Wallenstein Palace

This Renaissance palace at the foot of the Prague Castle, it was built in 1630 for the Duke of Friedland, Albrecht Vaclav Eusebius of Wallenstein. The duke amassed a great fortune by marriage and raised massive armies for the emperor, who eventually grew suspicious of Wallenstein’s power and had him assassinated in 1634. Today, the palace is home to the Czech parliament, so it’s open to the public only on weekends. Its beautiful formal gardens, a must-see, are open daily in warm months. In the Main Hall, Mythological Corridor and St. Wenceslas Chapel are fabulous frescoes of the Trojan Wars by Baccio del Bianco. A duck pond, which kids love, sits within the gardens, and in summer, free concerts are held here.