PRAGUE GUIDE

To the north of the castle fortifications and across from the deep moat stands Belvedere Palace, a pleasant place to relax. The palace can be seen from the tram if you take a ride up to the castle. This finest Italian Renaissance building was completed in 1564. It is a beautiful arcaded summerhouse with Ionic columns topped by a roof shaped like an inverted ship's hull clad in blue-green copper. There are also ornate reliefs inside the arcade. Inside the Royal Summer Residence, there are two domed Renaissance halls and a main dance hall on the first floor with a wooden coffered ceiling. It is embellished with paintings representing the history of the kingdom. In the garden in front of the palace you can see the bronze Singing Fountain built in 1568. The fountain acquired its name because of the sound it makes when the water drops on the metal fountain bowls. The best way to hear it is to crouch under the lower bowl. By the western frontage of the building there is the bronze statue Genius by J. Stursa. Unfortunately, much of the sculpture work that originally decorated the garden was plundered by Swedish forces in 1648. The Belvedere now hosts an art gallery and occasional exhibitions.

 

Location: Prague Castle, Royal Garden
Open: Tue-Sun (during exhibition periods only)