Hradcany is a unique Prague quarter. Just several streets, magnificent palaces near small fairytale houses, sounds of Loreta carillon, monastery gardens. The spirit of old Prague still lives here.

The burgrave of Prague Castle, Berka from Dube, founded the town of Hradcany in 1321. Several streets which had existed already were surrounded by walls. And the city was born. The town was not founded by a king, there were no big markets here, and it was the smallest among all Prague towns. The residents of Hradcany had many duties. They prepared hay for stables at Prague Castle, guarded prisoners, etc.

Later the emperor Charles IV expanded the walls and included the Strahov monastery to the town. To the west of it, the suburbs began to grow: Pohorelec, Novy Svet. Hradcany attracted more and more attention from local clergy and aristocrats.

In 1541 the terrible fire destroyed the two-third of buildings in Hradcany. And this helped the Czech rich families. They bought burnt out plots of land for almost nothing and built their huge palaces on them. Many of these palaces we can still see in Hradcany today.

In 1598 the emperor Rudolf II Habsburg gave Hradcany the status of a royal town. And the reforms of Joseph II turned it into one of Prague quarters.