Queen Anne's Summer Palace

Welcome, observant traveler, to Queen Anne's Summer Palace, a true architectural jewel nestled within the verdant embrace of the Royal Gardens at Prague Castle. As you stand before this elegant structure, often incorrectly…

Step right up to the edge of the ground floor gallery and marvel at the stunning Renaissance arcades that completely encircle the building. This unbroken ring of graceful arches is the defining architectural feature of the…

As you peer closely at the walls within the arcade gallery, you are confronted with an astonishing display of Renaissance storytelling. There are exactly one hundred and fourteen individual reliefs carved into the sandstone…

Stepping back from the arcades, cast your gaze upward to the first floor and the truly striking roof of the Summer Palace. This upper level was not part of the original construction phase. …

Positioned elegantly in front of the Summer Palace is a masterpiece of Renaissance metalwork known as the Singing Fountain. This stunning bronze and bell-metal structure was cast between fifteen sixty-four and fifteen sixty-eight…

While the exterior of Queen Anne's Summer Palace has retained its pure Renaissance character, the interior has endured a much more chaotic and transformative history. After the death of Emperor Rudolph the Second, the building…

As our time at Queen Anne's Summer Palace comes to an end, take a final, lingering look at the harmony of its design. The delicate Tuscan pillars, the sweeping copper roof, and the gentle song of the bronze fountain all combine…