Palace & modernBratislava & Western Slovakia

Pálffy Palace on Ventúrska Street: a Baroque palace in Bratislava

Pálffy Palace (Pálfiho palác) is a Baroque town palace at Ventúrska 10 in the Old Town of Bratislava, built in 1747 for the Pálffy noble family. It is known for a portal decorated with military trophies and for a story about the six-year-old Mozart, and it served as the Austrian embassy until 2012.

Beneath a Baroque palace in Bratislava archaeologists found Roman and Celtic remains, and in its walls Gothic fragments. Whether little Mozart really played here in 1762 is still debated.

WhereVentúrska 10, Old Town of Bratislava, Slovakia

TypeBaroque town palace of 1747

Best forArchitecture and history lovers, music fans and walkers in the Old Town

Getting thereIn the pedestrian-friendly Old Town of Bratislava, on Ventúrska Street

The history of Pálffy Palace

The present Pálffy Palace dates from 1747, when it was built on Ventúrska Street in the Old Town of Bratislava as a residence of the influential Hungarian noble family of the Pálffys. One of its first owners was Count Leopold Pálffy, and the palace is best known today for the portal that recalls him. A relief on the portal, decorated with military trophies, reflects the count's career as a general in the army of Empress Maria Theresa. The building has a characteristic Baroque character and two inner courtyards surrounded by pawlatsche, the open galleries typical of Central European town houses.

Inside, the large staircase was made of hard Kaiserstein, a limestone from the imperial quarry near Vienna. Over the centuries the site has revealed much older layers. During the reconstruction of the palace, parts of a Gothic building were found inside its walls, and archaeological research in the basement uncovered Roman and Celtic finds. The palace also once housed a mint, which shows how varied the uses of the building have been.

A well-known story links the palace to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who is said to have played a concert here in 1762 at the age of six. Historians do not agree on this: other sources place the concert in the former Pálffy palace on Zámocká Street under Bratislava Castle. The palace should also not be confused with another Pálffy palace on Panská Street. From 1993 to 2012 the building served as the embassy of Austria, which in May 2012 moved to another building in the city.

Curiosities about Pálffy Palace

The portal is decorated with military trophies and a relief recalling the career of Count Leopold Pálffy as a general in the army of Empress Maria Theresa.
During the reconstruction, parts of a Gothic building were discovered inside the walls of the Baroque palace.
Archaeological research in the basement uncovered Roman and Celtic finds.
The large staircase was built of hard Kaiserstein from the imperial quarry near Vienna.
The palace used to contain a mint.
In 1762 the six-year-old Mozart is said to have given a concert here, though historians dispute this and some place it in another Pálffy palace under the castle.

Tours near Pálffy Palace (Ventúrska)

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

5-Course Small-Group Bratislava Food Tour with Local Guide

★ 5 (47 reviews) · 3.5 h

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Military Guns Shooting Experience with GunMates Bratislava

★ 5 (44 reviews) · 2 h

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Bratislava Off the Beaten Path Tour - recommended also by Rick Steves

★ 5 (36 reviews) · 2 h

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Private Day Trip to Banska Stiavnica Unesco Site

★ 5 (32 reviews) · 10 h

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Visiting Pálffy Palace

The palace stands at Ventúrska 10 in the Old Town of Bratislava, so it is easy to include in a walk through the historic centre.
The Baroque portal with its military trophies can be admired from the street; the sources say it is the most interesting feature of the façade.
The two pawlatsche courtyards and the Kaiserstein staircase are the notable interior features, but the sources do not say whether the interior is open to the public, so check before you go.
Do not confuse it with the other Pálffy palace on Panská Street. Nearby places on this site include the Clarissine Church, the Esterházy Palace and the Great Moravian Basilica in Bratislava Castle.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Pálffy Palace (Ventúrska) is

Photos of Pálffy Palace (Ventúrska)

Questions

Where is Pálffy Palace in Bratislava?

It stands at Ventúrska 10 in the Old Town of Bratislava. It is the Pálffy palace on Ventúrska Street, not the one on Panská Street.

When was Pálffy Palace built?

The present building dates from 1747 and was built for the Pálffy noble family. It is a Baroque town palace.

Did Mozart play at Pálffy Palace?

It is said that the six-year-old Mozart gave a concert here in 1762, but historians dispute this. Some sources place the concert in another Pálffy palace under Bratislava Castle.

What is special about the palace portal?

The portal is decorated with military trophies and a relief that reflects the career of Count Leopold Pálffy as a general in the army of Empress Maria Theresa.

What was found beneath the palace?

During reconstruction, parts of a Gothic building were found in the walls, and archaeological research in the basement uncovered Roman and Celtic finds.

Was Pálffy Palace an embassy?

Yes. From 1993 to 2012 it housed the Austrian embassy, which then moved to another building in Bratislava.