The gently sloping Hradcany Square, which serves as one of the castle's most popular entrances, is bordered on all sides by colossal buildings, with several streets and views of Malà Strana (Czech for 'small bank').
On the other side of the castle, the Baroque Palace of the Grand Duke of Tuscany stands out with its modest twin towers at the entrances.
The Schwarzenberg Palace, built in the sixteenth century, is located near Malà Strana. The palace's most stunning features are the large halls with murals and carved hardwood ceilings. The second floor contains a substantial collection of Mannerist art, while the remaining two floors feature the finest Czech Baroque paintings and sculptures. The windows provide an unparalleled view of the Petřín Gardens.
Just before the entrance to the castle, on the left, the facade of the 18th-century Archbishop's Palace catches the eye. In front of the palace, in a highly symbolic position, stands the statue of Thomas Masaryk, the first president of the Czechoslovak Republic (1918).
Turning towards the Archbishop's Palace, we enter the elegant Sternberg Palace, the main building of the National Gallery. The interior is richly decorated and houses a collection of European paintings from the 15th to the 18th centuries, including works by Italian, German, Flemish, Dutch, French and Spanish painters. There are also works by El Greco, Rubens and Goya. This impressive and diverse collection includes Albrecht Dürer's masterpiece “The Feast of Rose Garlands”.
An interesting fact: one of Prague's most remarkable and odd 19th-century urban furniture pieces is a gigantic cast-iron gas lamp from 1867 supported by statues of silhouetted ladies.
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