Chateau Troja Summer Palace and Gardens with Baroque Sculptures
Chateau Troja, Troja zamek, is a baroque summer residence that immediately stands out because of its brick-red colour and the grandiose external staircase adorned with sculptures. The chateau is located in the middle of a French-style garden. The interior with beautiful frescoes is as impressive as the exterior. The Prague City Gallery hosts art exhibitions in Chateau Troja.
Chateau Troja and Frescoes
The main reason to visit the chateau is to see its richly decorated interior. All walls are covered with the splendid frescoes, all are the original ones.
The Great Hall is famous for its frescoes which glorify the Hapsburg dynasty and their victory over the Turks in 1683. The castle was built between 1679 and 1691, so that victory was quite topical at the time.
The scenes on the ceilings symbolize the heavenly realm and the frescoes on the walls the earthly realm. When you look at them, you get the impression as if the figures depicted are trying to attract your attention.
Chateau Troja and its Gardens
Strictly speaking, the building is not a chateau but a grand summer residence built in the seventeenth century by Count Šternberk to host concerts and parties. That is why the castle is surrounded by a beautiful garden laid out in French style and designed entirely geometrically. The garden has a labyrinth, sculptures, trees, with beautiful blossoms in the spring, and the central Neptune fountain.
Olympian Gods and the Trojan War
The impressive outdoor staircase that leads from the Great Hall to the garden is a true eye-catcher. The statues on the stairs railings symbolize the battle between the Titans and the Olympian Gods, and for humans they are the symbol of the Trojan War, from which the chateau derives its name.
Getting there
Address: Chateau Troja, Zámek Troja, U Trojského zámku 1/4, Troja, Prague
Opening hours: April to October
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 10.00 – 18.00
Friday 13.00 – 18.00
Closed on Mondays
The gardens are open to the public free of charge from April to October
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Photos Marianne Crone