The 17th-century baroque palace, built for Count Wenceslas Sternberg in 1698-1707, now houses the National Gallery's impressive collection of Old Masters.

The palace is set back from Hradčany Square: access is through the left-hand entrance of the Archbishop's Palace. The exhibition is arranged chronologically by the artists' country of origin. The gallery's proudest possession is Albrecht Dürer's scintillating Feast of the Rose Garlands (1506), acquired by Emperor Rudolph II because it features one of his ancestors, Maximilian I (shown in the foreground with Pope Julius II). German painting is also represented by Holbein the Elder and Lucas Cranach, including a charming Adam and Eve. Perhaps the gallery's strongest suit is Flemish and Dutch art of the 15th-17th centuries. There are works by Geertgen tot Sint Jans, Jan Gossaert and the Brueghels, father and son. Pieter Brueghel the Elder's animated calendar painting, The Haymaking, has a rhythmic, almost dance-like quality. Outstanding among the later work is a portrait by Rembrandt, Scholar in his Study (1634), and several paintings by Rubens, including Martyrdom of St Thomas (1637-9), which was commissioned for the church in Malá Strana. By comparison, the Italian Renaissance is less well represented, although Andrea della Robbia, Sebastiano del Piombo and Pietro della Francesca all feature in the collection and there are some fine altar panels by the 14th-century Sienese artist, Pietro Lorenzetti. Paintings by artists of the 18th-century Venetian school, including Tiepolo and Canaletto, and two fine Spanish works, El Greco's Head of Christ and a portrait by Goya of Don Miguel de Lardizabal, can also be found in the gallery. The superb collection of 19th- and 20th-century French art is now in the Veletrzny Palace