PARKS AND GARDENS
1. Petřín Hill
The views from here are so beautiful that susceptible romantics have been known to spontaneously kiss passers-by, including the monks from Strahov monastery. In spring the views are at their best, as the orchards are in bloomt.
2. Vyšehrad
Far enough from the centre to be largely tourist-free, Vyšehrad is the perfect place to be alone with your thoughts. Sights include the Neo-Gothic Sts Peter and Paul Church, the graves of Dvořák and Smetana and reconstructed fortifications. However, visitors should be aware that there’s very little shelter from inclement weather.
3. Wallenstein Garden
Albrecht von Wallenstein razed two dozen houses to make way for his expansive “backyard”, which features a man-made lake. Among the garden’s stranger elements is the grotto on the south wall, with stalactites imitating a limestone cave. The cries you hear all around you are the resident peacocks.
Wallenstein Garden’s Sala Terrena
4. Kampa Island
Malá Strana residents love to sunbathe, sip wine and play frisbee on the island green of the Little Quarter in summer. However, they also like to smoke marijuana, beat drums well into the night and use the grass for a public dog toilet, so watch your step.
Kampa Island separated from Malá Strana by the Čertovka (Devil’s Canal)
5. Vojanovy sady
Prague’s oldest garden was founded in the 13th century. The fairy-tale park (see Vojanovy sady) is home to peacocks, fruit trees and a heart-melting array of flowers.
The pretty Vojanovy sady park
6. Stromovka
King Přemysl Ottokar II established the royal hunting park here in 1266. A public garden since 1804, Stromovka is one of the city’s largest parks. It has four ponds that are ideal for ice-skating in winter and duck-feeding in summer, and meandering paths that offer easy strolling.
7. Franciscan Garden
Stop here after pounding the pavements of Wenceslas Square and join the pensioners and office workers at lunch, quietly filling the benches behind the Church of Our Lady of the Snows (see Franciscan Garden).
8. South Gardens of Prague Castle
The spectacular views of Malá Strana from this series of gardens descending from Prague Castle can’t fail to inspire. This really is the best way to conclude a day of sightseeing in Hradčany.
9. Střelecký ostrov
Lose yourself watching the Vltava rush past this island, which gained its name from the archery competitions that were held here from the 15th century. Early risers can watch the sunrise strike the castle. In the summer there’s a popular outdoor cinema and live-music stage here.
10. Prague Castle Royal Garden
These formal gardens were laid out on the orders of the Habsburg king Ferdinand I in 1534 (see Prague Castle). After mulling over the Belvedere summer palace and the Communist-revised frescoes in the Ball Game Hall, slip down to the Stag Moat.
Prague Castle Royal Garden
