The sedate baroque residence at the corner of the square originally belonged to Albrecht of Wallenstein (1583-1634), one of the greatest generals of the Thirty Years War. A swashbuckling figure with a thirst for wealth and personal aggrandisement, he successfully campaigned against the Protestant armies of Denmark, Saxony and Sweden before finally succumbing to the blow of an assassin’s axe – dire punishment for intriguing against his Habsburg master, the Emperor Ferdinand II. More than two dozen houses were demolished to make way for the palace, which was erected by a team of Italian architects in the years 1624-30. The buildings remained in the hands of the Wallenstein family until the end of World War II, when it was acquired by the state. It is not generally open to the public. Zahrada Valdstejnskeho Palac (the Gardens), on the other hand,
are accessible (through an entrance in Letenska) and some would say these are the palace’s most attractive feature. The graceful, triple-arched loggia or sala terrena, built to a plan of G Pieroni in 1623-7, is approached by an avenue of statues by the Dutch sculptor Adrian de Vries -they are copies, the originals having been removed by the Swedes during the Thirty Yeats War. The ceiling is decorated with paintings by B Bianco, dating from 1629-30 – scenes, appropriately enough, from the Trojan Wars. A statue of Hercules struggling with a dragon presides over the large pond, beyond which is the riding school; this building is now used as a branch of the National Gallery.
Open: May to September, hours vary.
Concerts are sometimes held in the grounds.
Nerudova
Winding its way up to the Castle from the Malostranke namesti Nerudova is a quiet neighbourhood of shops, houses and restaurants, all very attractive. Look out particularly for the house signs: the Cat (no. 2), now a beer bar, the Red Eagle (no. 6), the Three Fiddles (no. 12), currently a wine bar, the Golden Cup (no. 16), the Devil wine bar, and St John of Nepomuk (no. 18). No. 20 is the Thun-Hohenstein Palace, now the Italian Embassy. Like many of the buildings in this street, it dates originally from the 16th century. If you have worked up a thirst, the beer bar Bonaparta is at no. 29 or, if you prefer something non-alcoholic, there is an expresso bar next door. Nerudova continues as Uvoz. This was once a suburb outside the fortified walls of the castle.
Off the beaten track, Na Kampe especially At the Three Magi (no. 2), referred to as far back as the 14th century, and At the Three Small Axes (no. 6). The climb up the hill is well worth the effort, as the view from the top is magnificent, taking in the Strahov Monastery, the gardens of the Male Strana and the less aesthetically pleasing Pettin Tower modelled on the Eiffel Tower and erected for the Prague Industrial Exhibition of 1891. Tram no. 22 will take you back into town.