Hradčany
Hradčany, settled since the 3rd millenium B.C., spreads out to the west of Prague Castle. Around 1320, a medieval town was built, and in 1598, Hradčany was first granted municipal privileges. Hradčany was not typical town. Diminutive burgher houses from the 14th century huddle in the Lesser Town ( Malá Strana ) in the shadow of the palaces. Today, these houses, with their simpler Renaissance and Early Baroque facades, contrast with the noble monumentality of the palaces, creating a poetic magic.
At its centre is Hradčanské náměstí ( Hradčany Square ), which opens onto main entrance of the first courtyard of Prague Castle. Grand Palace courts and ecclesiastical institutions decorate the square, such as the Renaissance Lobkowicz (later called Schwarzenberg) Palace built with sgraffito decoration completed in 1563, in which the Military Museum now has an exhibition. The gate leading to the Šternberk Palace leads us around the corner to the Rococo facade of the Archbishop´s Palace, which contains the very valuable European art collections of the National Gallery. Besides the gracious noble palaces and their luxurious gardens, such as the Černín Palace garden, churches such as the exquisite Loreta ( 1626; baroque facing of the complex by K. I. Dienzenhofer, dating from 1722 ), dominate Hradčany.
