Pachta Palace of Rájov Audio guide

A palace with a musical past

Pachta Palace of Rájov is one of the most distinctive urban residences in the Old Town. It was created by joining five medieval houses, which the Pachta family gradually bought after 1647. It took on its present form in 1770, when Hubert Karel Pachta of Rájov had a four wing, single story Rococo palace with a courtyard built here.

Today the building is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic and forms part of a larger palace complex. Its outer facade feels rather restrained, while the main architectural emphasis is focused on the courtyard. That is where we find articulated facades, a columned portico, a balcony, and sculptural decoration by Ignác Platzer.

What to notice on site

Worth noticing are the family coats of arms above the entrance portal from Anenské náměstí, the small courtyard with its fountain and lion mascaron, and the monumental double flight staircase inside. The palace as we see it today is also partly hidden by the surrounding buildings, including the Na zábradlí Theatre and a Neoclassical extension from the nineteenth century.

The palace is also tied to Prague's musical history. Count Jan Josef Pachta of Rájov held concerts here and maintained his own orchestra. Guests included Josef Mysliveček, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Richard Wagner. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the building was threatened with demolition, but intervention by the Club for Old Prague saved it. Today, together with the adjoining extension, it serves as a hotel.