Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
river district of Holešovice was also hit hard, sustaining damages amounting to
hundreds of millions of crowns, but thankfully little loss of life.
While much of the flood damage has since been repaired, and the flood even
spurred some much-needed new investment, there are still places where you
can see the extent of the disaster. In Holešovice, the hardest-hit areas were
along Bubenské nábřeží, which borders the river, and further to the east along
the streets of Jateční and Plynární, in low-lying eastern Holešovice. The gleam-
ing new construction you see in this area has largely arisen since the flooding
and in many cases to replace buildings that were lost in the deluge.
Prague Zoo, which borders the Vltava's far northern banks, is another surviv-
or. The floods struck the zoo particularly hard and a number of animals, includ-
ing an elephant, a hippopotamus and a gorilla, were tragically lost. One of the
saddest stories to arise from those days concerns a sea lion from the zoo
named Gaston. In the early days of the flooding, it was reported that Gaston had
managed to make it to the river and was swimming to Germany. Indeed, he
made it all the way to Dresden, only to die of exhaustion once he got there.
Bubeneč
PARK
ARK
STROMOVKA
(Královská obora; entry to the park at Nad Královskou oborou 21, Bubeneč; 1, 8, 15, 25, 26 to
Letenské náměstí plus a 10 minute walk north)
Stromovka, west of Výstaviště, is Prague's
largest park. In the Middle Ages, it was a royal hunting preserve, which is why it's
sometimes called the Královská obora (Royal Hunting Ground). Rudolf II had rare
trees planted here and several lakes created. It's now the preserve of strollers, joggers,
cyclists and in-line skaters.
PARK
ARK
LETNÁ GARDENS
(Letenské sady, Bubeneč; 1, 8, 15, 25, 26 to Letenské náměstí)
The lovely Letná Gardens
is a large park that occupies a bluff over the Vltava river, north of the Old Town, with
postcard-perfect views out over the city, the river and the bridges. It's perfect for
