Liechtenstein Palace, Baroque palace in Malá Strana, Czech Republic
Liechtenstein Palace stands on Kampa Island by the Vltava, at U Sovových mlýnů 506/4. Giovanni Battista Alliprandi designed it in 1697–1698 on a hexagonal plan; Jan Josef of Liechtenstein removed the two river-side towers and placed his coat of arms above the entrance portal, where a copy remains. The cream facade has stone corner quoins, a balustraded balcony over the portico and a dark hipped roof.
František Helfried of Kaiserštejn had the Baroque palace built in 1697–1698 to a design by Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, possibly following a concept by Jan Baptista Mathey, on a hexagonal plan with two corner towers above the Vltava. The Kaiserštejns sold it in 1726; the Kolovrat family bought it at auction in 1741 and held it until 1831, when Jan Josef of Liechtenstein acquired it and had both river towers removed. In 1864 the bakers František and Marie Odkolek had it raised by a storey and refaced in Neoclassical style.
The palace belongs to the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic and serves as lodging for state visits; Juan Carlos and Sofía of Spain stayed in 1995, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1996, and Emperor Akihito with Empress Michiko in 2002. Its ground floor is used for working meetings, seminars and conferences, and since January 2020 the viewing floor has housed a television studio from which TV Prima broadcasts the political talk show Partie.
The palace belongs to the Office of the Government and serves state visits and cultural events, so it is not a regularly open museum. Ground-floor rooms host conferences and seminars, and since January 2020 the viewing floor has held a TV studio used for live political broadcasts. Access is tied to specific events rather than daily visiting.
A boat tunnel once led from the Vltava directly into the palace at water level, ending in a small landing stage; it was abolished during interior adaptations between 1924 and 1934. The two corner towers above the river, topped by onion-domed pavilions, were removed by Jan Josef of Liechtenstein after 1831.
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