today that stretch of ground is accessible from U lužického semináře street, letting passers-by walk along the former garden area, though the historic planting itself is gone.

Is the palace protected as a heritage site?

Windischgrätz Palace is listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. That protected status covers the main building on Letenská street as well as its surrounding wings and courtyard, ensuring the historic fabric is preserved through any renovation work.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Windischgrätz Palace located? At Letenská 119/3 in Prague 1's Malá Strana, right beside the Vojan Gardens.

Where does the palace's name come from? From the Windischgrätz family, an Austrian-Bohemian noble house that took over the building from its earlier owners, the Kager von Štampach family.

When did the building take its current shape? In the first half of the 18th century, when two early Baroque houses were combined into one late Baroque residence.

Is there still a garden next to the palace? The former Baroque garden was paved over after the 2002 flood; the area is now accessible from U lužického semináře street but without its original greenery.

Is the palace a protected heritage building? Yes, it is registered as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.