An impressive Baroque Palace in Prague full of art and history
Discover the Baroque building of the Clam-Gallas Palace in the Old Town of Prague. For more than 300 years, it has stood on the important crossroads of the medieval road leading from Prague Castle to the centre of the Old Town and the ancient road to Vysehrad Castle. During this time, the Palace has hosted countless concerts, some of them by artists such as Mozart and Beethoven. The present appearance of the palace dates from 1713, when its then-owner, Austrian diplomat Count Jan Václav Gallas had it rebuilt by one of the best European Baroque architects, Johann Bernhard Fischer from Erlach. The sculptures decorating the fountain, staircase and facade were created by Matthias Bernard Braun. His artwork can also be admired outside Prague at the Baroque Kuks Hospital in East Bohemia .
The Gallas and Clam-Gallas family, owners of the palace, were lovers and patrons of the arts and the palace was known as Prague’s cultural centre and the venue of concerts, hosting musicians such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as theatrical performances and exhibitions. Today it is still a place of culture, though to a lesser extent. After World War II, the archives of the City of Prague were moved here from the Old Town Hall that had been destroyed by fire. However, the club rooms and halls are open to the public as they are still used for concerts, exhibitions, conferences and other social events.