Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sep, to 6pm Apr & Oct; 12, 20, 22)
These beautiful, terraced gardens on the steep
southern slopes below the castle date from the 17th and 18th centuries, when they
were created for the owners of the adjoining palaces. They were restored in the 1990s
and contain a Renaissance loggia with frescoes of Pompeii and a baroque portal with
sundial that cleverly catches the sunlight reflected off the water in a triton fountain.
There are two entrances: one on Valdštejnská street next to the Palffy Palace Res-
taurant, and one at the top of the hill in the Garden on the Ramparts at Prague Castle.
GARDENS
ARDENS
WALLENSTEIN GARDEN
(Valdštejnská zahrada; Letenská 10; 7.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun Mar-Oct;
Malostranská)
This huge, walled garden is an oasis of peace amid the bustle of Malá
Strana's streets. Its finest feature is the huge
loggia
decorated with scenes from the
Trojan Wars, flanked to one side by an aviary with a pair of Eagle Owls, and an
enormous fake
stalactite grotto
- see how many hidden animals and grotesque
faces you can spot.
The
bronze statues
of Greek gods lining the avenue opposite the loggia are cop-
ies - the originals were carted away by marauding Swedes in 1648 and now stand out-
side the royal palace of Drottningholm near Stockholm. At the eastern end of the
garden is an
ornamental pond
, home to some seriously large carp, and the
Wal-
, which hosts changing exhibitions of modern art. Enter the garden on Letenská (be-
side Malostranská metro station) or via the Wallenstein Palace.
PAALACCE
WALLENSTEIN PALACE
(Valdštejnský palác; 257 071 111; Valdštejnské náměstí 4; 10am-5pm Sat & Sun Apr-Oct, to
4pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar; 12, 20, 22)
Valdštejnské náměstí, a small square northeast of
Malostranské náměstí, is dominated by the monumental 1630 palace of
Albrecht of
Wallenstein
, general of the Habsburg armies, who financed its construction with
properties confiscated from Protestant nobles he defeated at the Battle of Bílá Hora in
1620. It now houses the Senate of the Czech Republic, but you can visit some rooms
on weekends.
