Hradcany Square

The view from the Prague Castle ramp in the lower part of Hradcany Square will completely enchant you with a magical atmosphere at sunrise.

Hradcany Square is located in the heart of the Hradcany district. Hradcany was the third oldest independent city in Prague area after the Old Town and the Lesser Town and in 1784 it became part of Prague. Hradcany Square is surrounded by a number of historical houses and palaces, headed by the most important one – Prague Castle. In its eastern part, it connects directly to the 1st courtyard of Prague Castle with the Wrestling Titans statues and the passage through the Matthias Gate to the 2nd castle courtyard.

Other important buildings in Hradcany Square are the Salm Palace and the Schwarzenberg Palace. Both palaces are part of the National Gallery. Opposite them is the magnificent Baroque Archbishop’s Palace – the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Near the Salm Palace, there is a bronze statue of the first Czechoslovak president Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, which was unveiled on March 7, 2000, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth.

In the middle of the square, you will find the Marian Plague Column, which stands at the place where open-air prayers were held during the plague in 1713–1714. It is also worth mentioning the cast-iron lamppost with eight gas lights from 1868. Nearby in Loretanska Street is the second same lamppost and together with the Marian Plague Column, these buildings are cultural historical monuments of the Czech Republic.

In the southern part of the square, on the castle ramp, there is a lookout point with a distant view of Prague. In the foreground of the view you will find the St. Kajetan Church and behind it the St. Nicholas Church. On the horizon, you can see Pankrac high-rise buildings standing out from the Prague skyline in the far distance. Apart from the beautiful Prague view, you will also find here two other important statues – the statue of St. Wenceslas and the column and statue of the Virgin Mary of Einsiedeln. If you get up very early, you can further enhance the magical view with the sunrise and a more intimate atmosphere, which disappears easily during the day with the strain of crowds.