★★★★★ 5.0
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Lobkowicz Palace
Did you know there's a cannonball stuck in this palace wall that's been there for THREE HUNDRED AND SEVEN years? Look up at the yellow walls and count the windows - see that dent near the third floor? That's from when Swedish armies attacked in 1648, and the Lobkowicz family just... left it there like the world's coolest battle scar! Before you rush inside to see Beethoven's actual handwritten music - yes, the REAL papers he scribbled on - check out those fancy swirls above the doorway. Those aren't just decorations... they're actually secret family symbols that spell out L-O-B-K-O-W-I-C-Z if you squint just right! This family has lived here since your great-great-great-great... times SIXTEEN grandparents were alive! Inside, you'll find Europe's oldest private art collection still owned by the same family - that's like if your family kept EVERY drawing you ever made for 600 years! Quick challenge: can you spot the painting of the dog wearing pearls? It's worth more than 50 school buses full of gold coins!
Did You Know?
- The Lobkowicz Palace played a dramatic role in the Defenestration of Prague in 1618, one of Europe’s most notorious political acts: after Protestant rebels threw Catholic Imperial Ministers out of a window at Prague Castle, the survivors took refuge in the palace, where they were protected by Princess Polyxena Lobkowicz—a moment immortalized in a painting you can still see in the palace today.
- The palace houses one of Europe’s oldest and finest private art collections, including masterpieces by Bruegel the Elder, Canaletto, and Velázquez, as well as original musical manuscripts by Beethoven and Mozart—children and families can even see Beethoven’s handwritten notes for his famous 3rd, 4th, and 5th Symphonies, and hear stories about these composers’ connections to the Lobkowicz family.
- Lobkowicz Palace is the only privately owned building within the Prague Castle complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and features a hidden gem for young visitors: a copy of the famous Infant Jesus of Prague statue, whose original was once kept here before becoming a global pilgrimage attraction; families can also enjoy panoramic views of Prague from the palace balcony and listen to a special audio tour narrated by members of the Lobkowicz family themselves.