Malá Strana - Lesser Side

Malá Strana, or the Lesser Side in English is separated by the river from the city center to the east. Mala Strana is more hilly than the city center and has many embassies, abbeys, churches, baroque palaces, small shops and restaurants on its winding roads. It is the district that has been least affected by time and its hills offer great views of Prague.


Malá Strana is very hilly. We walked up for the long, winding, very nice street Nerudova towards Petrín Park. There are many nice embassys on this street.


A hilly street on Malá Strana.


Strahovský kláster and the Swedish embassy at the top of the hill. The abbey was rebuilt in 1258 in gothic (and later baroque) style because of a fire.


The entrance to the Swedish embassy at the top of the hill. All signs were in Swedish and we saw a copy of the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter on a table inside.


View from close to the embassy towards S:t Nicholas Church (left) and the TV Tower (right).


The churches S:t Thomas and S:t Nicholas in Malá Strana.


On the top of the hill and end of Nerudova, I saw this pink tram in front of the old building. It looked even more funny when the orange water truck passed by, one of many that flush the streets of Prague and make the following cars wet. If the reason is to clean the streets or to make the air less dry I don't know.


S:t Nicholas Church on Malá Strana, completed in 1761, is not to be confused with the church with the same name at the Old Town Square. This 79m tall domed baroque church separates the 2 half sides of Malostranské námestí (Lesser Side Square), that always has been the center of Malá Strana. The most famous artists of the 18th century have made sculptures and paintings inside. We were never inside, I can't remember why.


A street with beautiful houses in different styles leads to S:t Nicholas Church on Malá Strana.


Is it Venice or Prague? When reaching Malá Strana from Charles Bridge, we could see this beautiful sight.
This is the first time we came to Malá Strana, or the Lesser Side in English, that is separated by the river from the city center.


S:t Thomas Church seen from Charles bridge. This church was originally gothic, but was reconstructed in baroque style when it was hit by the lightening in 1723.


Wallenstein Palace (Valdstejnska zahrada) is a romantic baroque palace with gardens. It stands as a monument of Albrecht von Wallenstein's ambition to compete with the Prague Castle, that can be seen above it in this picture. The architect (Andrea Spezza) and the artists that made the palace where all from Italy. Despite that the palace houses the Czech senate, it is open to public. The fountains and bronze statues are work of Adriaen de Vries that was stolen by the Swedes in 1648 to decorate Drottningholms slott in Sweden (shame on us)!


The entrance to the senate of Czech Republic in the Wallenstein Palace.


On the right edge of the garden, there is a pound with a statue in the middle. Beyond this is a building, the former riding school, that nowadays is used by the national gallery for temporary exhibitions.


View towards S:t Nicholas Church and S:t Thomas Church with Petrín Park above.


This cave liked wall is impressive, one of my favourite decorations in Prague!


Detail of the "cave wall".


Behind the large window is a caged room for birds.


Detail of Wallenstein Palace's outdoor roof.


The nearby Strahovský kláster.


Old meets new. Two generations of Skoda parked opposite each other in Malá Strana.


And a Skoda police car.


Ledenbour Terraces. We didn't have time and money to get inside, but it looked very beautiful from below. It consists geometrical garden terraces from the 16th century inspired by Italian renaissance style, later (in the 18th century) decorated with baroque fountains and statues. They have nice views.