Julius Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg began building the Princes’ Palace as the last part of the island castle in 1685 and it was completed in 1696 by his daughter Franziska Sibylla Augusta and her husband Ludwig Wilhelm, Margrave of Baden. The construction was carried out by the court builder Johann Sockh. The building originally consisted of three wings. Previously, the Prince’s Palace was connected to the castle and the White Gate. In a fire in 1795, the west wing was destroyed and the courtyard was completely opened up to the Castle Park. A water parterre with ornately shaped pools and fountains connects to the massive staircase at the Prince’s Palace. One of the most interesting features that archaeologists have managed to uncover during the reconstruction of the Prince’s Palace are the remains of Diana’s Bath, a Baroque pool located in the basement of the southern part of the building. In the 17th century, it was a luxurious bath, which was only equalled in the richest mansions of the monarchs of the time. It has been professionally preserved and can no longer be seen. The ceiling painting of the goddess Diana remains a reminder. It can be seen in the children’s corner of the Municipal Library, which is housed here. The total cost of the reconstruction was 63 million czech crowns. The Palace of Princes became the Building of the Year of the Karlovy Vary Region in 2012.

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