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Since our first visit to Prague as tourists in 2004, we have watched as the Schwarzenbersky Palace has been brought back to life. When we first saw the palace, it looked miserable and not at all like a fancy building. Within the Castle area it was probably the building in the worst state of repair. Our Czech tour guide told us this property was still in the hands of the state but the private owners were trying to work through the legal process of reclaiming it after the years of Soviet domination when so much private property became state owned. It was perfectly obvious to us in 2005 that something dramatic had happened in those law proceedings. There was scaffolding in front of the palace and work was being done at remarkable speed. The facade which had been crumbling was being repaired and we supposed that the internal parts of the building were also undergoing restoration. By the end of our 2005 stay at IBTS part of the facade of the building was replastered and the sgraffiti was being restored. The finished area was small but magnificent. Then in 2006 even more was completed and we started to take pictures to show friends 'how it was' and 'how it is'. When the back of the building started to be covered with the new sgraffiti, both of us were entranced. There is a beautiful stairway that goes from the castle area down and around the back of the Schwarzenbersky Palace and the view back up the hill of the renovations was breathtaking. We were always dragging unknown and unsuspecting tourists with us around and down just so they could look back up and go 'Ahhhhh". Things went even further in 2007 and now in 2008 the signs are up stating that the new museum inside the palace will be opened in less than a month. We can hardly wait. There is now only one section to the left of the front of the palace that still looks 'ratty'. On top of that section there are now signs in Czech with names of building firms, etc. We assume that means the final work on at least the outside of the palace is now underway and we have hopes to see the totally finished project by 2009. Sure, that means we hope we will return yet another year to work with the students and on moments off from work to see more of the renewal of this castle area and the city as a whole.

If you have dreams of seeing an almost flawless architectural magnificent city, buy tickets now and come to Prague. You will not be disappointed.

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