Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A few traces of the church's Gothic origins can be seen in the vaulted chapel at the eastern
end of the north aisle.
Palácové zahrady (Palace Gardens)
Valdštejnská 12-14 • Daily: April & Oct 10am-6pm; May & Sept 10am-7pm; June & July 10am-9pm; Aug
10am-8pm • 80Kč • 257 214 817,
palacove-zahrady.cz
• Metro Malostranská
One of Malá Strana's most hidden secrets is the steeply terraced
palácové zahrady
, hidden
away behind the Baroque facades on Valdštejnská on the slopes below the castle. There are
five small, interlinking gardens in total, dotted with little pavilions and terraces hung with
vines, all commanding splendid views over Prague. If you're approaching from below, you
can enter either via the Ledeburská zahrada on Valdštejnské náměstí, or the Kolowratská
zahrada on Valdštejnská, both of which connect with the other palace gardens. You can also
exitorenterviatheeasternmostgarden,theMaláFürstenberskázahrada,whichjoinsupwith
the
Zahrada na valech
beneath the Hrad itself.
Vojanovy sady (Vojanovy Gardens)
U lužického semináře 17 • Daily: April-Sept 8am-7pm; Oct-March 8am-5pm • Free • 257 531 839 • Tram
#12, #20 or #22 to Malostranské náměstí
The
Vojanovy sady
, securely concealed behind a ring of high walls off U lužického
semináře, was originally a monastic garden belonging to the Carmelites. Now the space is an
informal public park, with weeping willows and lots of grass on which to picnic; outdoor art
exhibitions and occasional concerts also take place here.
Franz Kafka Museum
Cihelná 2b • Daily 10am-6pm • 200Kč • 257 535 373,
kafkamuseum.cz
• Tram #12, #20 or #22 to
Malostranské náměstí
The Prague tourist industry is slightly obsessed with Kafka, emblazoning his image on
everything from fridge magnets to T-shirts. For the more serious literary fan, the
Franz
Kafka Museum
is hidden away in a courtyard off Cihelná (a former medieval brickyard),
withDavidČerný'sdelightfulfountainoftwogentlemen urinatingintoapoolintheshapeof
the Czech Republic. Highlights of the exhibition, a fairly sophisticated rundown of
Kafka's
life and works
,
include photos of the old ghetto into which Kafka was born, an invoice from
his father's shop bearing the logo of a jackdaw (
kavka
in Czech), copies of Kafka's job ap-
plications and his requests for sick leave, one of his reports on accident prevention in the
workplace and facsimiles of his pen sketches. Upstairs, audiovisuals and theatrical trick-
